Big Day of Surfing Breaks In New Surfing Talent

The youngest of New Zealand's surfers got that chance to tackle a big day of surfing at the 2011 Primary School Champs yesterday completing the event late in the afternoon and crowning two new rising stars.

Mount Maunganui surfers Kehu Butler and Kea Smith claimed their respective boys and girls titles in a successful day of surfing for their Matapihi Kura Kaupapa School.

Surfers had to compete up to four times to progress through to the final with the round robin format giving all the grommets three chances to get used to the conditions and competing against their mates.

Makorori Beach was the location for the day with waves in the 0.5m - 1.0m range and moderate cross-shore northerly winds throughout the day.

Kehu Butler looked impressive throughout his five-heat escapade winning all encounters leading up to the final with huge point tallies. However in the final as the energy of all young surfers ran low, he was challenged until the dying minutes of the final by the Taranaki brother combination of Daniel and Joshua Farr.

The two brothers surfed smoothly all day long showing superior power over their competitors and in the final Daniel held the lead for much of the twenty minutes. However it was Butler that came back at the end and secured the win proving that his 'favourites' tag was justified.

Butler finished with an 11.37 point heat total, his lowest of the day after scoring eight and nine point rides in every heat he contested. The diminutive surfer showed a full repertoire of manoeuvres including powerful rail turns, cutbacks and fin busts that a full-grown surfer would be proud of let alone a spritely eleven year old.

Daniel Farr eventually overcame his older brother in the final posting 8.60 to Joshua's 6.23 with the two brothers set to be a force in the coming years as they move through the national grommet events.

Waihi Beach surfer Zac Curle finished in fourth place after making his first final at national level.

Earlier in the day after the round robin portion of the event it was Butler and Daniel Farr who eliminated Taine Craig - Ranga (Waihi Beach) and Jonas Tewharu (Mnt) in the first semifinal while Curle and Joshua Farr eliminated Ben McCulloch (Gis) and Reuben Mottart (Gis) in the second semifinal.

In the Girls Division Kea Smith completely dominated the final posting 13.67 points out of a possible 20 in the final leaving her opponents requiring a combination of scores to catch her. The tricky conditions and outgoing tide hampered her opponents' chances in the final despite the girls knowing they could match her performances after previously beating her in the earlier rounds.

With Smith walking away with first place it was fellow Mount Maunganui surfer Elin Tawharu who placed second while Taranaki surfer Jana O'Connor placed third and Tiana-Breeze De Mooij (Mnt) finished in fourth place.

Please see below for final results from the 2011 National Primary School Championships held at Creeks, Makorori Beach, Gisborne yesterday (3rd December 2011).

Boys Division Round 1
Heat 1
Kehu Butler (Arataki), 17.33, 1, Reuben Mottart (Gis), 6.3, 2, William Van de Beek (Mnt), 4.27, 3, Brie Ryan (Gis), 2, 4, Angus Hayward (Gis), 1.07, 5
Heat 2
Joshua Farr (Tara), 11.67, 1, Jonas Tawharu (Mnt), 11.67, 2, Zac Curle (Waihi Beach), 7.97, 3, Jacob Scammell (Gis), 1.73, 4, Cale Henstock (Gis), 3.33, 5
Heat 3
Ben McCulloch (Gis), 7.67, 1, Blake Brown (Gis), 6.63, 2, Kyle Hannah (Gis), 5.57, 3

Josef Jungwirth (Mnt), 3.7, 4, James Ririnui (Mnt), 3.57, 5
Heat 4
Taine Craig Ranga (Waihi Bch), 14.5, 1, Daniel Farr (Tara), 10.93, 2, Kobe Johnson (Gis), 4.63, 3, Lee Ririnui (Mnt), 3.73, 4, Fletcher Honey (Gis), 1.9, 5

Boys Division Round 2
Heat 1
Kehu Butler (Arataki), 17.17, 1, Blake Brown (Gis), 6.4, 2, Kyle Hannah (Gis), 5.3, 3

Cale Henstock (Gis), 4.77, 4, Angus Hayward (Gis), 3.47, 5
Heat 2
Joshua Farr (Tara), 11.17, 1, Reuben Mottart (Gis), 7.73, 2, Kobe Johnson (Gis), 5.07, 3, Josef Jungwirth (Mnt), 3.67, 4, Jacob Scammell (Gis), 1, 5
Heat 3
Ben McCulloch (Gis), 8.83, 1, Jonas Tawharu (Mnt), 7.77, 2, Lee Ririnui (Mnt), 5.87, 3, William Van de Beek (Mnt), 5.2, 4, James Ririnui (Mnt), 3.93, 5
Heat 4
Daniel Farr (Tara), 6.8, 1, Zac Curle (Waihi Beach), 7, 2, Taine Craig Ranga (Waihi Bch), 6.4, 3, Brie Ryan (Gis), 3.2, 4, Fletcher Honey (Gis), 0, n/s

Boys Division Round 3
Heat 1
Kehu Butler (Arataki), 16.17, 1, Lee Ririnui (Mnt), 7.77, 2, Josef Jungwirth (Mnt), 6.73, 3, Jonas Tawharu (Mnt), 6.33, 4, Angus Hayward (Gis), 2.77, 5
Heat 2
Taine Craig Ranga (Waihi Bch), 9.7, 1, Joshua Farr (Tara), 8.97, 2, William Van de Beek (Mnt), 6.67, 3, Blake Brown (Gis), 6.03, 4, Jacob Scammell (Gis), 2.97, 5
Heat 3
Reuben Mottart (Gis), 8.53, 1, Ben McCulloch (Gis), 6.2, 2, Brie Ryan (Gis), 4.37, 3, Kyle Hannah (Gis), 4.03, 4, James Ririnui (Mnt), 3.53, 5
Heat 4
Daniel Farr (Tara), 9.83, 1, Zac Curle (Waihi Beach), 4.53, 2, Kobe Johnson (Gis), 3.37, 3, Cale Henstock (Gis), 1.33, 4, Fletcher Honey (Gis), 0, 5

Boys Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Kehu Butler (Mnt), 11.77, 1, Daniel Farr (Tara), 9.57, 2, Taine Craig - Ranga, 5.8, 3, Jonas Tewharu (Mnt), 5.03, 4
Heat 2
Zac Curle (Waihi Beach), 7.5, 1, Joshua Farr (Tara), 7.5, 2, Ben McCulloch (Gis), 7.03, 3, Reuben Mottart (Gis), 4.43, 4

Boys Division Final
Kehu Butler (Mnt), 11.37, 1, Daniel Farr (Tara), 8.60, 2, Joshua Farr (Tara), 6.23, 3, Zac Curle (Waihi Beach), 5.43, 4


Girls Division Round 1
Heat 1
Maaia Reid-Bennett (Mnt), 8, 1, Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 7.33, 2, Raiha Ensor, 6.7, 3, Iritana Butler (Mnt) , 4.37, 4, Teina Smith (Mnt), 3.47, 5
Heat 2
Jana O'Connor, 9.17, 1, Kea Smith (Mnt), 9, 2, Tiana-Breeze De Mooij (Mnt), 3.87, 3, Amy Dungan (Gis), 3.6, 4, Ella Jungwirth (Mnt), 2.63, 5

Girls Division Round 2
Heat 1
Kea Smith (Mnt), 1, Raiha Ensor (Mnt), 2, Maaia Reid-Bennett (Mnt), 3, Amy Dungan (Gis), 4, Teina Smith (Mnt), 5
Heat 2
Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 1, Tiana-Breeze De Mooij (Mnt), 2, Iritana Butler (Mnt), 3, Ella Jungwirth (Mnt), 4, Jana O'Connor, 5

Girls Division Round 3
Heat 1
Kea Smith (Mnt), 9.27, 1, Tiana-Breeze De Mooij (Mnt), 4.9, 2, Raiha Ensor (Mnt), 4.7, 3, Amy Dungan (Gis), 4.47, 4, Teina Smith (Mnt), 3, 5
Heat 2
Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 6.7, 1, Jana O'Connor (Tara), 5.03, 2, Iritana Butler (Mnt), 4.53, 3, Ella Jungwirth (Mnt), 3.77, 4, Maaia Reid-Bennett (Mnt), 2.7, 5

Girls Division Final
Kea Smith (Mnt), 13.67, 1, Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 4.6, 2, Jana O'Connor (Tara), 4.1, 3, Tiana-Breeze De Mooij (Mnt), 3.1, 4