Another Mountie, Matt Hewitt, held the lead for the first half of the final. Hewitt finished with an 11.20 point heat total requiring a 6.74 for the win which he was disappointed about not achieving.
"Not bad coming home and getting a result and getting some coin but second is definitely not like winning," said Hewitt.
"It was pretty hard to hear out there, I didn't know where I was coming, I just scored myself on the waves I got and when I came in I found out the result."
Gisborne local and ex-New Zealand champion Damon Gunness surprised the field of young surfers to progress through to the final and place third.
Gunness generally only competes in events that are held in Gisborne and showed that he could still outsmart most of the top surfers in New Zealand.
Ella Williams, 17, (Whangamata) claimed back-to-back wins in the women's division after her last win in Whangamata two weeks ago.
One of the stand-outs of the event, local boy Johnny Hicks, smashed his way to victory in the U-20 men's division over Mt Maunganui's Alex Dive.
Despite being good buddies, no love was lost with the win over his mate.
"Stoked to get a win over him, he usually beats me, so I am pretty stoked with that."
