Vette finished with 13.10 points out of 20 to defeat Auckland’s Aimee Brown (second, with 12.33pts), Whangarei’s Laura Griffin (third, after she led for much of the final) and Christchurch’s Tegen Bishop (fourth).
While Vette will be in New Zealand for the national championships in January, she will quickly switch focus to international events with the goal of qualifying for the World Surf League (WSL) Junior Championships and competing in the WSL Women’s Qualifying Series.
As well, Vette had a runner-up finish in the women’s under-18 division, where the surfer she overtook in the open final — Brown — overhauled Vette in the last 10 seconds of the final.
That win also gave Brown the under-18 series win for 2018.
Vette’s younger brother Finn gave the Gisborne family a good start to the day by winning the u16 boys’ division.
His slick ride on a right-hander included two vertical backhand re-entries and propelled him into the lead in the final. His heat total of 12.83 eclipsed that of overall u16 series winner Kora Cooper, of Raglan, who finished second on the day.
In the open men’s division on Saturday, Raglan’s Billy Stairmand successfully defended his title.
In clean half-metre waves and light winds, Stairmand lived up to his favourite’s tag with precision surfing all day.
He dominated the final and in retaining his title leapfrogged Zen Wallis (Piha) to reclaim the year-end No.1 ranking.
“It’s good to finish the year on a high; it’s a good Christmas present,” Stairmand said.
“I didn’t have a good year competing internationally but to win the final event of the year in New Zealand is good, and my earlier win in the Rip Curl Pro has helped me defend my overall New Zealand Surf Series title. That is something to take into next year as I gear up for another shot at the Australian leg of the WQS.”
Stairmand finished with a 14.10-point total in the final. He attributed his win to wave selection and having new boards that pumped him up to compete in small waves.
Finishing second in the final was Hamilton’s Caleb Cutmore, who took one last swing at Stairmand with an air reverse on his last wave but came up short of the required score.
Waihi Beach surfer Levi Stewart finished third in the final, and runner-up to Stairmand in the New Zealand Surf Series. Sixteen-year-old Jack Lee (Whakatane) finished fourth in the final.
Ohope surfer Jared Gebert claimed the u18 boys’ division with a strong performance that netted him a 14.26-point heat total to defeat Mt Maunganui’s Luke Griffin, second, Hamilton’s Caleb Cutmore, third and Whangarei’s Tom Robinson, fourth.
This is the fifth year the Backdoor BayBash has taken place. The event included six divisions with the men’s and women’s premier divisions being supported by the New Zealand Grom Series u18 and u16 age groups.
Results —
Open men, final: Billy Stairmand (Raglan) 14.1, 1; Caleb Cutmore (Hamilton) 10.93, 2; Levi Stewart (Waihi Beach) 9.53, 3; Jack Lee (Whakatane) 4.9, 4.
Open women, final: Saffi Vette (Gisborne) 13.1, 1; Aimee Brown (Auckland) 12.33, 2; Laura Griffin (Mt Maunganui) 10.44, 3; Tegen Bishop (Christchurch) 8.9, 4.
Under-18 boys, final: Jared Gebert (Ohope) 14.26, 1; Luke Griffin (Mnt) 12.23, 2; Caleb Cutmore (Ham) 12.03, 3; Tom Robinson (Whangarei) 11.86, 4.
U18 girls, final: Aimee Brown (Auck) 10.46, 1; Saffi Vette (Gis) 10.27, 2; Natasha Gouldsbury (Taranaki) 8.6, 3; Tegen Bishop (Chch) 3.97, 4.
U16 boys, final: Finn Vette (Gis) 12.83, 1; Kora Cooper (Rag) 11.57, 2; Luis Southerwood (Whaka) 10.6, 3; Taylor O’Leary (Muriwai) 8.47, 4.
