Gisborne grom Jaxon keeps on keeping on after NZ champs

Gisborne's Jaxon Pardoe in action at the opening contest of the Billabong Grom Series in Mount Maunganui at the weekend. Pardoe won the Under-14 boys' division. Photo / Coastal Surf Images

Rising Gisborne surfing talent Jaxon Pardoe continued his winning ways at the first stop of the 20th anniversary Billabong Grom Series in Mount Maunganui at the weekend.

Fresh from winning the Under-14 boys’ title at the national championships in New Plymouth, Pardoe won the same age group at the first of three Grom Series contests.

Gisborne Boardriders Club member Pardoe hit the surf frothing in his first-round heat, winning with a best-two-waves total of 13.77 (8.57, 5.20), then dominated his quarterfinal. He won it by 8.40 points with a 14.67 (6.67, 8.0) score.

He was second in his semifinal, posting 9.60 (4.0, 5.60) to Haru Madsen’s 11.33.

Familiar feeling....fresh from winning the Under-14 boys' crown at the national surfing champs, Gisborne's Jaxon Pardoe was once again carried across the sand following his victory in the opening contest of the Billabong Grom Series. Photo / Coastal Surf Images

The four-boy final saw Pardoe pitted against two surfers he met in the national champs final — Madsen and Ffeon Clifford, both from the Mount’s Bay Boardriders Club, and London Cockerill of New Plymouth Surfriders.

In a repeat of the nationals, Pardoe narrowly headed off Clifford for the title. He totalled 14.07 (6.17, 7.90) to Clifford’s 13.60 with Cockerill third on 13.30 and Madsen fourth on 11.23.

Other age group winners were Cooper Roberts (U18 boys, 16.20 in final) of Bay Boardriders; Maya Mateja (U18 girls, 14.56) of Raglan Point Boardriders; Sol Fritchley (U16 boys, 13.56) of Bay Boardriders; Alani Morse (U16 girls, 10.82) of Raglan Point Boardriders; and Jade Nias Phillipers (U14 girls, 12.0) of Ahipara Boardriders.

The series continues at Whangamata on February 8-9 and finishes in Piha on February 22-23.