First surfing comp for many

Raglan surfers Luca Thompson and Alani Morse won the two major titles at the primary school surfing championships that finished at Makorori Beach yesterday.

Morse retained the Year 7 and 8 girls’ division title she’d won the previous year.

For Thompson, it was his first win in the Year 7 and 8 boys’ division. He had reached the finals at several events over the previous 12 months but never stepped up to the top of the podium.

Almost 100 young surfers took part in the Sticky Johnson Primary School Champs. They came from Ahipara in the north to Dunedin in the south and for many it was their first experience of a national surfing contest.

The event finished in small half-metre to one-metre waves at northern Makorori Beach, with persistent rain and moderate onshore winds. The final day was in stark contrast to the perfect conditions and fine weather on the first day of the event.

Thompson went to his backhand in the Year 7 and 8 boys’ final for some explosive turns to narrowly defeat Sol Fritchley (Mt Maunganui) 11.67 points to 11.57. Thompson had only sneaked into the semifinals on countback after a slow start to the round-robin phase.

Gisborne surfers Jaxon Pardoe and Harry McFarlane finished third and fourth respectively.

Morse clinched her final with a 16.0-point heat total to sweep aside her opponents. She had a tough battle throughout the event with Lola Groube (Pauanui), winning three of four match-ups.

In the final, Groube simply couldn’t find a second good wave. She needed a near-perfect nine-point ride to catch Morse.

These two surfers are in the New Zealand junior surfing team heading to Brazil for the world junior champs in November.

In yesterday’s final, Isla McKay finished third and Ella McConnell, fourth.

The titles for those in Year 6 and below went to Mt Maunganui surfers Ffeon Clifford, in the boys’ division, and Millie Dyck, in the girls’. Their efforts helped Bay Boardriders to a fourth straight club title at the primary school champs.

In the boys’ final, Clifford was too good for his three Gisborne opponents, posting 14.33 out of a possible 20 points. Lenny Quinn was runner-up, Felix Tong was third and Waylon Lynch, fourth.

In the girls’ final, Dyck edged Riley Miskell (Ohope), with Zara Owen (Dunedin) third and Jade Phillips (Ahipara) fourth.

The primary school champs have ignited the careers of some of the best Kiwi surfers, including Olympian Ella Williams (Whangamata), and New Zealand representatives Ava Henderson (Christchurch) and Kehu Butler (Mt Maunganui).