Dunedin surfer Alexis Owen in action off the coast of Gisborne at the 2026 New Zealand Surfing Championships on Saturday. Owen was the fairytale story of the event last year when he became the first Dunedin surfer to win the New Zealand open men’s title. "I had a couple of scrappy heats ... and I just couldn’t find my rhythm," Stairmand told Surfing New Zealand. Owen was the only rival to stay within reach of the leader, posting an 8.33-point ride to open the final. It was a second title for the 17-year-old after a women’s final in which just 0.67 points separated first from fourth, the lead changing several times over the 25-minute heat.
