After a week of solid 25-30 wind knots and big waves, the contest kicked off in smaller conditions. Sailors with the biggest boards were able to make the best of the waves and the "Waitara Pipe" shorebreak came into play.

Wave windsurfers were entertaining the crowd less than 20 metres from the edge of the sand. Chris La Franchie, Olivier Perkins, Paul Barron and Ferran Crespo showed local style.

Yoan Despujols from New Caledonia and Thomas Davies from Auckland were keeping pace upwind in the break and putting in a great out-of-town challenge.

Yoan especially brought some amazing flair to the day, pulling out an amazing array of flashy freestyley clew first, back-winded, super-spinney, wack-tack-diddy-dack moves on the wave faces and flatwater.

In alternative sport of Kina Road, teasing spray off the junky two-metre wave faces meant that Paul Barron and Thomas Davies led the charge to test it out.

However the conditions were just that – teasing – Paul Barron was the only one to make it up to the break, where it was near impossible to get enough drive to catch the waves. Kudos to those who tried – it was a super solid effort.

At this point the rain decided to appear, but in honour of the valiant attempts to get some wave action the Taranaki Wave Classic barbeque was cranked into action and the beers handed out.

Spanish import "El Torito" saw his name pulled out for the Seventh Wave custom made wetsuit, and this was followed up by a very happy Jason Hall winning the Carbon Art waveboard of his choice.

Taranaki Wave Classic 2012 Results:

1. Ferran Crespo
2. Yoan Despujols
3. Chris La Franchie