Aiming for team glory on home break

GEARED UP: The Gisborne Surfing Scholastic Team was given its uniform two weeks out from the national competition being held here. Former scholastics competitor Brent Rasby (far left) gave a few words of advice and encouragement to the young surfers. BACK: Reuben Mottart, Leroy Shaw, Tom Dixon-Smith. MIDDLE: Brent Rasby, Ben McCulloch, Jonty Low, Kobe Johnson, Riaki Ruru, Jack Virtue (Co Captain), Andrew Vette (coach). FRONT: Kai Woolf, Stella Smith, Abby Falwasser-Logan, Saffi Vette, Dayna Story (Co Captain). Picture by Liam Clayton

THE 13 members of the Gisborne team for the National Scholastic Surfing Championships are relishing the opportunity to compete on their home breaks in two weeks.

Coached by Gary Smith and Andrew Vette, they have been training every weekend for the last few months, and on Saturday they were presented their competition uniforms.

Former Gisborne scholastics team member Brent Rasby was there to offer some advice.

“There is a strong legacy of junior surfing in our region,” said the former national champion.

“You should feel justifiably proud for being selected to represent Gisborne in surfing.”

He emphasised the importance of supporting each other as a team.

“This can often create the extra motivation to lift individual performance and earn valuable team points.”

Twelve teams are travelling from all around the country to surf in an event described as “the pinnacle of junior surfing in New Zealand”.

The Gisborne surfers are confident they can contend strongly for the team title, says scholastics coordinator and Gisborne Boardriders Club treasurer Andrew McCulloch.

“On top of all the training they have been doing the home support will really help as well . . . sleeping in their own beds and having home cooked meals can work to their advantage.

“It is a week-long event and managing fatigue is very important. You have to be fit and on form.”

Several of the boys are looking to follow on from their performances at the NZ Schools Surfing Champs held at Raglan’s Manu Bay last month.

Jonty Low (Campion College) was third in the under-18 boys’ final and Tom Dixon-Smith (Gisborne Boys’ High School) was third in the u16 boys’ final.

Riaki Ruru (GBHS, u16), Kobe Johnson (Campion, u18) and Ben McCulloch (Campion, u18) made the semifinals of their divisions.

Campion College was third and GBHS fourth in the schools points section won by Mount Maunganui College.

The scholastics event will run during the school holidays from September 28 to October 1 and Andrew McCulloch hopes this will encourage people to go along and support the team from the beach.

A Gisborne Boardriders Club competition this Sunday will be a valuable warm-up for the junior surfers.

“It is a good chance for them to have one more hit-out before their last training session on the 27th.”

Gisborne is also hosting the New Zealand primary school champs on September 26-27. The champs are open to primary and intermediate students, and Surfing New Zealand is still taking entries online.