Surfing: Junior Northland squad selected for national champs

The Northland team are competing at the National Scholastic Surfing Championships in Gisborne next week. Photo / Getty Images

Ahipara's Kalani Hansen is the only Far North board rider to make selection into the Northland team competing at the National Scholastic Surfing Championships in Gisborne next week.

This year represents Hansen's fifth year with the team, who were selected from a series of three competitions this year where 100 surfers competed for a chance to win a provincial age-group title and gain selection for provincial honours.

The team were named by Northland team selector/coach Jaimie Scott to contest the annual champs in a field of 12 regions across New Zealand.

The respective Northland champions for 2017 were Bream Bay College's Tom Norton (U18 Boys), Billie Scott of Whangarei Girls High School (U18 Girls), Whangarei Boys High School's Max Brunker (U16 Boys), WGHS' Grace Pevats (U16 Girls), Tom Robinson of WBHS (U14 Boys) and Ely Backhouse from Bream Bay College (U14 Girls).

Team manager Mark Pevats said Northland had a very strong team this year with excellent prospects of improving on last year's very credible fourth placing.

"A feature of the team was that for the first time the region is represented in every division, which should help in the quest for points. Plus we have a number of surfers who have competed credibly during the year at Surfing New Zealand-sanctioned events.

"Despite the lack of surf lately for the team to practise in, the members have been training hard with sessions in the gym under the instructions of Marcia Aperahama from Northtec."

The competition runs from October 9-13.

Northland squad:
U18 Boys: Tom Norton (Bream Bay College), Joseph Critchfield (Rodney College), Kalani Hansen (Kaitaia College)
U18 Girls: Billie Scott (Whangarei Girls High School)
U16 Boys: Max Brunker, Oscar Harper (Whangarei Boys High School), Tom Parker (Huanui College)
U16 Girls: Grace Pevats (Whangarei Girls High School)
U14 Boys: Tom Robinson (Whangarei Boys High School), Jacob Buckle (Huanui College)
U14 Girls: Ely Backhouse (Bream Bay College)
Longboard: Bassie Waldron (Rodney College)
Travelling reserve: Cory Vercoe (Rodney College).