Local Northland Team Turn Up The Heat

The host Northland team came up with some big performances on day two of the National Scholastic Surfing Championships today (Tuesday 11th October), a day on which the first contestants were eliminated from the event.

Paul Moretti led his Northland team top scoring in his opening heat with 14.0 out of 20 points.

"I definitely want to win this one being at home with local knowledge. If the comp finishes on the points (Shipwreck Bay), it will provide some good variety too, it will be mean" said Moretti.

"Our team has revved up this year and it is awesome to be part of it. I am stoked to have a team like this" added Moretti whose team mates Ryan Renall, Manu Scott - Arrieta and Fraser Seymour also progressed through their heats.

The Northland team often have to travel hours to get to surfing events held in New Zealand so they are happy to be competing at home for five days this week.

"Awesome aye, this is the first time I have never had to travel for a comp. We have scored some good waves so hopefully it will pull some more guys up here and another event even, the endless summer of Northland is finally turning on for us too" said Moretti of the fine weather and good 1.0m waves on offer all day.

Defending champions Bay of Plenty continued their push for a third straight title led by Under 16 Boys Division surfer Mac Christie. Christie won his heat scoring 12.0 points.

The Bay of Plenty team is one of several who are staying at local marae at Ahipara, a concept that Christie and his team have been enjoying.

"Our team is doing well. Hopefully we will get the win again. Coromandel are pretty good though, Gisborne too" said Christie of possible title challengers.

Gisborne, a traditional power house region for surfing, had good success on day two with two of their top surfers clocking in big heat scores. Jules Craft and Adam Grimson were standouts in the Under 16 Boys Division.

"I had a fun heat, I got a couple of left runners" said Craft. "Adam pulled through his heat well after me, it has been a good day for our team" added Craft.

"We have a pretty mean team this year and it is mean to surf as a team, having a solid supportive coach and heaps of team support. We are doing well all round really, on our way to first place" stated a confident Craft.

Gisborne will be challenged for the title by yet another strong Taranaki team this year who will be hunting down the top spot after an agonisingly close runner up finish in 2010.

"We have a good team, all boys this year and I reckon we can take it out" said the youngest member of the team, Te Rapai Barbarich - Love.

"This year our team looks as good as all the other teams so we should be able to make a good challenge for number one. I want to defend my title too, hopefully" added Barbarich - Love who is well on his way after dominating his first two heats of the event scoring 14.9 and 13.50 respectively and moving into the semifinals.

The smaller teams from Hawkes Bay and Wellington saw well deserved success with William Brown (HBay) moving through to the second round of the Under 16 Boys and Struan Griffiths (Wgtn) moving through to the quarterfinals of the Under 14 Boys.

Both the girls and longboard divisions hit the water today with Auckland's Ruby Meade standing out in the Under 18 Girls. Meade posted the highest single wave score of the event to date - 8.17 out of a possible 10 points. Meade progressed through to the semifinals alongside Canterbury surfer Kristi Zarifeh.

In the Under 16 Girls Ella Williams of Coromandel secured an easy heat win to move through to the semifinal of her division.

In the longboard it was Jordan Griffin (BOP) and Sunny Brown (Gis) that progressed through their heat with Te Aorangi Pearless being pushed back to the requalifying round.

Day three of competition is likely to see surfing resume at The Bluff with light winds forecast early and a southwest wind filling in later in the afternoon.

Please see below for results from day two of the National Scholastic Surfing Championships held at The Bluff, Northland today (11th October 2011).

Under 16 Boys Round 1
Heat 5
Mac Christie (BOP), 12, 1, Mahorahora McLeod (Tara), 7.33, 2, Tom Mason (Auck), 7.13, 3
Heat 6
Sean Kettle (Tara), 11.1, 1, Ben Wallis (Wai), 7.27, 2, Joe Palmer (Nrth), 4.4, 3
Heat 7
Mackenzie Bowden (Coro), 9.6, 1, Brennan Hill-Rennie (Hbay), 6.07, 2, Matt McGregor (Nrth), 5.03, 3
Heat 8
Paul Moretti (Nrth), 14, 1, Jared Crawford (Chch), 7.4, 2, William Brown (Hbay), 6.6, 3
Heat 9
Jules Craft (Gis), 12.63, 1, Russell Kennan (Coro), 8.23, 2, Wade Kindred (Auck), 7.4, 3, Lewi Barr-Brown (Wgtn), 10.24, 4
Heat 10
Adam Grimson (Gis), 13.67, 1, Logan Owen (Hbay), 7.33, 2, Taylor Louie (Auck), 4.5, 3


Under 16 Boys Requalify 1
Heat 1
Matt Hansen (BOP), 10.23, 1, Toa MacDonald (Tara), 10, 2, Max Wollerman (Wgtn), 2.53, 3

Sam Pajo (Wgtn), 1.67, 4
Heat 2
Brodie Arbuckle (Tara), 8, 1, Fraser Seymour (Nrth), 6.03, 2, Jordan Bailey (Wgtn), 3.37, 3
Heat 3
Matt McGregor (Nrth), 1, Tom Mason (Auck), 2
Heat 4
Wade Kindred (Auck), 1, Joe Palmer (Nrth), 2


Under 16 Boys Requalify Round 1
Heat 1
Taylor Louie (Auck), 8.5, 1, William Brown (Hbay), 7.83, 2, Lewi Barr-Brown (Wgtn), 2, 3


Under 14 Boys Round 1
Heat 1
Taylor Hutchings (Wai), 9.27, 1, Harrison Whiteside (Chch), 9.2, 2, Jed Oliver (Hbay), 2.27, 3
Heat 2
Ryan Renall (Nrth), 4.57, 1, Blake Haven (Auck), 4.47, 2, Quinn Matenga (BOP), 2.27, 3
Heat 3
Te Rapai Barbarich-Love (Tara), 14.9, 1, Nick Tuhikarama (Chch), 6.53, 2, Rory Edmonds (Chch), 5.5, 3, Struan Griffiths (Wgtn), 4.3, 4
Heat 4
Max Marshall (Chch), 8.87, 1, Callum Chuter (BOP), 8.77, 2, Jack McDonald (Wgtn), 6.67, 3, Jack Virtue (Gis), 4.13, 4
Heat 5
Manu Scott-Arrieta (Nrth), 11.7, 1, Harrison Mossip (BOP), 6.83, 2, Sergio Hansen (Nrth), 5, 3


Under 14 Boys Requalify 1
Heat 1
Quinn Matenga (BOP), 7.83, 1, Struan Griffiths (Wgtn), 5.13, 2, Jed Oliver (Hbay), 1, 3
Heat 2
Sergio Hansen (Nrth), 1, Jack McDonald (Wgtn), 2,
Heat 3
Rory Edmonds (Chch), 1, Jack Virtue (Gis), 2


Under 14 Boys Quarterfinals,
Heat 1
Quinn Matenga (BOP), 1, Taylor Hutcheson (Wai), 2, Blake Haven (Auck), 3, Sergio Hansen (North), 4
Heat 2
Harrison Whiteside (ChCh), 1, Ryan Renall (Nrth), 2, Struan Griffiths (Wgtn), 3, Sergio Hansen (Nrth), 4
Heat 3
Te Rapai Barbarich-Love (Tara), 13.5, 1, Jack Virtue (Gis), 6.17, 2, Max Marshall (Chch), 5.6, 3, Harrison Mossip (BOP), 4.53, 4
Heat 4
Rory Edmonds (Chch), 1, Manu Scott-Arrieta (Nrth), 2, Callum Chuter (BOP), 3, Nick Tuhikarama (Chch), 4


U18 Girls Round 1
Heat 1
Ella Spiers (Coro), 3.87, 1, Emma Philson (Coro), 3.77, 2, Alana Thrasyvoulou (Nrth), 3.07, 3
Heat 2
Ruby Meade (Auck), 13.83, 1, Kristi Zarifeh (Chch), 7.6, 2, Alethea Lock (Chch), 7.3, 3


U16 Girls Round 1
Heat 1
Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 1, Demi Hewitt (BOP), 2
Heat 2
Ella Williams (Coro), 12, 1, Hannah Kohn (Auck), 5.37, 2, Robyn Turnbull (Nrth), 2.77, 3

Longboard Round 1,
Heat 1
Sam Poulter (Wai), 1, Damian Tafu (Auck), 2
Heat 2
Jordan Griffin (BOP), 10.67, 1, Sunny Brown (Gis), 9.47, 2, Te Aorangi Pearless (Gis), 5.4, 3