HIGH HOPES: Under-18 competitor Caleb Cutmore is hoping his Waikato team can wrest the team trophy off defending champions Bay of Plenty despite being one short of the full complement of 12. Cory/NZ Surfing Magazine picture
SECOND-generation surfers are among the competitors in the 30th edition of the National Scholastic Surfing Championships that got under way at Makorori Beach, Gisborne, yesterday.
Junior surfers from around the country have come together for the event, and some of them have parents who contested the event in its early days.
The national scholastic champs started in 1989.
Day 1 started with messy one-metre swell and onshore southerly winds before the sun broke through and the swell lined up for the latter rounds in the afternoon.
Christchurch surfer Myka Black is one of several second-generation surfers competing at the event, his father Nick having competed at the scholastics in 1995 as part of the Canterbury team. This year Nick is in Gisborne supporting his son as the team coach of what he describes as one of the strongest Canterbury teams in recent years.
Myka comfortably advanced to the second round with a 13.80-point heat total. He also surfed to the highest single wave score of the under-16 boys’ division — 8.77 — for two big backhand turns.
Black goes to California in two weeks as a member of the New Zealand junior surfing team competing at the VISSLA ISA World Junior Championships.
National teammates Kora Cooper (Raglan) and Tom Robinson (Northland) both advanced, posting heat totals of 10.67 and 12.0 respectively.
Other surfers to impress included Gisborne’s Finn Johnson, who posted a 13.14-point heat totalOther surfers to impress included Gisborne’s Finn Johnson, who posted a 13.14-point heat total, Taylor O’Leary (Auckland) and Jack Hinton (Mt Maunganui).
Christchurch surfer Jai Oakley dominated the u14 boys’ division, his 14.50 out of a possible 20 points the highest heat score of the day in his division.
Oakley got one solid right-hander and completed two big forehand turns for a 7.87-point wave.
Canterbury had four of their five surfers advancing out of the first round of the u14 boys’ division for one of the better starts of the 11 regions represented.
Other surfers looking strong in the u14 boys’ division included Jayden Willoughby (Rag), defending champion Finn Vette (Gisborne) and Te Kauwhata Kauwhata (Northland).
The majority of surfers representing defending champions Bay of Plenty advanced through the first day of competition, but at least one of their surfers will have to contest requalifying rounds after placing third in their heat.
Late in the afternoon, the u18 boys’ division hit the water and Caleb Cutmore made an instant statement, surfing to the highest heat total of the day — 15.90.
“I am stoked with the heat,” he said.
“The waves have cleaned up a lot. The surf looks like it will be similar all week and I like it out here; there are waves through all the tides and enough to work with.”
Surfing in the u18 division for the first time, Cutmore looked sharp and will be hoping to lead Waikato to victory in the team trophy competition, despite being one surfer short of the full complement of 12.
“We have a strong team even though we are one surfer short,” Cutmore said.
“A couple of years ago it was just me and my cousin Taylor Hutchison but now all the groms have come through so I’m hoping we can get a good result.”
Cutmore was joined by Aryton Yarrell (Waihi), Max Brunker (Whangarei) and Luke Griffin as winners of the early heats in Round 1 of the u18 boys’ division.
Conditions were expected to improve for today’s heats, with favourable northwest winds and a good swell.
Today’s competition was to comprise the girls’ divisions and the repechage rounds of the boys’ divisions from Day 1.
With no elimination rounds completed yesterday, all teams remain on full points but some surfers will be eliminated from the event after today’s competition.
Results from Day 1 of the National Scholastic Surfing Championships held at Red Bus, Makorori, Gisborne, yesterday —
Under-16 boys, Round 1, Heat 1: Kora Cooper (Raglan) 10.67, 1; Finn Murphy (Gisborne) 4.4, 2; Sam Baxter (Whangamata) 1.4, 3.
Heat 2: Josef Jungwirth (Rag) 9.5, 1; Jacob Fitzgerald (Tasman) 5.44, 2; Josh Watson (Waikato) 2.74, 3.
Heat 3: Taylor O’Leary (Muriwai) 12.1, 1; Manawa Ruru (Gis) 9.33, 2; Flynn Healy (Wellington) 4.6, 3; Ziny Halsall (Tas) 3.57, 4.
Heat 4: Finn Johnson (Gis) 13.14, 1; Jacob Buckle (Whangarei) 6.2, 2; Cade O’Dae (Tas) 5.5, 3.
Heat 5: Jack Lee (Whakatane) 11.83, 1; Billy Gilbert (Northland) 5.53, 2; Ben Smith (Coromandel) 4.67, 3.
Heat 6: Tom Robinson (Whngrei) 12, 1; Ethan Wray (Taranaki) 7.86, 2; Oscar Harper (Nrthlnd) 5.93, 3.
Heat 7: Neko Tohiariki (Christchurch) 7.86, 1; Jacob Saunders (Tauranga) 7.84, 2; Josh Sheridan (Tas) 4.17, 3; Alan Paterson (Tas) 3.23, 4.
Heat 8: Tom Butland (Tara) 10.33, 1; Sam Charlesworth (Auckland) 7.97, 2; Harri Adams (Coro) 2.87, 3.
Heat 9: Jack Hinton (Mt Maunganui) 11.83, 1; Noah Collier (Gis) 9.2, 2; DJ Thompson (Tas) 2.5, 3; Dallas Maddison Snook (Wgtn) 1.33, 4.
Heat 10: Myka Black (Chch) 13.8, 1; Hunter Petersen (Tara) 8.1, 2; Jack Luke (Tara) 6.63, 3.
U14 boys, Round 1, Heat 1: Jayden Willoughby (Rag) 13.4, 1; Finn Vette (Gis) 12.5, 2; Liam Heasley (Chch) 4.9, 3; Tyler Clarke-Moran (Hawke’s Bay) 1.9, 4.
Heat 2: Te Kauwhata Kauwhata (Sandy Bay) 10.54, 1; Reuben Lyons (Kaikoura) 7.07, 2; Jarvis Camenzind (Rag) 5.06, 3; Jordaan Harris (Tas) 3.33, 4.
Heat 3: Tai Erceg-Gray (Whngrei) 8.37, 1; Sam Thompson (Auck) 5.34, 2; Connor Green (Tas) 4.5, 3; Kalani Smith (Coro) 4.1, 4.
Heat 4: Jai Oakley (Chch) 14.5, 1; James Millar (Chch) 9.74, 2; Tana Clapham (Rag) 3.5, 3; Matt Norris (Wgtn) 2.44, 4.
Heat 5: Koby Cameron (Chch) 7.93, 1; Ollie Holland (Rag) 7.5, 2; Sean Smith (Coro) 4.44, 3; Keanu Martin (Tas) 4.13, 4.
Heat 6: Tigher West-Hill (Gis) 7.24, 1; Navryn Malone (Rag) 6.74, 2; Harper Mcbride (Mnt) 4.94, 3; Luke Burns (Wgtn) 2.6, 4.