First round goes to Vette

TRICKY MADE EASY: Finn Vette has made the first round of the Billabong Grom Series look easy in unsettled conditions to win in Mt Maunganui.Picture by Guy/Coastal Surf Images

Finn Vette has cruised to victory in the first round of the Billabong Grom Series in Mount Maunganui.

He made the tricky conditions look easy with fluid forehand surfing that saw him dominate the field in his first competition of the year.

With a small swell under the 1.0m mark, light morning winds that tended sea breeze in the afternoon and low tides for the majority of the day, surfers had to be selective to get good waves and advance through preliminary rounds.

Vette, who earned automatic selection through to the second round, dominated the field starting with a 11.7 heat total to win by more than four points in his first appearance before improving in his semi final heat with a 15.2

After missing the nationals earlier this year, Vette said he wanted to show the other competitors “what's up” at his first event of the year.

The 17-year-old surfed to a 15.67 heat total out of a possible 20 points in the final, silencing his opponents in the process as they failed to reach double-digit points.

“I always feel comfortable in the finals, a bit of luck was involved but you can control that luck by feeling comfortable in those types of waves.

“I haven't been surfing too much this summer, I have been working heaps and surfing in between, cruising and hanging out between big days of work.”

In the lower divisions local surfers Max Phillips, Casey Dewes and the sibling trio of Waylon, Bonnie and Hunter Lynch did not make it out of their opening heats.

Dewes was unable to advance to the final of the U16 girl's division but was awarded a seventh place finish.