The National Scholastic Surfing Championships returned to Raglan this week, the birthplace of the event 31 years ago in 1989. The event, which has unearthed two generations of top Kiwi talent, takes place all week at the famed Manu Bay location, home to the perfect left-hand point break.
Day one started out with a solid 1.0m swell and offshore northeast winds which lasted all day. The conditions stoked out 130 competitors from around the country who are competing for the coveted team trophy and individual titles.
It was fitting that the local Waikato Surfing Team put on a dominant display of surfing leading the way for the early stages of the event.
15-year-old Kora Cooper posted one of the highest heat scores of the day – 16.6 out of a possible 20 points. The young natural foot surfer has likely spent more time surfing the break than any other surfer in the event and it showed as he made easy work of his heat.
“Stoked to have the event back at home on the point break here, I always surf here and it gives me an extra boost of confidence surfing here” said Cooper.
“It is fun out there today, the bump is challenging but when the sets come they are super fun” added Cooper noting that their main goal was to win the team title this year, a trophy that has eluded the region since 2008.
Cooper will be hoping his team can rise to the top under the tutelage of local legend Daniel Kereopa, himself having surfed through the event in the early 90s as a teenager.
Under Kereopa, Waikato has at least a half-dozen serious title contenders in their team including Kai Woolf who was another local standout in the Under 18 Girls Division posting a 13.26 point heat total.
The defending champion Canterbury Team had success throughout the day with eight of eight competing surfers advancing out of their first round matchups.
Christchurch surfers Estella Hungerford and Tegen Bishop went one-two in their heat to advance to the semifinals of the Under 18 Girls Division. They were joined by Koby Cameron, Jai Oakley, Myka Black and James Millar in the Under 16 Boys Division and Riley Gibson and Neko Tohiariki in the Under 18 Boys Division.
This year both Wellington and Hawkes Bay fielded their largest teams in years with their surfers taking full advantage of the pumping Raglan waves. Wellington’s Fergus Duncan and Lachlan Reddish advanced out of their first heat as the top performers. The Hawkes Bay surfers had a tougher time of it with their team members being relegated to the requalifying rounds.
Late in the afternoon the Under 14 Boys Division rounded out a big day of competition with Bill Byers (Auck), Tai Murphy (BOP), Kalani Louis (Tara) and Tana Clapham (Rag) advancing out of the first two heats.
Conditions are expected to be similar for day two of the event with a slightly smaller swell and light winds forecasted. It is anticipated that the action will take place at Manu Bay again. The Under 16 and 14 Girls Divisions will be contested along with the first round of the longboard plus the first requalifying rounds. Follow the live scoring at www.compusurf.com.au.
Please see below for results from day one of the 2019 National Scholastic Surfing Championships held Manu Bay, Raglan today (Monday 7th October).
Under 18 Boys Round 1
Heat 1
Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 1, Ben Smith (Coro), 2, Trae Cooney (Coro), 3
Heat 2
William Van der Beek (Mnt), 11.36, 1, Cassidy Mann (Auck), 10.5, 2, Toby Marks (Wgtn), 6.4, 3, Euan McLaren (Wgtn), 5.3, 4
Heat 3
Luis Southwood (Whaka), 10.25, 1, Fergus Duncan (Wgtn), 7.65, 2, Lucca Lind (Tara), 7.6, 3, Shay Wells (Tara), 6, 4
Heat 4
Luke Griffin (Mnt), 10.75, 1, Noah Collier (Gis), 9.5, 2, Luke Kay (H Bay), 3.8, 3, Alan Paterson (W.C), 3.75, 4
Heat 5
Taylor O’Leary (Mur), 15, 1, Billy Gilbert (Nrthlnd), 7.9, 2, Jack Ryan (H Bay), 5.15, 3, Zinny Halsall (W.C), 5, 4
Heat 6
Tom Butland (Tara), 13, 1, Lachlan Reddish (Wgtn), 4.3, 2, Josh Sheridan (Nel), 4.15, 3, Jonah Christians (Wgtn), 3.85, 4
Heat 7
Neko Tohiariki (Chch), 9.5, 1, Riley Gibson (Chch), 6.1, 2, Jack Healy (Wgtn), 4.4, 3, Dallas Snook (Wgtn), 1.36, 4
Heat 8
Jack Lee (Whaka), 13.15, 1, Max Brunker (Nrthlnd), 9, 2, Harry Evans (Coro), 6.5, 3, Oscar Averill (H Bay), 2.2, 4
Under 16 Boys Round 1
Heat 1
Jayden Willoughby (Rag), 13, 1, Sam Baxter (WGM), 6.4, 2, Hue Cowie (Gis), 4.5, 3, Cameron Broad (H Bay), 3.8, 4
Heat 2
Jack Hinton (Mnt), 15.1, 1, Jack Luke (Tara), 11.06, 2, Flynn Healy (Wgtn), 10.2, 3, Max de Groot (HBay), 8.46, 4
Heat 3
Josef Jungwirth (Rag), 13.75, 1, Koby Cameron (Chch), 11.9, 2, Jay Gordon (Coro), 7.16, 3, Darren Thompson (W.C), 5.75, 4
Heat 4
Jai Oakley (Chch), 12.25, 1, Jackson Peak (Auck), 10.55, 2, Keanu Martin (W.C), 5.25, 3, Louis Evans (Gis), 2.65, 4
Heat 5
Kora Cooper (Rag), 16.6, 1, Ben Storey (Rag), 7.5, 2, Ethan Wray (Tara), 3.4, 3, Max Hahn (Wgtn), 3, 4
Heat 6
Finn Vette (Gis), 11.85, 1, Harper McBride (Mnt), 8.05, 2, Jacob Fitzgerald (W.C), 6.5, 3, Tobias Murfitt (H Bay), 4.3, 4
Heat 7
Reuben Lyons (Kaik), 10.5, 1, Te Kauwhata Kauwhata (Sandy Bay), 8.8, 2, Ben Wharton (Coro), 5.85, 3, Kalani Smith (Coro), 3.5, 4
Heat 8
Myka Black (Chch), 12.75, 1, James Millar (Chch), 10.25, 2, Kava Matthews (Tara), 8.9, 3, Alfie Berben (Wgtn), 5.6, 4
Heat 9
Thomas Charlesworth (Nrthlnd), 12.5, 1, Jacob Saunders (Mnt), 12.15, 2, Jacob Buckle (Whngrei), 11.5, 3, Cade O’Dea (W.C), 2.9, 4
Heat 10
Tom Robinson (Whngrei), 18.25, 1, Sam Charlesworth (Auck), 9.5, 2, Luca Rendle (H Bay), 9.4, 3, Kobey Gregory (HBay), 7.75, 4
Under 18 Girls Round 1
Heat 1
Kai Woolf (Rag), 13.27, 1, Gabrielle Paul (Auck), 8, 2, Georgia Wederell (Mnt), 7.86, 3, Sasha Kirkwood (Rag), 1.4, 4
Heat 2
Estella Hungerford (Chch), 8.9, 1, Tegen Bishop (Chch), 7.65, 2, Eve Findlay (WC), 5.15, 3, Stella Smith (Gis), 4.9, 4
The 2019 National Scholastic Surfing Championships is sanctioned by Surfing New Zealand, the Secondary School Sport NZ and supported by Pub Charity.
For more information on these events please contact Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.
Imagery
High resolution images from the event will be available to media upon request.
Surfing New Zealand is proudly partnered by:
Sport NZ
SunSmart
Water Safety NZ
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