The final day of action is set for the 2017 National Scholastic Surfing Championships being held in Gisborne with the young Bay of Plenty Team desperate to hold on to their number one ranking for one more day.
The penultimate day of the event was held at Red Bus, Makorori in messy 1.0m waves today (Thursday 12th October), conditions hampered by the onshore winds. Despite the conditions, it was the event’s form surfers that advanced through to the semifinals and finals of their respective divisions pathing the way for a big title showdown tomorrow.
The Bay of Plenty Team has had a stranglehold on the number one ranking throughout the week and they go into the final day with ten surfers alive in the event, the most of any team.
Only 24 surfers remain in the event. With the BOP team laden with New Zealand representatives, they will be hoping the 800 point margin they currently have is maintained. However, with a large number of surfers remaining in the event, the team is also susceptible to losing a big chunk of their points should the top results not be forthcoming.
Jack Lee is one Bay of Plenty team member that excelled today advancing through to the semifinals of the Under 16 Boys Division.
The young Ohope surfer is well aware that his team needs to produce the goods on the final day given that they are a team member short at the event.
“My heat was pretty good today, I caught a couple of good waves and did enough to win” said Lee. “I am through to the semifinals; hopefully I can surf like I have been for the semifinals and the same again in the final”.
“It would be good to get a title in the Under 16 Boys Division because we are down a couple of teammates and we need the good results on the final day to take the title” added Lee.
The defending champion Taranaki Team has their backs against the wall as they sit mid-table in fourth. However, the team has five team members remaining in the event, all capable of coming away with big results to push their cause for the title.
The team has been led by Reef Matthews who today, advanced through to the semifinals of the Under 18 Boys Division and he has been one of the form surfers all week.
“Our team has been going pretty good” said Matthews who will contest the semis on the final day.
“My strategy for tomorrow is to keep doing what I have been doing, just go out and surf. We have some good surfers set for the final day with Kahana Ngaia in the Under 14s, Zhana Hutchieson in the Under 16s, Tom Butland in the Under 14s and Lucca Lind in the Under 16s. We just need to go out and do our best” said Matthews.
The host team Gisborne has climbed their way up to second place going into the final day, in part thanks to Saffi Vette who advanced through to the Under 16 Girls Division final.
Vette posted a near perfect 9.5 point ride in her semifinal today helping her to an easy win. Vette is joined by five team members including her younger brother Finn in the Under 14 Boys Division. Others include Brie Ryan and George Zame in the Longboard Division and Finn Johnson in the Under 16 Boys Division.
A focussed Canterbury Team sits in third overall going into the final day, 1,200 points behind Bay of Plenty. The team has the second most athletes remaining in the event with six surfers alive going into the last day.
Bay of Plenty claimed the tag team event at the end of today posting 38.26 points out of 100 to beat Taranaki in second place, Northland in third and Auckland in fourth.
Conditions are expected to improve for the final day of the event with a building south swell and offshore winds predicted. The day five location will be confirmed first thing Friday morning.
Please see below for results from day four of the 2017 National Scholastic Surfing Championships held at Red Bus, Makorori, Gisborne today (Thursday 12th October).
Team Points
1, Bay of Plenty, 9530
2, Gisborne, 8435
3, Canterbury, 8345
4, Auckland, 7900
5, Taranaki, 7700
6, Northland, 6900
7, Coromandel, 5883
8, Waikato, 5813
9, Otago, 5485
10, West Coast, 2755
11, Wellington, 1280
Under 18 Boys Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Reef Matthews (Tara), 13.6, 1, Shane Kraus (Piha), 9.5, 2, Sonny Rapira – Martin (Tara), 4.37, 3
Heat 2
Elliott Brown (Dun), 13, 1, Thomas Harcourt (ChCh), 8.33, 2, James Murphy (Dun), 8.33, 3
Heat 3
Jared Gebert (Ohope), 9.63, 1, Sam Sands (Chch), 9.23, 2, Tom Norton (Waipu), 7.23, 3
Heat 4
Lee Ririnui (Mnt), 10.5, 1, Jack McLeod (Dun), 10.13, 2, Tanner Hayes (Kati), 7.77, 3
Under 16 Boys Division Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 10.83, 1, Lucca Lind (Tara), 9.67, 2, Sam Dingle (Tara), 6, 3
Heat 2
Jack Lee (Whaka), 12.03, 1, Thomas Carter (Waihi Bch), 8.67, 2, Ollie Charlesworth (Auck), 7, 3
Heat 3
Dylan Preston (Mnt), 10.73, 1, Finn Johnson (Gis), 7.1, 2, Oscar Harper (Nrth), 5.43, 3
Heat 4
William Van der Beek (Mnt), 8.47, 1, Max Brunker (Whngrei), 8.2, 2, Tyler Carrington (Wgtn), 5.87, 3
Under 14 Boys Division Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Tom Robinson (Whngrei), 13.13, 1, Finn Vette (Gis), 12.6, 2, Kora Cooper (Rag), 12.1, 3
Heat 2
Josef Jungwirth (Rag), 9.13, 1, Mitchell Daley (Mnt), 7.27, 2, Kava Matthews (Tara), 5.37, 3
Heat 3
Myka Black (Chch), 13.07, 1, Tom Butland (Tara), 10.5, 2, Jacob Buckle (Waipu), 5.57, 3
Heat 4
Jayden Willoughby (Rag), 11.43, 1, James Ririnui (Mnt), 9.7, 2, Jackson Peak (Auck), 7.5, 3
Under 18 Girls Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Aimee Brown (Auck), 8.1, 1, Zhana Hutchison (Tara), 7.63, 2, Shani Ayson (Dun), 4.77, 3, Lily McDonald (Coro), 4.4, 4
Heat 2
Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 14.23, 1, Raiha Ensor (Mnt), 8.97, 2, Billie Scott (Whangarei), 8.3, 3, Frith Davis (Cant), 4.23, 4
Under 16 Girls Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Saffi Vette (Gis), 15.83, 1, Estella Hungerford (Chch), 7.5, 2, Zoe Raines (Auck), 2.73, 3
Heat 2
Georgia Wederell (Mnt), 8.43, 1, Tegen Bishop (Chch), 6.17, 2, Stella Smith (Gis), 4.77, 3
The 2017 National Scholastic Surfing Championships is sanctioned by the New Zealand Secondary School Sports Council.
For more information on these events please contact Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.
