Mates snatch ride across Tasman

Two young Mount Maunganui surfers are winging their way across the Tasman in July after pulling off stunning victories in the final event of the Billabong Grom series at Piha.
Kehu Butler (Arataki) and Quin Matenga took out the three-event Billabong series, with Butler winning the boys' under-12 division he's dominated all summer and Matenga scraping to victory in the under-14s.
The pair head to the Billabong Occy Grom Comp on the Gold Coast in July as their prize.
Matenga, 13, in his first year at Tauranga Boys' College, was outside the top five in the series and said his win at Piha was "so unexpected".
He grabbed the low-scoring final with an 8.5 point total heat score, holding off Butler, his schoolmate last year at Te Kura o Matapihi school, Taranaki's Isaac Kettle and Harrison Whiteside (Christchurch).
"I wasn't expecting that at all so I'm just so stoked at the moment. I wasn't even in the hunt going up to Piha, pretty well out the back door, but I knew I needed to win my division and hoped a few of the others didn't fire to win the trip."
Forecast swell of 7-8 foot, which scared a few of the young grommets off, didn't eventuate, with Butler unable to find a 3-point ride late in the contest to snatch the win.
Matenga was pleased his mate scored the under-12 prize instead. "Kehu deserved it. We're good mates and he's a real good surfer and has had a massive year."
Matenga has been building up to something special, making the quarter-finals at the Mount Maunganui grom search contest and the semifinals at Whangamata.
"But that [Piha] comp was the best by far, I seem to go well in the bigger surf."
The Mount mates weren't the only locals to shine on the west coast, with Mackenzie Christie and Josh Taylor (both Mount) making the under-16 final but beaten by Adam Grimson.
Mount's Ella Jungwirth and Iritana Butler (Arataki) were second and third in the under-12 girls' final.
Final standings:
Under-16 boys top 5: 1 Dune Kennings (Whmata), 2 Adam Grimson (Gis), 3 Sean Kettle (Tara), 4 Elliot Paerata-Reid (Piha), 5 Josh Taylor (Mnt).
Under-14 boys top 5: 1 Quin Matenga (Mnt), 2 Isaac Kettle (Tara), 3 Harrison Whiteside (ChCh), 4 Kehu Butler (Arataki), 5 Taylor Hutchison (Rag).
Under-12 boys top 5: 1 Kehu Butler (Mnt), 2 Taine Craig Ranga (Waihi Bch), 3 Tane Bowden (Whmata), 4 Luke Griffin (Mt), 5 Kelly Haven (Mur).
Under-12 girls top 5: 1 Gabrielle Paul (Auck), 2 Ella Jungwirth (Mnt), 3 Kristen Fraser (Auck), 4 Kea Smith (Tga), 5 Maia Bennett (Mnt).