Hareb managed a 6.6 despite the injury and even went on to compete in further heats. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Paige Hareb may have been usurped as New Zealand's surfing queen but she has no intention of giving up the crown quietly.
Gisborne's Saffi Vette gained New Zealand a spot in the women's competition for next year's Olympics where surfing will be contested for just the second time.
While the 2024 Games are in Paris, the surfing will be held in Tahiti.
Vette bettered Hareb at the Olympic qualifying event in El Salvador in June earning New Zealand a qualifing berth in the process.
While a setback for Hareb's Olympic hopes, the El Salvador event also saw her suffer a serious knee injury in what was ultimately her final run.
With just seven minutes remaining in a competition in El Salvador, Hareb says she was in desperate need of a score so "hung on for dear life" as she made her last turn
"I heard my knee crunch amongst the whitewater, It was just unlucky timing with the the lip of the wave."
Hareb managed a 6.6 despite the injury and even went on to compete in further heats.
"I still needed to surf one more wave to progress through the heat, which I did, Adrenaline and fight or flight is a real thing. Sadly two days later that adrenaline had worn off and I had to try surf two more heats but I felt weak, and watched my dreams being ripped away from me in front of my eyes."
Hareb's next chance to qualify will come at the world surfing games in Puerto Rico in February.
"In my mind I want to come back 110% recovered rather than being hesitant and possibly tweaking it again, I want to do it once and do it right."
She says it is an ambiguous timeframe getting back on the board.
"Its a bit of a tricky one. It's kind of goes a little bit by feel as well. My physio said a full recovery is usually 12 weeks. Obviously, there's some events that I want to get back to before then. So, just taking it day by day and trying to do the rehab as best I can."
Rubbing salt in her wound, the 33-year-old was on track to earn Olympic qualification in El Salvador before this was taken by Vette.
"I was in the box seat when I got injured and unfortunately just had to watch it all unfold and her take it off me essentially. So , that was a pretty hard pill to swallow. But, she's a great surfer and a good friend of mine. So , if it was to go with anyone else that would rather be her."
Vette said it was a bittersweet feeling to earn a spot at the Olympics while her friend Hareb still requires qualification.
She said Hareb is like her older sister and she has looked up to Hareb since she was a young surfer.
"She's been a mentor for me. Someone I can talk to about contests or about life in general, it's not hard to be a friend. But when you're on the water competing, you're on the water competing," Vette said.
But Vette said friendships had to be put aside with Olympic qualification spots up for grabs.
"You're friends on land but not in the water. There is no mercy in the water and you know that thinking the exact same thing, at the end of the day they've trained their asses off as well. So, it's competing and at the end of the day someone's gonna be happy and someone's going to be sad."
Saffi Vette has qualified for Tokyo 2023. Photo: ©Cory Scott/ NZ Surfing Magazine
Looking all but gone from the competition, some sound motherly advice and her late father smiling down on her gave Vette the strength she needed to earn Olympic qualification.
"I didn't start off to well, and after that happened, I was like 'Oh God, what am I even doing here?' But my mum came over and said 'mate, you've done this before. you can do it again.'
Feeling the presence of her late father, the motivation helped the 21-yar-old surge home in the latter stages.
"I can just envision his big grin smiling down on me and I can hear his voice in my head."
She has no doubt that Hareb will be joining her in Tahiti.
"I know she'll come back better than ever, and hopefully we can both go to the Olympics next year."
Vette has just arrived at Tahiti, the Olympic surfing venue, to test the waters for the first time.
"I feel like I'm still dreaming but hopefully I can come away with a nice shiny gold medal."
Hareb meanwhile has already withdrawn from the next two Challenger Series in South Africa.
"As an active athlete, the rehab is still slower than what I want but as long as there's progress every day, then I'm happy."
However, she is hopeful of a potential return in time for the US Open at the end of July.
"That's still kind of on the cards. I'd assess to see how the next few weeks go and make a late last minute decision with that one."
She says there is a possibility of her sitting out the rest of the season.
"I will have to see if I can essentially get enough points or results for the overall rankings. So , I've got a couple of big decisions to make and the next couple of weeks or next month. Otherwise, we'll just be looking forward to next year."
Hareb's next chance to qualify will come at the world surfing games in Puerto Rico in February. Photo: Andy Jackson
-RNZ
