Northland surfers started a big week off on a positive note in Taranaki with top placings in the Rip Curl Gromsearch held over the weekend at Back's Beach. A team of 12 Northlanders travelled to Taranaki at the end of last week to compete in the national scholastic championships, scheduled toget under way yesterday. The Gromsearch for many of them, was the perfect way of starting the week. Two locals, Sandy Bay's Patxi Scott-Arrieta and Mimiwhangata's Paul Moretti excited the rest of the team by qualifying for the under-14 final of the event but in the end, the pair fought it out for the minor placings. Raglan's Ben Poulter snatched victory in the final scoring a 7.70 wave in the dying seconds to crush the hopes of Piha's Tane Wallis who finished second, ahead of Scott-Arrieta in third and Moretti in fourth. It was a big weekend for Scott-Arrieta's younger brother Manu, as he qualified for his first ever final in the under-12 section of the event. He finished in third place. Whangamata's Dune Kennings continued his winning form in under-12 boys division, scoring 12.57 in the final to win out over Raglan's Sam Poulter. Gisborne's Johnny Hicks won the main event, the under-16 competition, to claim a place in the Rip Curl GromSearch national final to be held early next year. Hicks posted a total heat score of 14.6 in the final to outpoint local surfer Mark Pathemore, with third place going to Whangamata's Blake Myers. Wallis, a double finalist, was fourth. Raglan's Alexis Poulter won her fifth event of the year in the under-16 girls division., Gisborne's Jayda Martin Fitzharris secured her first ever win in the under-14 division.
