Surfers Butler and Ensor still in contention at junior worlds

Strong performances from Raiha Ensor, left, and Kehu Butler have helped the New Zealand team move to 10th overall at the World Junior Championships in Japan. PHOTO/FILE

New Zealand Junior Surfing Team members Saffi Vette (Gis) and Kehu Butler (Mount Maunganui) survived the biggest day of surfing yet at the World Junior Championships, advancing through to day six of the event in Japan.

Their performances, with that of Raiha Ensor (Mount Maunganui) in the under-18 girls' division who had the day off, have helped the team jump one place to 10th overall with two days of surfing remaining.

It was a tough day for the Kiwi team with six members eliminated from the event in challenging 0.5m waves and up against some amazing surfing talent from around the world.

Contesting the under-16 girls' division, Vette surfed her second heat of the day as the sun faded on the event site. She took a late win with an 8.90 point heat total, 0.40 points separating the top three surfers in the low-scoring affair.

The win advanced Vette into the top 16 and she was due to continue her campaign overnight.

Butler was another standout surfer of the day, advancing through two rounds and into the last 24 surfers in the under-18 boys' division. He posted heat scores of 13.37 and 13.54 and looked strong in his performances despite the small waves on offer.

In Butler's final heat of the day he got off to a good start and took an early lead that he didn't relinquish until towards the end when the local Japanese surfer climbed into first place.

Butler will open the Kiwi account on day six. He will have to surf three heats if he is to advance through to the penultimate day of the event.

Vette and Butler are joined by Ensor, who surfed her way through the qualifying rounds and is holding on to one extra life in the event should she falter in a heat.

Of the six Kiwi surfers eliminated from the event, it was Jonas Tawharu (Mount Maunganui) who advanced through two rounds before being ousted in the last round of the day in the under-18 boys' division. Tawharu hunted down any wave he could find but finished requiring a 6.60-point ride to advance. He finished 29th overall.

Earlier in the same division, Dunedin's Elliott Brown advanced through his first heat of the day but was eliminated in round four, finishing 41st.

Mount Maunganui's Elin Tawharu's run came to a halt in round three of the under-18 girls' division, finishing 25th overall after placing a close third in a tight low-scoring heat.

The three remaining Kiwi surfers in the under-16 boys' division fell in consecutive rounds.

Kaya Horne (Mount/Gold Coast) bowed out in the second round, finishing 65th overall. Caleb Cutmore (Ham) went in the third round, finishing 49th overall, and William Van Der Beek (Mount Maunganui) in round four, finishing as the highest placed Kiwi in the division at 41st.

The Moko New Zealand Junior Surfing Team is competing at the 2017 Vissla ISA World Junior Championship being held at Hyuga, Japan until October 1.