Close battle for top honours

NEARLY PERFECT: Saffi Vette recorded a near-perfect 9.5 wave score in her under-16 girls’ semifinal yesterday on the way to qualifying for the final today. Her efforts helped Gisborne into second place with a day to go in the National Scholastic Surfing Championships being held in Gisborne this week. Cory/NZ Surfing Magazine picture

Saffi Vette’s effort in making the under-16 girls’ final helped propel the Gisborne team into second place as the National Scholastic Surfing Championships entered the final day of competition today. Bay of Plenty held on to first place as competitors handled messy one-metre waves with onshore winds at Red Bus, Makorori, yesterday. Despite the conditions, the event’s form surfers advanced through to the semifinals and finals of their divisions, setting up a big title showdown today.

Bay of Plenty have had a stranglehold on the No.1 ranking throughout the week, and going into the final day they 10 surfers “alive” in the event — more than any other team.

Only 24 surfers remain in the event. With the Bay of Plenty team laden with New Zealand representatives, they will be hoping to maintain the 800-point margin they had at the end of Thursday’s competition. However, with a large number of surfers remaining in the event, they could also lose a big chunk of their points should the top results not be forthcoming.

Jack Lee is one Bay of Plenty team member who excelled yesterday, advancing through to the semifinals of the under-16 boys’ division. The Ohope surfer is well aware that his team need to produce the goods on the final day given that they are a team member short at the event.

“It would be good to get a title in the under-16 boys’ division because we are down a couple of teammates and we need the good results on the final day to take the title,” Lee said.

Defending champions Taranaki have their backs against the wall. They were fourth yesterday but have five team members remaining in the event, all capable of coming away with big results to push their cause for the title. The team has been led by Reef Matthews, who yesterday advanced through to the semifinals of the u18 boys’ division and he has been one of the form surfers all week.

“My strategy for tomorrow is to keep doing what I have been doing — just go out and surf,” Matthews said. “We have some good surfers set for the final day, with Kahana Ngaia in the under-14s, Zhana Hutchieson in the under-16s, Tom Butland in the under-14s and Lucca Lind in the under-16s. We just need to go out and do our best.”

Hosts Gisborne have climbed their way up to second place going into the final day, in part thanks to Vette, who advanced through to the under-16 girls’ final. Vette posted a near-perfect 9.5-point ride in her semifinal, helping her to an easy win. Vette is joined by five team members, including younger brother Finn in the u14 boys’ division. Others include Brie Ryan and George Zame in the longboard division and Finn Johnson in the u16 boys’ division.

Canterbury were third overall going into the final day, 1200 points behind Bay of Plenty. Canterbury have the second-most athletes remaining in the event, with six surfers alive going into the last day.

Bay of Plenty claimed the tag team event at the end of yesterday, posting 38.26 points out of 100 to beat Taranaki, who were second, Northland, third, and Auckland, fourth.

Conditions were expected to improve for the final day of the event, with a building south swell and offshore winds predicted.

Results from yesterdayTeam points: Bay of Plenty 9530, 1; Gisborne 8435, 2; Canterbury 8345, 3; Auckland 7900, 4; Taranaki 7700, 5; Northland 6900, 6; Coromandel 5883, 7; Waikato 5813, 8; Otago 5485, 9; West Coast 2755, 10; Wellington 1280, 11.

Under-18 boys, quarterfinals, Heat 1: Reef Matthews (Tara) 13.6, 1; Shane Kraus (Piha) 9.5, 2; Sonny Rapira-Martin (Tara) 4.37, 3.

Heat 2: Elliott Brown (Dun) 13, 1; Thomas Harcourt (Chch) 8.33, 2; James Murphy (Dun) 8.33, 3.

Heat 3: Jared Gebert (Ohope) 9.63, 1; Sam Sands (Chch) 9.23, 2; Tom Norton (Waipu) 7.23, 3.

Heat 4: Lee Ririnui (Mnt) 10.5, 1; Jack McLeod (Dun) 10.13, 2; Tanner Hayes (Kati) 7.77, 3.

U16 boys, quarterfinals, Heat 1: Caleb Cutmore (Ham) 10.83, 1; Lucca Lind (Tara) 9.67, 2; Sam Dingle (Tara) 6, 3.

Heat 2: Jack Lee (Whaka) 12.03, 1; Thomas Carter (Waihi Bch) 8.67, 2; Ollie Charlesworth (Auck) 7, 3.

Heat 3: Dylan Preston (Mnt) 10.73, 1; Finn Johnson (Gis) 7.1, 2; Oscar Harper (Nrth) 5.43, 3.

Heat 4: William Van der Beek (Mnt) 8.47, 1; Max Brunker (Whngrei) 8.2, 2; Tyler Carrington (Wgtn) 5.87, 3.

U14 boys, quarterfinals, Heat 1: Tom Robinson (Whngrei) 13.13, 1; Finn Vette (Gis) 12.6, 2; Kora Cooper (Rag) 12.1, 3.

Heat 2: Josef Jungwirth (Rag) 9.13, 1; Mitchell Daley (Mnt) 7.27, 2; Kava Matthews (Tara) 5.37, 3.

Heat 3: Myka Black (Chch) 13.07, 1; Tom Butland (Tara) 10.5, 2; Jacob Buckle (Waipu) 5.57, 3.

Heat 4: Jayden Willoughby (Rag) 11.43, 1; James Ririnui (Mnt) 9.7, 2; Jackson Peak (Auck) 7.5, 3.

U18 girls, semifinals, Heat 1: Aimee Brown (Auck) 8.1, 1; Zhana Hutchison (Tara) 7.63, 2; Shani Ayson (Dun) 4.77, 3; Lily McDonald (Coro) 4.4, 4.

Heat 2: Elin Tawharu (Mnt) 14.23, 1; Raiha Ensor (Mnt) 8.97, 2; Billie Scott (Whangarei) 8.3, 3; Frith Davis (Cant) 4.23, 4.

U16 girls, semifinals, Heat 1: Saffi Vette (Gis) 15.83, 1; Estella Hungerford (Chch) 7.5, 2; Zoe Raines (Auck) 2.73, 3.

Heat 2: Georgia Wederell (Mnt) 8.43, 1; Tegen Bishop (Chch) 6.17, 2; Stella Smith (Gis) 4.77, 3.