Paerata - Reid Claims Event One of Billabong Grom Series

Piha's Elliot Paerata - Reid claimed event one of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge today (Sunday 5th February) after dominating an action packed final of the Under 16 Boys Division at Tay Street, Mount Maunganui.

In onshore affected 1.0m waves, Paerata - Reid had the perfect game plan of hunting down the bigger lefthanders that were running down the beach. However it was an 8.17 point score on a right-hander that clinched the win in the second half of the final. "That wave wasn't the greatest so when I got it, I knew I needed to do something special on it to get a good score and that air reverse helped a lot then it reformed on the inside too" Paerata - Reid of his winning wave.

"I was watching before the final and saw a lot of lefts and aimed for those wide ones but that right came through so grabbed it."

Paerata - Reid won the final with a 14.50 point heat total and goes into the next event of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge in five days as the front runner for the trip to Australia gifted to the series champion. "I wanted to come back after the Nationals and win one and it is sick to win this. I like having back-to-back contests, especially if you start doing well 'cause you can get into a rhythm" said Paerata - Reid of his prospects for next week.

Placing second in the final was Dune Kennings (WGM) who briefly held the lead after scoring a 7.0 point ride midway through the final. However Kennings fell on several waves early on and could not match Paerata - Reid's superior wave selection in the end finishing with an 11.50 point heat total. Fellow Whangamata surfer McKenzie Bowden finished in third place to keep his run of finals berths going while local surfer Jordan Griffin finished in fourth place after showing some great form throughout the event.

Gabriela Sansom (Auck) took her forehand attack to the lefts running down the beach and won the Under 16 Girls Division. Using her exceptional speed Sansom smashed some big turns on her highest 6.83 point ride and finished with an 11.3 point total.

"Yeah I am so happy, it is my first win in the 16s, I won the 14s last year but happy about this now that I am in the 16s" said Sansom. Despite holding the lead for the whole final, it was runner up Jasmine Smith (Gis) who came back and challenged for the lead which gave Sansom a big fright. "Jasmine got that good one at the end and it was such a good turn. I was just like, oh no. I was so nervous, I am still nervous about that turn" said Sansom of Smith's wave.

Runner up Smith (Gis) went huge on her last scoring ride pulling off the turn of the final with a big layback hack on an on-coming close out section. Requiring a 6.61 point ride she fell just short scoring 6.17 for the one turn. Piha surfer Claudia Fraser placed third in the final with Dayna Story (Gis) finishing in fourth.

The Under 14 Boys Division was the closest final of the day as the youngest groms went wave for wave, Butler eventually claiming his second win of the event. It wasn't all one way traffic with Butler having to protect his lead at the end of the heat, two surfers only requiring low scores for the win. However it was Butler's 9.90 point heat total that got him home in the end. National Champion Manu Scott - Arrieta (Sandy Bay) was left requiring a 3.91 point ride to win but ran out of time after Butler tactically held him off the last waves of the final. Double finalist Tane Bowden (WGM) placed third in the final with Isaac Kettle (Tara) in fourth after almost nailing a huge forehand air late in the heat.

Muriwai surfer Milly Crewe won the Under 14 Girls Division out pointing her three Mount Maunganui opponents. Crewe scored 7.55 points out of 20 to win the low scoring final and take a second win back to Auckland's west coast beaches. It was Kea Smith that got the best of her friends to finish second ahead of fellow double finalist Elin Tawharu and Raiha Ensor who finished in third and fourth respectively.

Kehu Butler was simply unstoppable in the Under 12 Boys Division surfing to the highest heat score and highest single wave score of the entire event. After a series of big backhand turns, Butler posted a 9.5 point ride and a 16.5 point total. Tane Bowden (WGM) started the final well but by the end of the final was requiring a combination of scores to catch up to Butler and finished runner up. Two first time finalists Jared Gebert (Ohope) and William Barnes (Mnt) enjoyed their final and will no doubt be amped to hit the second event of the series next weekend at Whangamata. This weekend it was Gebert that got the nod over Barnes.

Kea Smith (Tau) continued on her winning ways taking out the Under 12 Girls Division. Smith won the Primary School Champs in December last year and today she posted 9.80 points in the final for a comprehensive win. Mount local Elin Tawharu placed second in the final ahead of Iritana Butler (Mnt) in third and Raglan's Maia Barbuzza in fourth.

Jasmine Smith claimed the Sony Breakthrough Performance of the Event Award for her brilliant surfing in the under 16 Girls Division on both day one and two of the event. The athletic goofy foot surfer was completing some big turns which caught the eye of judges all weekend and walked home with a Play Station Portable.

Set out below are the final results from the first event of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge completed at Mount Maunganui today (Sunday 5th February).

Under 16 Boys Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Manu Scott Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 12.8, 1, Mahorahora McLeod (Waitara), 11.3, 2, Nick Mason (Mnt), 6.43, 3, Sergio Hansen (Ahipara), 3.9, 4
Heat 2
Dune Kennings (Whmata), 12.7, 1, Jordan Griffin (Mnt), 10.1, 2, Matt Hansen (Mnt), 10.1, 3, Te Rapai Barbarich Love, 6.9, 4
Heat 3
Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha), 13.7, 1, Joe Palmer (Whngrei), 7.53, 2, Caleb Braithwaite (Whtane), 6.33, 3, Isaac Kettle (Tara), 5.47, 4
Heat 4
McKenzie Bowden (Whmata), 7.3, 1, Jack Mills (BOP), 6.97, 2, Matt McGreggor (Whngrei), 6.83, 3, Kayden Mayes (Tau), 6.2, 4

Under 16 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1
Dune Kennings (Whmata), 12.2, 1, Jordan Griffin (Mnt), 12, 2, Mahorahora McLeod (Waitara), 9.33, 3, Manu Scott Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 5.13, 4
Heat 2
McKenzie Bowden (Whmata), 8.63, 1, Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha), 8.1, 2, Joe Palmer (Whngrei), 5.5, 3, Jack Mills (BOP), 5.2, 4

Under 16 Boys Final
Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha), 14.5, 1, Dune Kennings (Whmata), 11.50, 2, McKenzie Bowden (Whmata), 8.93, 3, Jordan Griffin (Mnt), 8.63, 4


Under 14 Boys Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Kehu Butler (Mnt), 10.8, 1, Manu Scott-Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 7.6, 2, Travis Morton (Waihi Bch), 4.67, 3, Sam Copley (Piha), 2.36, 4
Heat 2
Daniel Farr (Tara), 7.63, 1, Ben McCulloh (Gis), 6, 2, Xavier Campbell (Dun), 5.23, 3, Kalani Hansen (Ahipara), 4.43, 4
Heat 3
Isaac Kettle (Tara), 9.87, 1, Jonas Tawharu (Mnt), 7.27, 2, Joshua Farr (Tara), 6.8, 3, Lee Ririnui (Mnt), 3.77, 4
Heat 4
Tane Bowden (WGM), 11.1, 1, Taine Craig Ranga (Waihi Bch), 8.17, 2, Jack Wilson (ChCh), 6, 3, Harry Macintosh (Waiheke Is), 5.93, 4

Under 14 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1
Kehu Butler (Mnt), 13.8, 1, Manu Scott-Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 8.07, 2, Daniel Farr (Tara), 7, 3, Ben McCulloh (Gis), 5.97, 4
Heat 2
Tane Bowden (WGM), 8.5, 1, Isaac Kettle (Tara), 7.63, 2, Taine Craig Ranga (Waihi Bch), 7.03, 3, Jonas Tawharu (Mnt), 4.67, 4

Under 14 Boys Final
Kehu Butler (Mnt), 9.9, 1, Manu Scott-Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 9.57, 2, Tane Bowden (WGM), 9.17, 3, Isaac Kettle (Tara), 6.53, 4

Under 12 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1
Kehu Butler (Mnt), 10.4, 1, Jared Gebert (Ohope), 4.73, 2, Sam Copley (Piha), 1.6, 3
Heat 2
Tane Bowden (Whmata), 9.67, 1, William Barnes (Mt), 5, 2, Luke Griffin (Mt), 2.47, 3

Under 12 Boys Final
Kehu Butler (Mnt), 16.5, 1, Tane Bowden (Whmata), 11.1, 2, Jared Gebert (Ohope) 5.67, 3, William Barnes (Mt), 4.27, 4

Under 16 Girls Final
Gabriela Sansom (Auck), 11.3, 1, Jasmine Smith (Gis), 10.9, 2, Claudia Fraser (Auck), 5.67, 3, Dayna Story (Gis), 4.03, 4

Under 14 Girls Final
Milly Crewe (Muri), 7.57, 1, Kea Smith (Mnt), 5.03, 2, Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 4.17, 3, Raiha Ensor (Mnt), 3.77, 4

Under 12 Girls Final
Kea Smith (Tau), 9.8, 1, Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 6.5, 2, Iritana Butler (Arataki), 5.3, 3, Maia Barbuzza (Rag), 3.6, 4

Please see below for dates of the final two events:

Billabong Grom Series pres by Oceanbridge Event 2 - 11th - 12th February, Whangamata
Billabong Grom Series pres by Oceanbridge Event 3 - 10th - 11th March, Piha Beach, Auckland

Entry into the events can be completed at Surfing New Zealand under events.