Mangawhai Heads longboard contest sees young surfer Jack Tyro shine

Whangārei's Wini Paul on her way to winning the Open Women's division at the 9th annual Loggerheads traditional longboarding comp at Mangawhai Heads on Saturday. Photos / Michael Cunningham

He's only 15 but Christchurch surfer Jack Tyro nearly had a clean sweep of the three divisions he entered at the annual Loggerheads Surf comp at Mangawhai Heads over the long weekend.

Organiser of the event - now in its ninth year - Tony Baker said more than 60 surfers from across the country had entered the contest, which was held at Baylys Beach, on Kaipara's west coast, on Friday and Mangawhai Heads on Saturday.

Baker said the contest was normally held in summer, but Covid meant it was held in winter last year and again this year.

Dharlia Lynch competing in the Open Women's division semifinal at Mangawhai Heads on Saturday.

''And to hold it on the first Matariki holiday weekend was pretty special, really,'' Baker said.

He said surfing conditions were ideal both days, with some great waves caught by the competitors in the four divisions - Open Men, Open Women, Juniors (under 18) and Old Mal (for traditional, pre-1970 longboards).

And Tyro, who recently represented New Zealand at the World Junior Surfing Championships in El Salvador after winning three titles at the 2022 National Surfing Championships, took out the Open Men's and Junior divisions.

Young Tyro almost made it a clean sweep, coming second in the Old Mal division behind Auckland surfer Matt Newdick.

Whangārei surfer Wini Paul won the Women's Division.

Jess Costello at the 9th annual Loggerheads traditional longboarding competition at Mangawhai Heads.

Baker said the competition attracted some of the country's top surfers and he was already making big plans to celebrate the event's 10th anniversary next year.

He was also looking at how to develop the event further so it became a big attraction for the Northland region.