Sister act at Gisborne Junior Pro: Braithwaites finish runners-up

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Gisborne sisters Asia and Mahia Braithwaite finished runners-up in their divisions of the Gisborne Junior Pro surfing contest at the weekend.

Asia Braithwaite was second to Christchurch surfer Ava Henderson in the under-18 girls' division.

Henderson leaves for El Salvador on Saturday, along with the rest of the New Zealand junior team for the world junior championships.

Asia's younger sister Mahia was second to Chloe Groube, of Pauanui, in the u16 girls' division. East Cape surfers Casey Dewes and Te Waiotu Fairlie were third and fourth respectively in the final.

The Sequence Surf Shop Gisborne Junior Pro — part of the New Zealand Grom Series — was the last national surfing event of the summer season.

Whangarei surfer Te Kauwhata Kauwhata and Henderson yesterday won the Gisborne Junior Pro u18 divisions.

They dominated after it was decided to move the final day of the event to Red Bus at Makorori Beach.

Gisborne produced the goods for the final day of the event with clean one-metre waves fanned by light offshore winds all day.

“It feels really good to win one of these events,” Kauwhata said.

“I have been doing them since the under-14 boys' division and it just feels good to finally get the win.”

Kauwhata credited the win to his time at Raglan Surfing Academy this year.

“I have had amazing support from coaches, and surfing good waves every day has given me the chance to improve my surfing heaps,” he said.

Kauwhata took the win in the tightest final of the day with first through third separated by just over half a point.

Fellow academy student Tyler Perry (Kaikoura) finished in second place, having led for much of the 20-minute final.

Jai Wallis came back late in the final with a well surfed 6.73 to get himself into contention but his last wave of 4.43 came up just short of the 5.05pts required for the win. Hawke's Bay surfer Luca Rendle finished in fourth place.

Henderson made the most of her time at Gisborne in the lead-up to the World Junior Championships.

Henderson surfed to a 12.60 heat total in the final.

Asia Braithwaite was four points behind Henderson in the final with Isla Prins (Hawke's Bay) placing third and Amelie Wink (Christchurch), fourth.

Chloe Groube (Pauanui) smashed the final of the u16 girls' division. A 13.70 heat total meant her opponents needed a combination of scores to catch her.

Mahia Braithwaite finished in second place with 5.67pts, followed by Casey Dewes (3.50) and Te Waiotu Fairlie (3.47)in third and fourth placings respectively.

Tava Santorik (Mt Maunganui) won his first event of the New Zealand Grom Series when he took out the u16 boys' division.

Theo Morse (Raglan) was second, Dale Cromhout (Hawke's Bay) third and Christian Fougere (Piha) fourth.

Tyler Stenzel (Mt Maunganui) made his comeback to events memorable with a win in the u14 boys' division.

Mount surfers Sol Fritchley and Indica Corcoran were second and third respectively, and Zac Becroft (Auckland) was fourth.

Raglan's Maya Mateja stormed to victory in the u14 girls' division, ahead of Indi-Lee Ruddell (Whangarei) in second place, Poppy Entwisle (Christchurch) third and Lani Frazerhurst (Raglan) fourth.