Eight titles decided

REACHED SEMIS: Gisborne’s Finn Vette reached the under-14 boys’ semifinals before he was eliminated at the national surfing championships at Piha. Elder sister Saffi was to contest the final of the u16 girls’ division. Cory/NZ Surfing Magazine picture

EIGHT titles were awarded at the national surfing championships in one-metre swell at Piha yesterday.

The premier open men’s and women’s titles are likely to be decided in expected bigger conditions on the final two days of the event, which ends on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Gisborne is still represented in some of the divisions.

Saffi Vette won her semifinal in the under-16 division, with a two-wave score of 9.37. Another Gisborne surfer, Stella Smith was eliminated in the same heat.

Gisborne surfer Sean Hovell’s run in the men’s longboard ended in the first round, when he finished third in his heat.

On Tuesday, Gisborne’s Finn Vette reached the u14 boys’ semifinals before he was eliminated.

In the u14 girls’ division, Gisborne’s Daizee Rawls and Hannah King reached the semifinals, where their run ended.

Titles decided yesterday

Over-30 women: Donna Henderson (Christchurch).

O55s: Garry Pike (Piha).

O60s: David Storck (Auckland).

Longboard, men: Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck).

Longboard, women: Mischa Davis (Piha).

Longboard, under-18 men: Sam Sands (Chch).

U14 boys: Kora Cooper (Raglan).

U14 girls: Brie Bennett (Rag).