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Final showdown in classy waves at Shipwreck Bay, Ahipara |
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Written by Tony Baker
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Tuesday, 19 July 2011 |
The 3rd and final event of the 2011 Northland Scholastic Surfing Series took
place in the classic point waves of Shipwreck
Bay, Ahipara on Friday
15th July 2011. After one of the biggest winter swells in recent years, clean
1.0-1.5m waves broke on the reef at Ahipara and the 30 plus strong field of
competitors were treated to some very contestable waves for the event. With
valuable series points on offer competitors battled it out on the long left hand
waves and as the tide dropped out conditions improved dramatically.
In the Girls Division Mangawhai Head's freinds Alana Thrasyvoulou, Julia Smith
and Robyn Turnbull batteled it out. The 3 Rodney College
students enjoyed the fun waves at Ahipara and showed why girls surfing in
Northland is on the rise. Turnbull, who won event two at Sandy Bay,
started off the final with a couple of reasonable lefts but didn't really get
going in the heat. The stand out of the final was goofy footer and event one
winner Alana Thrasyvoulou. Being on her forehand, Thrasyvoulou picked off the
best waves in the final and was a deserving winner of the Girls Division.
In the Under 14 Boys Division Manu Scott-Arrieta (Whangarei Boys
High School) continued
his dominance in his age group winning with ease. The down to earth goofy
footer from Sandy
Bay relished in the
punchy low tide lefts and in winning the 3rd event Scott-Arrieta also took out
the overall series winning 3 from 3. In second place was young Mangawhai Heads
surfer Ryan Renall (Rodney
College) who has spent plenty
of time surfing in Ahipara.
In the Under 16 Boys Division Joe Palmer (KeriKeri High School) showed why he
is one of the top junior surfers in Northland linking fast cutbacks with
vertical re-entries to win the division. Palmer, who spends most of his time
surfing the Kerikeri coast with father Rick, also won 3 from 3 in the 2011
series and in doing so secured his spot at the top of the Under 16 Division.
This year the division saw a massive growth in entries with Event Two at Sandy Bay
seeing over 32 entries, and Palmer never looked like giving up his post at the
top. The third event at Ahipara saw Matt McGregor climb into the top 4 and the
smooth Kamo High School goofy footer, who has been
turning heads all over northland in 2011, came away with a 3rd followed by
local surfer Flynn Cribb in fourth place.
The neck and neck horse race that was the Under 18 Boys Division came down to
the wire in the final event at Ahipara with Patxi Scott-Arrieta (Kamo High School)
duel it out with Louie Smith (Rodney
College). Both surfers
had a win each heading into the final event and it was always going to be a
close battle. Scott-Arrieta was a stand out during his free surfing at Ahipara
but seemed to lose his rhythm come finals time, only locking in 2 reasonable
scores in the 20 minute heat. Smith on the other hand took to the improved low
tide conditions and the hollow lefts suited the goofy footer to a treat.
Smith's winning wave saw him take off late into a hollow 1.0m wave and carve it
through a fast, bowl section ending the ride with a vertical fins free lip bash
on the end section, earning him the win and the overall series title for 2011.
NSSS 3 @ Ahipara 15/7/11 Results:
Under 14 Boys Division : 1st Manu Scott-Arrieta (WBHS) 2nd Ryan Renall
(Rodney College) 3rd= Shane Maxwell (WBHS) 3rd= Kye Bedford (WBHS)
Under 16 Boys Division : 1st Joe Palmer (Kerikeri High School) 2nd Fraser
Seymour (WBHS) 3rd Matt McGregor (Kamo High School) 4th Flynn Cribb (Kaitaia
College)
Under 18 Boys Division : 1st Louie Smith (Rodney College) 2nd Patxi
Scott-Arrieta (Kamo High School) 3rd Jack Treacy (WBHS) 4th Trent Dean (WBHS)
Girls Division : 1st Alana Thrasyvoulou (Rodney College) 2nd Robyn Turnbull
(Rodney College) 3rd Julia Smith ( Rodney College)
Overal Series Winners :
Under 14 Boys - Manu Scott-Arrieta (WBHS)
Under 16 Boys - Joe Palmer (Kerikeri High School)
Under 18 Boys - Louie Smith (Rodney College)
Girls Division - Alana Thrasyvoulou (Rodney College)
Longboard Division - Karl Hines (Bream Bay College)
Bodyboard Division - Sam Moffat (Bream Bay College)
A squad of 15 surfers was named in preparation for the selection of a 12 strong
to represent Northland at the 2011 Surfing NZ Scholastics Surfing Championships
which will be held in the Far North region from 10-14th October 2011.
The 2011 Northland Scholastics Surfing Squad is as follows:
Under 14's - Manu Scott-Arietta (WBHS) Ryan Renall (Rodney College) Sergio
Hansen (Kaitaia College)
Under 16's - Joe Palmer (Kerikeri High School) Paul Morreti (Raglan Area School
/ Mimiwhangata) Fraser Seymour (WBHS), Matt McGregor (Kamo High School) , Flynn
Cribb (Kaitaia College) (*reserve)
Under 18's - Louie Smith (Rodney College) Patxi Scott-Arrieta (Kamo High
School) Jack Treacy (WBHS)
Girls Division - Alana Thrasyvoulou (Rodney College) Robyn Turnbull (Rodney
College)
Longboard Division - Karl Hines (Bream Bay College)
Bodyboard Division - Sam Moffat (Bream Bay College)
The Northland Scholastics Surfing Committee would like to acknowledge and thank
Patau Te Paa and the Te Rarawa iwi from Ahipara for thier support in allowing
us to use their Shipwreck Bay camp site as the contest venue for the day. We
would also like to recognise the efforts of local Ahipara surfers Wayne Cribb
and Paul Hansen for their hard work in getting the event back to Ahipara. We
would also like to thank for SLIDE Magazine and Kiwisurf Magazine for prizes.
And finally to the entire Northland surfing community for supporting the growth
of scholastic surfing in 2011.
For more information don't hesitate to get in contact . Please see attached
images from the NSSS3 Event (all surfing images - credit - Tony Baker)
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| Under 18 Girls Finalists - Image Tony Baker |
Under 18 Girls Finalists take two - Image Tony Baker |
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| Girls paddling - Image Tony Baker |
Alana Thrasyvoulou - Image Tony Baker |
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| Manu Scott Arrieta - Image Tony Baker |
Patxi Scott Arrieta - Image Tony Baker |
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| Under 16 Boys Finalists - Image Tony Baker |
Ryan Renall and Tony Baker - Image Tony Baker |
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| Manu Scott Arrieta - Image Tony Baker |
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