Jaxon Willows. Photo / PhotoCP
Mount Maunganui surfer Jaxon Willows has kept a clean sheet for 2026 after securing wins in the Men’s and Juniors at the 2026 NZ Festival of Longboarding presented by Mount Longboards and Mojo Handshapes held at Pāpāmoa over the weekend.
Willows was joined by Te Waiotu Fairlie (Tologa) who won the Women’s Division at the event.
With the swell sticking below the 1.0m mark and forecasted to fade into Sunday, the decision was made to press on and complete the event late on Saturday evening with a nice clean swell that improved with the late afternoon low tide.
Willows backed up his performance from the National Championships with a 14.67 point performance in the final of the Men’s and an event-high 17.66 in the Boys’ Division.
“Pretty good to win, aye, stoked. I backed it up after the Nationals, back-to-back wins is pretty good,” Willows said.
“Just surfing against those guys, Matt Newdick, Dylan Barnfield and Matt Cockayne, big names, stoked to get one on them, might not get one like that again, so will take it when I can.”
Willows was by far the youngest of four finalists, all of whom have years more experience than the 17-year-old. Gisborne’s Dylan Barnfield finished in second place in the final with Matt Cockayne (Mnt) in third and Matt Newdick (Auck) in fourth.
After a finals finish at the National Championships, Te Waiotu Fairlie claimed the title at Pāpāmoa to take the overall lead on the 2026 NZ Longboard Series rankings.
Fairlie finished with a 9.86 point heat total in the final to win out over Jay Ryan (Gis), Demi Roberts (Mnt) and Emma Ryan (Mangawhai).
“It is so epic, I had a hard year last year but have come into this year trusting that I have what it takes to do well, so yeah, I am happy to win,” Fairlie said.
“All of the big names were out of the final and all the groms were in there and it was good to be surfing with them all and vying for the title.”
Morgan Bramley (Mnt) claimed the Over 50 Men’s Division, taking out fellow local Owen Barnes in the final with Wyn Hoogerbrugge finishing third in his second final of the day and Andy Collins finishing in fourth.
Willows surfed to the highest heat score of the event in the Under 18 Boys Longboard with a 17.66 point heat total.
His top score, a 9.33, comprised of critical nose riding with fancy footwork thrown in. It left the surfer undefeated in the division this year.
Northland’s Hawk Edwards finished second in the final ahead of Charlie Hartstone (Mnt) in third and Nico Fa’anana Dwen (Port Wai) in fourth.
Long-time NZ Longboard Series participant Hoogerbrugge claimed the Over 40 Men’s Longboard Division over local surfer Chris Ryan (Mnt) in second and Vitor Castro in third.
Bryan Young (Orewa) followed Hoogerbrugge with a sound win in the Over 60s Division.
Young posted a 12.50 point heat total, leaving his opponents requiring excellent scores to catch him.
It was Joe Evemy that got the closest, finishing in second, ahead of Grant Corchrane (Chch) in third and Mark Hoyle (Ōrewa) in fourth.
The Under 18 Girls Longboard Division final was a cracker, with the lead changing several times, National Champion Izaro Williamson Sasia (Tara) getting the nod in the end.
A 4.67 on her last wave of the final was enough to push her into the lead.
However, the last play belonged to Mangawhai’s Emma Lay, who surfed a lovely righthander all the way to the shore but came up with a 5.30, shy of the 5.51 point ride required for the win.
Izzy Evans placed third in the final ahead of Emma’s younger sister, Lara, in fourth and Jayda Bramley (Mnt) in fifth.
The New Zealand Longboard Series comprises six events including the National Championships held in Gisborne earlier in January, the Gathering of Stoke in Gisborne, the Ray White Duke Festival of Surfing, South Island Championships and the Exit Surf Men’s Canterbury Champs and Women’s Canterbury Championships.
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