Sandy Bay's Manu Scott-Arrieta grabbed his first national win at the Billabong Grom Series at Mount Maunganui.
After being the bridesmaid for the entire competitive season in 2009, Scott-Arrieta, the younger brother of Patxi Scott-Arrietta, finally emerged from the shadows of good mate Korbin Hutchings, of Gisborne, to win the under-12
boys division.
Manu Scott-Arrieta scored 12.4 points in half-metre waves during Sunday's final to push past Taine Craig Te Ranga (Waihi Beach), who notched 11.1 points, with Tane Bowden third. Nine-year-old local surfer Kehu Butler was fourth in his first final.
It was a great achievement for Scott-Arrieta, who was surfing against a top-class field in the first round event of the Grom Series, presented by Oceanbridge.
In the under-16 division, Manu's older sibling Patxi challenged South African surfer Dylan Lightfoot but the visitor was too dominant, and stole the show in the premier boys' grade at the competition.
Lightfoot has been in New Zealand for four weeks, surfing breaks around the country following his World Junior Championships campaign at Piha last month. He entered the event as the favourite but struggled in the small surf, racking up low scores in the shore pound on Sunday.
However, late in the heat he latched on to a wave and hit the lip several times until he finished on the beach. The score came out as an 8.5 point ride (out of a possible 10), which was enough to catapult him from third to first with a 13-point heat total.
Gisborne's Adam Grimson claimed second spot after a tussle with Whangamata surfer Dune Kennings, who finished third.
