Gisborne double for Vette and Smith

SURPRISE: Saffi Vette was a surprise winner of the under-17 female division of the Backdoor GromBash at Manu Bay, Raglan, yesterday. She scored 12.43 points in the final to defeat ratings leader Elin Tawharu of Mt Maunganui. Col/Surf2Surf.com picture

SAFFI Vette and Stella Smith achieved a Gisborne surfing double at Raglan’s Manu Bay yesterday. Vette and Smith won the under-17 and u14 female divisions respectively in the Backdoor GromBash.

And former Gisborne surfer Josef Jungwirth, now based in Raglan, was second in the u14 male division.

Vette was a surprise winner in the u17 division. She contested only two national events this summer because she also took part in national surf lifesaving events.

But she showed good form at the weekend to defeat a group of top young female New Zealand surfers.

Vette posted a 12.43-point total in a wave-starved final to defeat new ratings leader Elin Tawharu of Mt Maunganui, in second place, Zhana Hutchison of Taranaki, third, and Maaia Reid-Bennett of Mt Maunganui, fourth.

Smith had her third win of the year to remain undefeated in the u14 female division. She won the final with a heat total of 12.5 points, ahead of Ariana Shewry (Taranaki), Brie Bennett (Raglan) and Georgia Wederell (Mt Maunganui) in second, third and fourth places respectively.

In the u14 male division, Jungwirth’s 12.93-point heat total in the final gained him second place behind Raglan’s Kora Cooper (16.50pts).

Raglan’s Taylor Hutchison defended his u20 male title. It was his first win of the year after he finished runner-up at three events this summer. The win extended his unassailable lead on the ratings with one event remaining.

In a high-scoring final, Hutchison posted a 15.27-point heat total, beating Tauranga surfer Andrew Fraser-Mackenzie, who posted 13.87pts for second place.

Muriwai surfer Britt Kindred won the u20 female division, ahead of runner-up Claudia Fraser of Piha.

Mt Maunganui’s Lee Ririnui won the u17 male division with a 15.27-point heat total to win the final ahead of runner-up Dylan Preston of Whangamata.

Results with Gisborne linksU14 males, quarterfinals, Heat 2: Kora Cooper (Rag) 15.67, 1; Jayden Willoughby (Rag) 12.07, 2; Finn Johnson (Gis) 11.13, 3; Finn Vette (Gis) 7.67, 4.

Heat 4: Josef Jungwirth (Rag) 14.9, 1; Tom Robinson (Whngrei) 13, 2; Jack Lee (Whakatane) 12.9, 3; Taylor O’Leary (Mur) 12, 4.

Semifinals, Heat 2: Josef Jungwirth (Rag) 17.50, 1; Tom Robinson (Whngrei) 11.83, 2; Axel Rose-Currota (Aus) 11.20, 3; Maddy Barclay (Oamaru) 10.40, 4.

Final: Kora Cooper (Rag) 16.50, 1; Josef Jungwirth (Rag) 12.93, 2; Tom Robinson (Whngrei) 12.50, 3; Jayden Willoughby (Rag) 11.80, 4.

U17 females, semifinals, Heat 1: Saffi Vette (Gis) 14.8, 1; Zhana Hutchison (Tara) 14, 2; Aimee Brown (Auck) 8.6, 3; Grace Pevats (Whangarei) 5.43, 4.

Final: Saffi Vette (Gis) 12.43, 1; Elin Tawharu (Mnt) 11.03, 2; Zhana Hutchison (Tara) 9.07, 3; Maaia Reid-Bennett (Mnt) 6.3, 4.

U14 females, semifinals, Heat 2: Ariana Shewry (Tara) 14.5, 1; Stella Smith (Gis) 12.43, 2; Hannah King (Gis) 4.4, 3.

Final: Stella Smith (Gis) 12.5, 1; Ariana Shewry (Tara) 10.6, 2; Brie Bennett (Rag) 9.67, 3; Georgia Wederell (Mnt) 8.9, 4.