Bay of Plenty champions

CHAMPIONS: The victorious Bay of Plenty team. Cory/NZ Surfing Magazine picture.

Bay of Plenty yesterday claimed the tightest ever title race at the National Scholastic Surfing Championships at Makorori Beach, defeating runners-up and hosts Gisborne by 75 points. Bay of Plenty posted 7790 points to Gisborne’s 7715. Canterbury were third on 7045 points. It is the sixth time Bay of Plenty have won the team title in eight years.

Team results came down to the last heat of the event — the under-18 boys’ division. Otago surfer Elliott Brown (Dunedin) won that final, and Raiha Ensor (BoP) won the u18 girls’ division. Brown, fresh from the World Junior Championships in Japan, was unstoppable in his final, posting a 15.53-point heat total.

The Bay’s Lee Ririnui and Jared Gebert, along with Shane Kraus (Auckland) traded the minor placings throughout the final, Ririnui eventually finishing runner-up and Gebert placing third.

In the girls’ final, Ensor extended her lead only in the last five minutes, finishing with a 10.30-point heat total. Teammate Elin Tawharu (Mnt) was runner-up with Aimee Brown (Auck) third and Zhana Hutchieson (Taranaki) fourth.

Waikato u16 surfer Caleb Cutmore won the u16 title. Bay of Plenty again featured in the final, finishing second and third through Dylan Preston (Mnt) and Jack Lee (Whakatane). Northland’s sole finalist, Max Brunker (Whangarei), finished fourth.

Gisborne’s Saffi Vette won the most closely contested final of the day, in the u16 girls’ division.

Tegen Bishop (Canterbury) led for 20 minutes, followed closely by teammate Estella Hungerford, who opted to surf left-handers. But Vette posted a 5.2-point ride to go from third to first five minutes from the end. Bishop had one final dig at the title on her final wave, finishing 0.3 of a point short of victory. She was second, Hungerford was third and Georgia Wederell (Mnt) was fourth.

The u14 titles went to Finn Vette (Gis) and Brie Bennett (Raglan), both contesting the event for the first time. Vette went on a rampage and led throughout, while Bennett worked her way to the front and caught an 8.33-point ride to clinch the win.

Matt Newdick (Auck) retained his title in the u18 longboard, posting 13.73 in the final. Canterbury’s Caspar McCormick was next, and Gisborne’s George Zame was third and Brie Ryan, fourth.

The Adam Clegg Trophies for breakthrough performances, voted on by entrants, went to Jack Lee for his third place in the u16 boys’ division and Brie Bennett for winning the u14 girls’ division.

Final resultsTeam points: Bay of Plenty 7790, 1; Gisborne 7715, 2; Canterbury 7045, 3; Auckland 6970, 4; Taranaki 6535, 5; Northland 6320, 6; Coromandel 5493, 7; Waikato 5448, 8; Otago 5365, 9; West Coast 2255, 10; Wellington 1280, 11.

Under-18 boys, semifinals, Heat 1: Elliott Brown (Dun) 15, 1; Shane Kraus (Piha) 12.23, 2; Reef Matthews (Tara) 8.8, 3; Thomas Harcourt (Chch) 7.1, 4.

Heat 2: Lee Ririnui (Mnt) 9.93, 1; Jared Gebert (Ohope) 9.8, 2; Jack McLeod (Dun) 8.7, 3; Sam Sands (Chch) 8.67, 4.

Final: Elliott Brown (Dun) 15.53, 1; Lee Ririnui (Mnt) 11.07, 2; Jared Gebert (Ohope) 10, 3; Shane Kraus (Piha) 9.83, 4.

U16 boys, semifinals, Heat 1: Caleb Cutmore (Ham) 13.5, 1; Jack Lee (Whaka) 13.2, 2; Thomas Carter (Waihi Bch) 8.97, 3; Lucca Lind (Tara) 7.37, 4.

Heat 2: Max Brunker (Whngrei) 13.93, 1; Dylan Preston (Mnt) 9.97, 2; Finn Johnson (Gis) 7.43, 3; William Van Der Beek (Mnt) 3.2, 4.

Final: Caleb Cutmore (Ham) 13.27, 1; Dylan Preston (Mnt) 9.13, 2; Jack Lee (Whaka) 8.47, 3; Max Brunker (Whngrei) 8.1, 4.

U14 boys, semifinals, Heat 1: Finn Vette (Gis) 13, 1; Josef Jungwirth (Rag) 11.57, 2; Tom Robinson (Whngrei) 10.43, 3; Mitchell Daley (Mnt) 5.3, 4.

Heat 2: Myka Black (Chch) 13.03, 1; Tom Butland (Tara) 12.23, 2; James Ririnui (Mnt) 8.2, 3; Jayden Willoughby (Rag) 5.7, 4.

Final: Finn Vette (Gis) 13.5, 1; Myka Black (Chch) 11.97, 2; Tom Butland (Tara) 9.13, 3; Josef Jungwirth (Rag) 7.77, 4.

U18 girls, final: Raiha Ensor (Mnt) 10.3, 1; Elin Tawharu (Mnt) 8.8, 2; Aimee Brown (Auck) 7.9, 3; Zhana Hutchison (Tara) 6.67, 4.

U16 girls, final: Saffi Vette (Gis) 10.63, 1; Tegen Bishop (Chch) 10.33, 2; Estella Hungerford (Chch) 8.93, 3; Georgia Wederell (Mnt) 8.73, 4.

U14 girls, final: Brie Bennett (Rag) 14, 1; Hannah King (Gis) 9.2, 2; Kahana Ngaia (Tara) 5.4, 3; Alice Westerkamp (Auck) 4.13, 4.

U18 longboard: Matt Newdick (Auck) 13.73, 1; Caspar McCormick (Cant) 11, 2; George Zame (Gis) 4.67, 3; Brie Ryan (Gis) 4.27, 4.