Future Stars Shine After Announcement Of Surfing’s Recommendation for 2020 Olympics

New Zealand’s top junior talent was on display during day two of the 2015 National Scholastic Surfing Championships presented by Eastland Community Trust today (Tuesday 29th September).  Surfers were spurred on by the overnight announcement that surfing has been recommended by Tokyo 2020 as one of five new sports to be added to the Olympic family.

Should surfing be accepted as an Olympic sport come August 2016, many of the top junior surfers at this weeks’ event will be in their prime to challenge for a place at the biggest sporting event in the world.

Today, it was the girls turn to shine at Gisborne with day two taking place at Makorori Beach that offered up clean 1.0m waves with light onshore winds that built throughout the day.

Current New Zealand representative Britt Kindred (Auck) progressed through to the semifinals of the Under 18 Girls Division this morning with what she described as an average performance.  

Kindred is using this event as a warm up for the World Junior Championship being held in California in two weeks’ time.  

“I am down here without my Dad so it is good to get used to surfing at events without him because that will be the situation I will be in at the World Junior Championship in California in a couple of weeks” said Kindred.

Kindred was enthused by the chance that surfing would be part of the Olympics in 2020.  “It would be amazing to be in the Olympic environment, surrounded by top level athletes and participating in a sport that you are passionate about and have competed in all your life” she commented.

Local surfer Dayna Story also progressed to the semifinals of the Under 18 Girls Division in fine form notching up a 14.37 point heat total – the highest of the round.  Her performance spurred on her younger team mates including Abby Falwasser – Logan, Saffi Vette and Kai Woolfe who also advanced through their heats.

Woolfe top scored in the Under 14 Girls Division and has so far loved her first taste of the Scholastic Championships and having everyone in Gisborne for the event.

“It actually lifts the level of surfing at all the beaches and it makes me try that much harder on every wave while out free surfing.  It is good for the town too” said Woolfe.

Sleeping in their own beds at night has not taken away from the spirit of the host team and Woolfe was quick to point out how supportive her Gisborne team have been so far and, win or lose, the team have been right behind each surfer.

The Hawkes Bay and Wellington teams are both fielding surfers fresh to the event as well.  

Five Hawkes Bay surfers have relished the chance to surf away from home this week despite only being a few hours up the coast from their local breaks.

“The experience has been good, it is way different to home and getting to see all the other surfers and how good they surf compared to just surfing at Te Awanga is good for our surfing” said first timer Eli Shaw - Throp who despite a good showing on day two was eliminated from the Under 16 Boys Division.  

Another first timer was Aloyius Richardson – Lane from Wellington.  His run came to an end in the Under 16 Boys requalifying rounds.  “The level of surfing is really good, it is right up there but hopefully there are a few more surfers from Wellington that will join me next year and we can improve on our overall team ranking” he said after exiting the water.  

Despite being knocked out of the event, Richardson – Lane was making the most of his first trip to Gisborne and the good waves along the coastline at Makorori as well as Wainui Beach.

Late in the day the second round of the Under 18 Boys Division was completed with heat winners including Callum Chuter (BOP), Riccardo Lucibella (Tara)Isaac Kettle (Tara), Andrew Fraser – Mackenzie (BOP), Joshua Farr (Tara) and Taylor Hutchison (Wai).

With the first surfers being eliminated from the event, the team points started to take shape with Northland currently leading followed by Canterbury and defending champions Bay of Plenty who round out the top three.

Conditions are expected to remain similar for day three of the event tomorrow with a slightly decreasing swell and variable winds.

The Scholastic Champs takes place from Monday 28th September running for five days.  Approximately 110 of New Zealand’s top school aged surfers are in attendance at the event with all twelve regions fielding teams.

The twelve regional teams from around the country include Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Canterbury, West Coast and Dunedin/Southland.

The Adam Clegg Trophies for the most improved male and female surfers as determined by peer voting will be handed out at the conclusion of the event.  

The National Scholastic Championships has been grouped together with the Primary School Champs which is held the weekend prior and the GromLab Surfer Development Camp.  

Please see below for results from day two of the National Scholastic Surfing Championships presented by Eastland Community Trust held at Makorori Beach today (Tuesday 29th September).

Team Points 
1, Northland, 22455
2, Canterbury, 22215
3, Bay of Plenty, 21725
4, Taranaki, 21370
5, Coromandel, 20583
6, Auckland, 20190
7, Gisborne, 19020
8, Otago, 16925
9, Hawkes Bay, 9171
10, West Coast, 6650
11, Waikato, 4500
12, Wellington, 800

Under 18 Boys Requalifying Round 1
Heat 1
Matthew Jensen (Whngrei), 9.2, 1, Kohl Mase (Nrthlnd), 9.17, 2, Sam Pitcher (Coro), 5.7, 3
Heat 2
Jacob Stevenson (Dun), 1, Kobe Johnson (Gis), 8.83, 2, Max Hinton (Hbay), 8.6, 3
Heat 3
Sam Wallace (Otago), 7.77, 1, Henry Hawke (Chch), 7.27, 2, Oscar Gittings (Hbay), 3.73, 3

Under 16 Boys Requalifying Round 1
Heat 1
Atawhai Chateris (Coro), 1, Tim Findlay (WC), 2, Jay Piper - Healion (Coro), N/S
Heat 2
Braedon Louie (Auck), 9.67, 1, James Murphy (Otago), 8.17, 2, Aloyius Richardson - Lane (Wgtn), 3.6, 3, Eli Shaw - Throp (Hbay), 2.6, 4

Under 14 Boys Requalifying Round 1
Heat 1
Oscar Harper (Nrthlnd), 7.83, 1, Luke Baker (Hbay), 2.7, 2, James Southern (Hbay), 2.4, 3

Under 18 Girls Round 1
Heat 1
Dayna Story (Gis), 14.37, 1, Abby Falwasser - Logan (Gis), 11.17, 2, Maaia Reid - Bennett (Mnt), .6.4, 3, Lily Spiers (Coro), 4.23, 4
Heat 2 
Britt Kindred (Muri), 7.57, 1, Kea Smith (Mnt), 6.83, 2, Janee Armstrong (Cant), 4.47, 3, Sammy Croker (Coro), 3.73, 4

Under 16 Girls Round 1
Heat 1
Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 10.57, 1, Courtney Salahub (Auck), 6.97, 2, Billie Scott (Whangarei), 5, 3
Heat 2
Zhana Hutchison (Tara), 14.5, 1, Tiana - Breeze de Mooj (Mnt), 9, 2, Shani Ayson (Otago), 6.67, 3, Fritha Davis (Cant), 4.1, 4

Under 14 Girls Round 1
Heat 1
Gabrielle Paul (Piha), 8.5, 1, Stella Smith (Gis), 5.27, 2, Tegan Bishop (Cant), 2.77, 3
Heat 2
Kai Woolf (Gis), 11.83, 1, Tallulah Horsefield (Otago), 1.83, 2, Eve Findlay (WC), 1.67, 3, Toni Power (Mnt), 0.57, 4
Heat 3
Saffi Vette (Gis), 9.27, 1, Grace Pevats (Whngrei), 7.6, 2, Jasmine Comrie (Coro), 0.97, 3

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