Whangarei Boys' High School surfer Manu Scott-Arrieta claimed first blood at the opening event of the 2015 Northland Scholastics Surfing Series, coming first in the Under-18 Boys at Sandy Bay.
Scott-Arrieta was one of the headline surfers at the event and his local knowledge paid off.
Other standout surfers includedOcean Beach surfer and 2015 Billabong Grom Series Under-14 Girls champion Grace Pevats (WGHS), Thomas Robinson (Wildcard) in the Under-14 Boys, Billie Scott (WGHS) who took out the Under-16 Girls, Tom Norton who won the Under-16 Boys (Bream Bay College) and up and coming ripper Emily Brunker (WGHS) who came first in the Under-18 Girls.
The low tide conditions during the finals made it tricky for competitors. Small 1m waves with moderate to strong onshore northerlies made for trying times, but the 85 entrants from Northland schools made the most of the day.
Due to the high number of entries received, the contest was split between Under-16 and Under-18 Boys on the main peak at Sandy Bay, and the Under-14 Boys and Girls heats running at the southern end of the beach.
