The final day started with perfect waves in the one-metre range and offshore winds. Onshore winds arrived in the afternoon, and conditions deteriorated for the last heats of the day.
Caleb Cutmore (Hamilton) won the u18 boys’ division, which added to his win in the u16 boys in 2017. His gold medal almost wasn’t to be, as he had a tough run to the finals.
In a little over a week, Cutmore will be heading to his second World Junior Championship.
Cutmore was joined in the final by Conor McLennan (Christchurch) who surfed his way from fourth to second on his last wave of the final. Coromandel surfers Jay Piper Healion (Whitianga) and Thomas Carter (Waihi Beach) finished in third and fourth respectively.
Auckland surfer Aimee Brown claimed the gold medal in the u18 girls’ division. Brown claimed an upset win against Elin Tawharu (Mt Maunganui) with an 11.47-point heat total in the final.
Brown’s performance helped her team to second place in the teams contest.
Tawharu finished the event in second place with Tegen Bishop (Chch) third and Eve Findlay (West Coast) fourth.
Titles in the u16 boys’ and girls’ divisions went to Waikato surfers Kora Cooper and Brie Bennett. Their success, along with Cutmore’s victory in the u18 division, meant Waikato was the region with the most wins at the event this year.
Cooper added to his u14 boys’ division title in 2017. Cooper started the final with an eight-point ride and then midway through the heat added a seven-point ride for a comprehensive lead.
He never let the lead go, holding off Tom Robinson, who was Northland’s highest-placed surfer in second place. Both surfers head to the World Junior Championships this month as well.
Bay of Plenty surfer Jacob Saunders finished the final in third place in his first ever final and Tom Butland (Taranaki) rounded out the finalists in fourth place after opting to surf his own peak up the beach.
Brie Bennett posted a 10.10-point heat total to win the u16 girls’ division. The turning point in the final came on a nice right-hander for Bennett where she completed two big backhand turns for a six-point ride.
Bennett defeated Georgia Wederell (Mnt), who finished second ahead of Estella Hungerford (Chch), third, and Summer Carkeek (Auck), fourth.
Finn Vette (Gisborne) and Natasha Gouldsbury claimed the u14 division titles with convincing wins. Vette posted a 14.2-point heat total in his high-scoring final to fend off Christchurch surfer Jai Oakley, second, Jayden Willoughby (Rag), third and Koby Cameron (Chch), fourth.
Gouldsbury finished with a 9.1-point heat total to comfortably take home the gold medal over Auckland teammates Alice Westerkamp and Liv Haysom in second and third with Anna Brock (Mnt) in fourth.
Casper McCormick defended his title in the u18 longboard division with his stylish approach netting him a 13.2-point total well clear of his opponents Joel McMullen (Auck), Ben Counsell (Auck) and Billy Whelan (Northland), who finished second through fourth respectively.
Natasha Gouldsbury and Myka Black (Chch) claimed the Adam Clegg Breakthrough Performance Awards for their outstanding surfing all week. Black was in impressive form throughout the event until he came unstuck in the semifinals, finishing fifth overall. Natasha Gouldsbury carried her form through to the final to claim her first scholastic title.
The Adam Clegg trophies were donated by the Clegg family in honour of their son, who had previously competed at the event but tragically passed away in 2014.
Final results from the National Scholastic Surfing Championships at Makorori —
Team points: Canterbury 8008, Auckland 7590, Bay of Plenty 7565, Gisborne 7013, Northland 6638, Waikato 6535, Coromandel 5695, Tasman 5103, Wellington 4875, Taranaki 4330, Hawke’s Bay 390.
Under-18 boys, quarterfinals, Heat 1: Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 11.93, 1; Jay Piper-Healion (Whiti), 11.86, 2; William Van der Beek (Mnt), 11.4, 3; Riley Gibson (Chch), 8.03, 4.
Heat 2: Luke Griffin (Mnt), 12.07, 1; Thomas Carter (Waihi Bch), 10.07, 2; Ayrton Yarrell (Waihi Bch), 7.24, 3; Te Haukopa Ehau-Taumaunu (Gis), 7.14, 4.
Heat 3: Conor McLennan (Chch), 11.44, 1; Max Brunker (Whngrei), 9.28, 2; Alex O’Dwyer (Whaka), 5.9, 3; Raul Ventura (Nel), 4.1, 4.
Semifinals, Heat 1: Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 14.06, 1; Thomas Carter (Waihi Bch), 9.83, 2; Max Brunker (Whngrei), 9.66, 3.
Heat 2: Jay Piper-Healion (Whiti), 15.67, 1; Conor McLennan (Chch), 11.3, 2; Luke Griffin (Mnt), 10.43, 3.
Final: Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 13.07, 1; Conor McLennan (Chch), 10.80, 2; Jay Piper-Healion (Whiti), 10.13, 3; Thomas Carter (Waihi Bch), 9.9, 4.
U16 boys, semifinals, Heat 1: Tom Butland (Tara), 13.83, 1; Kora Cooper (Rag), 13.74, 2; Jack Lee (Whaka), 12.27, 3; Manawa Ruru (Gis), 8.3, 4.
Heat 2: Tom Robinson (Whngrei), 14.8, 1; Jacob Saunders (TGA), 12.06, 2; Myka Black (Chch), 10.23, 3; Finn Johnson (Gis), 9.27, 4.
Final: Kora Cooper (Rag), 15.4, 1; Tom Robinson (Whngrei), 11.47, 2; Jacob Saunders (TGA), 9.2, 3; Tom Butland (Tara), 9.14, 4.
U14 boys, semifinals, Heat 1: Jayden Willoughby (Rag), 15.87, 1; Finn Vette (Gis), 12, 2; Reuben Lyons (Kaik), 10, 3; Te Kauwhata Kauwhata (Sandy Bay), 9.47, 4.
Heat 2: Jai Oakley (Chch), 10.44, 1; Koby Cameron (Chch), 8.14, 2; Tigher West-Hill (Gis), 7.3, 3; Navryn Malone (Rag), 6.26, 4.
Final: Finn Vette (Gis), 14.2, 1; Jai Oakley (Chch), 12.5, 2; Jayden Willoughby (Rag), 11.6, 3; Koby Cameron (Chch), 9.2, 4.
U18 girls, final: Aimee Brown (Auck), 11.47, 1; Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 9.93, 2; Tegen Bishop (Chch), 8.26, 3; Eve Findlay (WC), 4.13, 4.
U16 girls, final: Brie Bennett (Rag), 10.1, 1; Georgia Wederell (Mnt), 6.64, 2; Estella Hungerford (Chch), 6.03, 3; Summer Carkeek (Auck), 2.67, 4.
U14 girls, final: Natasha Gouldsbury (Tara), 9.1, 1; Alice Westerkamp (Auck), 7.77, 2; Liv Haysom (Piha), 5.7, 3; Anna Brock (Mnt), 3.4, 4.
U18 longboard, semifinals, Heat 1: Caspar McCormick (Chch), 14.77, 1; Billy Whelan (Nrthlnd), 6.84, 2; Karson Burns (Wgtn), 4.27, 3.
Heat 2: Ben Counsell (Auck), 12.83, 1; Joel McMullen (Auck), 9.1, 2; Sonny Eades (BOP), 7.14, 3.
Final: Caspar McCormick (Chch), 13.2, 1; Joel McMullen (Auck), 8.74, 2; Ben Counsell (Auck), 6.83, 3; Billy Whelan (Nrthlnd), 6.2, 4.