Raglan surfer Billy Stairmand has been rewarded with a top-50 world ranking for his giant-killing deeds in Australia last week where he beat the incomparable Kelly Slater.

Stairmand has leaped 10 places to 48th on the ASP World Tour rankings after his ninth placing at the Telstra Drug Aware Pro held at Margaret River, scene of his shock upset over the Slater, the 10-times world champ.

Stairmand's ranking is the highest by a New Zealander since Maz Quinn competed on the ASP World Championship Tour in 2002. Stairmand remains well outside the year-ending ranking of 32 required to make it on to the Dream Tour but the 21-year-old is moving in the right direction. He is now in Thurso, Scotland contesting the second instalment of the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Series.

Once again he will have fellow Kiwis Richard Christie and Jay Quinn for company. Christie moved up one place to 58th on the ratings after finishing 13th at Margaret River. Quinn sits inside the top 100 at No 98.

In the women's ranks Paige Hareb will be after a good result when the Dream Tour recommences at bells Beach, Victoria next week. She lies 13th after the opening contest and with the season squashed to six events, she needs points out of the Rip Curl Pro.

She has been getting solid results in the backup events - her fifth placing at Margaret River, a six-star contest, has left her in fifth place on those rankings which will insurance for the bigger picture. Sarah Mason is the next best Kiwi on that list at 16 with Wini Paul at 36.

Hareb faces a busy few weeks. After the Bells Beach contest the Dream tour switches to New Zealand for the Subaru Pro TSB Bank Women's Surf Festival. She's then back in Australia for the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic on Sydney's North Shore from May 3-8. Then it's straight off to Brazil for the Billabong Pro in Rio de Janeiro from May 12-16. The tour then has a three month break with the final event tentatively scheduled for Spain.