Flawless Waves and Performances Open the Scholastic Championships

Shane Kraus. Image courtesy of Col / Surf2Surf.com

Dawn brought much scepticism for the country’s best junior surfers today (Monday 3rd October) as surfers from around the country made their way to the Gisborne coastline for the first day of the 2016 National Scholastic Surfing Championships.

What was forecast to be a small if not marginal day of waves turned out to be jam packed with action in perfectly clean 1.0m waves that pulsed through the Makorori Beach line-up.

The conditions took all surfers by surprise as each of the eighty competitors in action on day one of the event jumped at the chance to surf with only three others in the water.

This week New Zealand’s best junior surfers pull together in teams from twelve regions across the country.  Instead of surfing for themselves, they surf as a team. 

Early indications are that there will be a new title holder at the end of the week with Bay of Plenty’s reign coming to an end after four years at the top.  The team title has been won by only four regions in 26 years.  Gisborne, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Coromandel are the only regions to have won the title but it is Taranaki who go in to this year’s event as favourites on paper.

It was the youngest of the Taranaki Team that got their campaign off on the right foot.  Tom Butland is contesting the Under 14 Boys Division and today posted a 16.4 point heat total to advance to the Quarterfinals.

“It is pretty fun out there, so rippable” said the young surfer.  “I was so happy when we turned up today and it was three foot, it is awesome” added Butland of the conditions.

Being the youngest on any team can be tough but Butland is getting used to holding down that honour for Taranaki.  “They are all good boys, I hope we take the win this year, everyone is surfing pretty good and we are all looking forward to the next couple of days.”

Also impressing in the Under 14 Boys Division were Maddy Barclay (Otago), Jack Lee (BOP) and Taylor O’Leary (Auck) with good performances in their respective heats.

It was a quiet achiever that set the Under 16 Boys Division alight in the first round.  Auckland’s Shane Kraus posted the highest heat score of the day – 18.60 out of a possible 20 points

“Those rights just started cranking right before the heat so I thought I would hit them and it paid off” said Kraus of his performance. 

“I have been surfing for the last two weeks straight, two times a day at Piha, it has been pumping, I came down here early to get some practice and that is also paying off.  My board is good and the team has been great cheering each other on” he added.

Other surfers to impress in the Under 16 Boys Division included Luke Griffin (BOP), Jack McLeod (Otago), Jared Gebert (BOP), Max Brunker (North) and Caleb Cutmore (Wai).

Saffi Vette set her home beach on fire in her Under 16 Girls Division heat posting a 14.43 point heat total with a series of powerfully surfed waves on her backhand.  Vette is part of the host Gisborne Team who will look to emulate their 2011 triumphs when the claimed their last teams title. 

Defending Under 16 Girls Division Champion Zhana Hutchieson (Tara) was Vette’s equal as she surfed to a 12.2 point heat total with her own display of powerful surfing to win her heat and advance to the next round.  Hutchieson and Vette already look destine to go head to head in the final of the division after only one day of surfing.

In the Under 14 Girls Division it was Bay of Plenty surfer Georgia Wederell that shone, the youngest of the team posting a 12.07 point heat total as she powered her way to the final of the division.

Ten regional teams from around the country are contesting the event including Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Taranaki, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago.

Please see below for results from day one of the 2016 National Scholastic Surfing Championships held at Makorori Beach today (Monday 3rd October).

Team Points 
1, Taranaki, 23045
2, Northland, 22480
3, Coromandel, 22171
4, Canterbury, 21925
5, Auckland, 21685
6, Gisborne, 18985
7, Otago, 15695
8, Wellington, 10870
9, Bay of Plenty, 10150
10, Waikato, 7150

Under 18 Boys Round 1
Heat 1
Jack Wilson (Chch), 12.67, 1, Jamahl Moselen (Whangarei), 9.47, 2, Reiki Ruawai (Rag), 8.43, 3
Heat 2
Isaac Kettle (Tara), 10.43, 1, Moss Thompson (Dun), 9.2, 2, Atawhai Charteris (Coro), 8.2, 3, Braedon Louie (Auck), 6.73, 4
Heat 3
Joshua Farr (Tara), 11.6, 1, James Murphy (Dun), 9.37, 2, Seti Burling (Auck), 9.17, 3, Finn Carrington (Wgtn), 6.17, 4
Heat 4
Ayrton Yarrell (Waihi Bch), 8.6, 1, Thomas Harcourt (Dun), 7.7, 2, Sam Sands (Chch), 7.5, 3, Jack McDonald (Wgtn), 6.63, 4
Heat 5
Daniel Farr (Tara), 13.57, 1, Harry Macintosh (Auck), 12.37, 2, Reuben Mottart (Gis), 8.97, 3, Kalani Hansen (North), 7.17, 4
Heat 6
Fraser Falconer (Auck), 10.4, 1, Reef Matthews (Tara), 9, 2, Ziggy Knuiman (Rag), 6.63, 3


Under 16 Boys Round 1
Heat 1
Elliott Brown (Dun), 13.17, 1, Sonny Rapira - Martin (Tara), 10.5, 2, Cameron Hankins (Waihi Bch), 6.27, 3
Heat 2
Conor McLennan (Chch), 11.77, 1, Joseph Critchfield (Mangawhai), 9.27, 2, James Scott (Whiti), 6.6, 3, Te Haukopa Ehau-Taumaunu (Gis), 6.3, 4
Heat 3 
William Van der Beek (Mnt), 12.4, 1, Jay Piper - Healion (Whiti), 11.67, 2, Tom Parker (North), 4.67, 3
Heat 4
Luke Griffin (Mnt), 15.8, 1, Thomas Carter (Waihi Bch), 11.33, 2, Kelly Haven (Mur), 11.17, 3
Heat 5
Shane Kraus (Auck), 18.6, 1, Lee Ririnui (Mnt), 10.25, 2, Tanner Hayes (Kati), 6.9, 3
Heat 6
Dylan Preston (Whmata), 12.5, 1, Zack Van Eekelen (Chch), 9.43, 2, Lucca Lind (Tara), 5.83, 3
Heat 7
Jack McLeod (Dun), 13.73, 1, Joel Clegg (Tara), 12.73, 2, Tyler Carrington (Wgtn), 5.7, 3, Zayne Stringer (Cant), 5.43, 4
Heat 8
Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 15.73, 1, Aloysius Lane (Wgtn), 6.97, 2, Caleb Moratti (Tara), 6.2, 3
Heat 9
Max Brunker (Whngrei), 14.23, 1, Tom Norton (Waipu), 11.23, 2, Hamish Lorney (Coro), 5.73, 3, Jamie Horsefield (Chch), 4.87, 4
Heat 10
Jared Gebert (Ohope), 13.83, 1, Sam Dingle (Tara), 9.27, 2, Angus Mossman (Chch), 4.77, 3


Under 14 Boys Round 1
Heat 1
Ruben Peyroux (Dun), 9.6, 1, Finn Johnson (Gis), 6.2, 2, Jacob Buckle (Waipu), 4.6, 3
Heat 2
Taylor O'Leary (Mur), 12, 1, Manawa Ruru (Gis), 9.7, 2, Ollie Quinn (Auck), 5.5, 3
Heat 3
Jack Lee (Whakatane), 10, 1, Taj Broughton (Kaitaia), 7.8, 2, Benjamin Robertson (Lower Hutt), 6.3, 3, Noah Collier (Gis), 6.3, 4
Heat 4
Tom Butland (Tara), 16, 1, Ben Smith (Coro), 7.5, 2, Daniel Robertson (Lower Hutt), 5.8, 3, Hunter Peterson (Tara), 5.4, 4
Heat 5
Maddy Barclay (Oamaru), 11, 1, Neko Tohiariki (Chch), 8.9, 2, Cory Vercoe (Mangawhai), 7.9, 3


Under 16 Girls Division Round 1
Heat 1
Zhana Hutchison (Tara), 12.2, 1, Gabrielle Paul (Auck), 10.27, 2, Grace Pevats (Whanagarei), 6.8, 3
Heat 2
Saffi Vette (Gis), 14.43, 1, Tegen Bishop (Chch), 6.83, 2, Aimee Brown (Auck), 11.44, 3, Jasmine Comrie (Coro), 0, 4
Heat 3
Georgia Wedderell (BOP), 12.07, 1, Tallulah Horsefield (Dun), 2, 2, Sally Carter (Coro), 1.13, 3

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