Young students ride the waves

Standout: Ohope surfer Beau Broadhurst produced standout performances in the round-robin section of the Year 6-and-below boys' division of the Primary School Championships at Midway Beach at the weekend. He finished second to Gisborne's Archie Alder in the final on Sunday. Picture by Paul Rickard

Gisborne surfer Archie Alder stormed out of nowhere to claim the Year 6-and-below boys' division in the Primary School Championships at Gisborne's Midway Beach on Sunday.

Alder rallied to the cheers from family and friends on the sand dunes, surfing to a 9.57-point heat total.

Round-robin standout Beau Broadhurst, of Ohope, couldn't find the form that propelled him to victory in his previous four heats and he had to settle for second place on 8.53 points. Gisborne had another finalist in Harry McFarlane, who finished third. Haru Marsden (Mnt) was fourth.

Mahia surfer Celia Martin won the Year 6-and-below girls' division with superb style in the final, surfing to a 9.67-point heat total.

Martin battled her way from second into first midway through the final, leapfrogging Megan Luke (Whangamata).

Luke held the lead early, finishing with an 8.70-point heat total ahead of Millie Dyck (Mnt) and Riley Miskell (Ohope) in third and fourth respectively.

The surf for the Sticky Johnson Primary School Championships presented by Skullcandy eased from the first day. A solid one-metre swell was on offer. A cool southerly threatened to dampen proceedings but the best young surfers in the country had a blast.

Titles were evenly dispersed with Raglan, Mt Maunganui, Gisborne and Mahia all claiming titles. The Mount's Bay Boardriders retained their title as the top club.

In the Year 7 and 8 boys' division, Indica Corcoran surfed to a last-minute win with a 13.50-point heat total.

A six-point ride sealed the win with Corcoran needing a 5.51 on his final wave to take top spot. With the onshore winds, Corcoran couldn't hear the scores and did not know whether he had won until he came in.

Fellow Mount surfer Sol Fritchley dropped back to second in the final after surfing to the highest single wave score of 8.50 early in the heat. However, he was a good wave short and finished on 13.0.

Kaikoura's Sonny Lyons finished third, ahead of Remy Sale (Mnt).

Raglan's Alani Morse surfed to her third primary school championship title, winning the Year 7 and 8 girls' division with the highest heat score of the day — 13.90 points out of 20.

Morse started the final with a 7.5-point ride before falling behind eventual runner-up Lola Groube (Pauanui). Morse regained the lead and secured the win with a late backhand wave that netted her 6.40.

Piha's Poppy Arkle finished the final in third place, scoring 7.30. Whangarei's Indi-Lee Ruddell was fourth.

Results from the finals, plus round-robin standings —

Year 7 and 8 boys, final: Indica Corcoran (Mnt) 13.50, 1; Sol Fritchley (Mnt) 13.0, 2; Sonny Lyons (Kaikoura) 7.63, 3; Remy Sale (Mnt) 7.20, 4.

Year 7 and 8 girls, final: Alani Morse (Rag) 13.90, 1; Lola Groube (Pau) 10.57, 2; Poppy Arkle (Piha) 7.30, 3; Indi-Lee Ruddell (Whngrei) 7.30, 4.

Year 6-and-below boys, final: Archie Alder (Gis) 9.57, 1; Beau Broadhurst (Ohope) 8.53, 2; Harry McFarlane (Gis) 7.53, 3; Haru Marsden (Mnt) 4.64, 4.

Year 6-and-below girls, final: Celia Martin (Ohope) 9.67, 1; Megan Luke (Whangamata) 8.70, 2; Millie Dyck (Mnt) 6.03, 3; Riley Miskell (Ohope) 4.47, 4.

Round-robin standings — Year 7 and 8 boys: Jesse Frazerhurst (Auck) 30; Sonny Lyons (Kaik), Sol Fritchley (Mnt), Indica Corcoran (Mnt), Remy Sale (Mnt), 27; Taj Phillips (Ahipara), Zak Becroft (Auck), Zen Mouldey (Mnt), Zeke Pregert (Piha), 24; Kentaro Mitchell (Ahipara), Cade John Carr (Tara), Van Camenzind (Rag), 21; Noah Ramsbottom (Mnt), Jack Higgins (Dun), 18; Kobi Walker (Whngrei), Theo Denton (Auck), 15; Flint Sherborne France (Dun), Kiedis Baskerville (Auck), Keo Morrison (Dun), 13; Beau Rogers (WGM), 11; Olli Jacobs (Mnt), Luca Thompson (Rag), Levi Devine-Collins, Benjamin Dixon (Tara), 10; Copal Mateja (Rag), Luca Tong (Gis), Caden Watts (Tara), 8; Oska Gunness (Gis), Charlie Holdsworth (Gis), Charlie Hartstone (Mnt), 5; Nalutowa (Mah), Charlie Castles (Gis), 3; Neko Dalton (Gis), Vitor Kokemper (Mnt), 0.

Year 6-and-below boys: Beau Broadhurst (Ohope), Archie Alder (Gis), Harry McFarlane (Gis), Levi James Gruebner (Whngrei), 30; Zion Aldridge (Tara), Cam Webster (Ohope), 27; Lennox Lindsay (Whngrei), Haru Marsden (Mnt), 24; Joel Becroft (Tara), 21; London Cockerill (Tara), 18; Jaxon Pardoe (Gis), 15; Sailor Bisman (Mnt), Liukou (Mahia), Fergus Fletcher (Mnt), 13; Dusty Borlase (Whngrei), Solomon Ryan (Auck), 12; Johnny Elsmore, 11; Ziggy Mouldey (Mnt), Kash Baskerville (Auck), 10; Tobias Smith (Gis), 9; Haven Sawyer (Thames), Keenan Hoiles (Mnt), Archie Thompson (Bay), 8; Toby Dryden, 7; Waylon Lynch (Gis), 5; Billy Broadhurst (Mnt), Sando Millar Dal Bosco (WGM), 4; Kileau (Mahia), 3.

Year 7 and 8 girls: Lola Groube (Pau), Alani Morse (Orewa), 30; Poppy Arkle (Piha), 27; Indi-Lee Ruddell (Whngrei), 24; Leila Te Amorangi Steward (Waihi Bch), 21; Ruby Milne (WGM), 18; Ruby Becroft (Piha), 15; Ella Rose- Luke (WGM), 12; Izzy Evans (Mnt), 10; Isla McKay (Whngrei), 8; Madeline Tod (Mnt), 0.

Year 6-and-below girls: Millie Dyck (Mnt), 30; Megan Luke (WGM), 27; Riley Miskell (Ohope), 24; Celia Martin, 18; Jade Nias Phillips (Kaitaia), 15; Piper Stubbs, 9; Paige Burrows, 7; Sieni Ryan (Piha), 5; Mackenzie Burrows, 4.