AIRBORNE: Elliot Paerata-Reid takes to the air. Cory/NZ Surfing Magazine picture
Gisborne surfers Finn Vette and John Gisby won national titles at opposite ends of the age-group spectrum at St Clair Beach, Dunedin, on Saturday.
Vette, one of the form surfers of the week, won the under-16 boys' division, having finished third in the final last year.
Gisby, 66, broke his own record for the number of national titles earned by one surfer, winning the over-60 men's division — his 38th title.
Former Gisborne surfer and 1998 open men's champion Chris Malone, now of Raglan, won the over-30 title. He was runner-up in the over-35 division on Friday.
Malone's son, Navryn, also of Raglan, was fourth in the u16 final.
Two new national open champions were crowned. Elliot Paerata-Reid, of Piha, won the men's title and Ava Henderson, of Christchurch, won the women's.
Paerata-Reid, 23, beat seven-time national champion Billy Stairmand in the open men's final, having finished in the minor placings in his three previous national open finals.
Henderson, 14, is the second-youngest winner of the open women's title. She was competing in her first national open final, and also won the under-18 girls' division.
St Clair Beach produced clean waves of up to one metre with offshore winds all day. However, the swell size decreased through the afternoon and the incoming tide turned the swell tap off.
Paerata-Reid beat defending champion Stairmand in a see-saw battle that eventually went the way of the Piha surfer 15.17 to 13.80.
“That is my fourth final in a row,” Paerata-Reid said.
“I have won every semifinal for the past three years and beaten the eventual champion each time so I knew I could do it, I just needed to put it together in the final.
“I didn't really feel like I did my best surfing until the final. I had a bit more to give but I just looked at it a bit more like a job this week and took it heat by heat.”
Stairmand was runner-up, Taranaki surfer Daniel Farr was third and Raglan 18-year-old Caleb Cutmore was fourth.
Henderson won the open women's final, building on her scores and posting her best score, 7.2, on her final wave.
“My goal was to win the 16s at this event and do well in the 18s,” she said.
“I wasn't going to do the open but I convinced Mum to let me, and now I've won.”
Henderson also won the award for overall standout performance of the event.
Gabrielle Paul (Piha) was open women's runner-up, defending champion Aimee Brown (Great Barrier) was third and Hayley Pascoe (Dunedin), fourth.
Host club South Coast Boardriders claimed the award for top club at the event.
Billy Stairmand (Rag) 16.37, 1; Daniel Farr (Tara) 11.84, 2; Finn Vette (Gis) 9.83, 3; Elliott Brown (Dun) 9.70, 4.
Caleb Cutmore (Ham) 16.36, 1; Elliot Paerata-Reid (Piha) 14.10, 2; Taylor Hutchison (Rag) 11.14, 3; Jarred Hancox (Tara) 7.45, 4.
Elliot Paerata-Reid (Piha) 15.17, 1; Billy Stairmand (Rag) 13.80, 2; Daniel Farr (Tara) 10.47, 3; Caleb Cutmore (Ham) 9.70, 4.
Gabrielle Paul (Piha) 13.7, 1; Hayley Pascoe (Dun) 11.4, 2; Natasha Gouldsbury (Tara) 11.3, 3; Zhana Hutchieson (Tara) 10.1, 4.
Ava Henderson (Chch) 13.7, 1; Aimee Brown (GB) 11, 2; Raiha Ensor (Mnt) 10.9, 3; Brie Bennett (Rag) N/S, 4.
Ava Henderson (Chch) 14.03, 1; Gabrielle Paul (Piha) 11.2, 2; Aimee Brown (GB) 8.4, 3; Hayley Pascoe (Dun) 7.83, 4.
Jack Lee (Whaka) 12.6, 1; Tom Butland (Tara) 11.44, 2; Taylor O'Leary (Mur) 11.14, 3; Josef Jungwirth (Rag) 8.54, 4.
Finn Vette (Gis) 15.5, 1; Kora Cooper (Rag) 11.03, 2; Jayden Willoughby (Rag) 10.8, 3; Navryn Malone (Rag) 10.44, 4.
Alexis Owen (Dun) 11.43, 1; Tao Mouldey (Mnt) 10.6, 2; Ryder Pennington (Tara) 10.04, 3; Karne Gabbot (Dun) 8.77, 4.
Ava Henderson (Chch) 13.9, 1; Georgia Wederell (Mnt) 8.9, 2; Leah Wilson (Chch) 8.03, 3; Amarnie Barber (Aus) 7.07, 4.
Liv Haysom (Piha) 11.47, 1; Natasha Gouldsbury (Tara) 11.33, 2; Ava Henderson (Chch)11.3, 3; Anna Brock (Mnt) 10.93, 4.
Amarnie Barber (Aus) 11.66, 1; Misha Peyroux (Dun) 7.36, 2; Jess Haysom (Piha) 6.33, 3; Poppy Pennington (Tara) 3.47, 4.
Chris Malone (Rag) 14.5, 1; Jarred Hancox (Tara) 14, 2; Jamie Civil (Dun) 9.64, 3; Dawson Tamati (Tara) 6.2, 4.
Lyndon Fairbairn (Dun) 11.8, 1; Alan Te Moananui (Kaik) 11.1, 2; Jason Matthews (Tara) 8.27, 3; Chris Malone (Rag) 6.76, 4.
Geoff Hutchison (Rag) 12.6, 1; Justin Summerton (Dun) 11.3, 2; Richard Ayson (Dun) 9.97, 3; John Roussey (Chch) sick, 4.
John Gisby (Gis) 10.1, 1; Paul Robb (Chch) 8.73, 2; Ross Moodie (Gis) 2.4, 3.
Alexis Owen (Dun) 11.43, 1; Tao Mouldey (Mnt) 10.6, 2; Ryder Pennington (Tara) 10.04, 3; Karne Gabbot (Dun) 8.77, 4.
Amarnie Barber (Aus) 11.66, 1; Misha Peyroux (Dun) 7.36, 2; Jess Haysom (Piha) 6.33, 3; Poppy Pennington (Tara) 3.47, 4.