Vette sixth at junior worlds

IN TOP 10 FOR AGE GROUP: Saffi Vette in action in the latter stages of the world junior surfing championships at Huntington Beach, California. She placed sixth in the under-18 girls’ division. ISA/Evans picture

Gisborne surfer Saffi Vette placed sixth in the Vissla ISA World Junior Surfing Championship yesterday — a courageous result after her campaign started in the worst way possible last week.

The 17-year-old New Zealand representative contested 11 heats throughout the week after her early exit from the main round of the event on Day 2. That meant she had to fight her way back through every repechage round, surfing up to double the heats of some opponents she faced.

Vette contested eight heats in three days in the latter part of the event, advancing out of each one with steely determination as if the podium were an easily attainable end result.

Yesterday, Vette pushed through one further round on the morning of the finals before incurring a soul-crushing interference in the semifinals with a podium finish in sight.

With less than one minute remaining in her semifinal, Vette held second position. She took off on a small wave behind the heat leader Minami Nonaka (Japan), who had priority. It was deemed that she got too close to the heat leader and as a result of the interference she was scored on only one wave instead of two, effectively relegating her from second to fourth in the heat.

Progression looked well within her grasp with a 9.89-point heat total and her closest rival Sara Wakita (Japan) falling on her last wave with 50 seconds to go, but Japan eventually went 1-2-3 in the heat.

Vette now switches her attention back to the WSL World Qualifying Series with the final female events being played out in Australia at the end of the month.

The New Zealand team finished in 14th place overall, two places lower than their 2018 campaign.

Hosts USA won the team contest, Hawaii were second, Japan third and Spain fourth.

New Zealand results from Day 8 of the championships:

Under-18 girls, Repechage Round 9: Sara Wakita, JPN, 16.43, 1; Saffi Vette, NZL, 11.67, 2; Sanoa Olin, CAN, 7.77, 3; Nyxie Ryan, AUS, 5.76, 4.

Repechage Round 10: Minami Nonaka, JPN, 16.83, 1; Sara Wakita, JPN, 8.84, 2; Shino Matsuda, JPN, 7.93, 3; Saffi Vette, NZL, 5.93, 4.

U18 boys: Dimitri Poulos, USA, 15.33, 1; Alan Cleland, MEX, 13.23, 2; Tommy Coleman, USA, 12.1, 3; Joh Azuchi, JPN, 9.97, 4; Caleb Cutmore (NZL), 17th; Jack Lee (NZL), 21st; Luke Griffin (NZL), 65th.

U16 boys: Jackson Bunch, HAW, 17, 1; Taj Lindblad , USA, 10.53, 2; Afonso Antunes, POR, 10.5, 3; Ryan Huckabee, USA, 9.46, 4; Jayden Willoughby (NZL), 41st; Tom Butland (NZL), 41st; Tom Robinson (NZL), 65th.

U18 girls: Gabriela Bryan, HAW, 14.07, 1; Minami Nonaka, JPN, 11.53, 2; Noah Lia Klapp, GER, 6.66, 3; Sara Wakita, JPN, 5.23, 4; Saffi Vette (NZL), 6th; Estella Hungerford (NZL), 37th; Georgia Wedrell (NZL), 73rd.

U16 girls: Noah Lia Klapp, GER, 11.34, 1; Zoe Benedetto, USA, 10.97, 2; Betty Lou Sakura Johnson, HAW, 9.93, 3; Caity Simmers, USA, 8.16, 4; Brie Bennett (NZL), 25th; Ava Henderson (NZL), 31st; Natasha Gouldsbury (NZL), 43rd.

Team results: USA 1; Hawaii 2; Japan 3; Spain 4; France 5; Australia 6; Portugal 7; Germany 8; South Africa 9; Canada 10; Brazil 11; Peru 12; Costa Rica 13; New Zealand 14; Argentina 15.