Taranaki surfer Skylar McFetridge (Oakura) surfed to her first national win today at the second event of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge held at Whangamata today (Saturday 12th February).
McFetridge was joined by Sol Fritchley (Mnt) and Lola Groube (Pau) as winners in their respective divisions today. Fritchley backed up his stunning win at the first event of the series held at Mount Maunganui held Auckland Anniversary weekend. Ten-year-old Lola Groube won her first ever national event in the Under 14 Girls Division.
McFetridge started out with a 6.5 point ride, but then found herself chasing local surfer Pia Rogers who took the lead. Late in the final McFetridge posted a 4.37 point ride for the lead before a final-high 7.0 point ride to cement the final.
McFetridge has featured in three finals this season, narrowly missing a national title at Westport before a third place finish at the first event of the Billabong Grom Series. Today she credited the win to her Taranaki team mates who provided support all day through to the win.
Local surfer Pia Rogers finished in second overall with event one winner, Leia Millar (Piha) finishing in third and Sophia Brock (Mnt) rounding out the final in fourth.
Fritchley backed up his stunning win at the first event of the series winning the Under 14 Boys Division today with a 10.40 point heat total. Frtichley’s flow won over in the final slicing away at the small 0.5m waves as the tide pushed in late in the afternoon.
Runner-up Vitor Kokemper (Mnt) went one better from the first event with a runner up finish today posting a 9.17 heat total behind Frtichley. Indica Corcoran (Mnt) was the third Mount Maunganui surfer in the final finishing in third place ahead of first-time finalist Indy Chave – Hefferman (Whangarei) in fourth.
Lola Groube was the stand-out all day in the Under 14 Girls Division winning all three matchups including the final with a 10.7 point heat total. Opting to surf a righthand rip bowl on her backhand, Groube used her smarts to nab several good waves and smash them to the beach.
Piha’s Kyra Wallis held second place throughout the final and a critical forehand reo late in the final secured her runner up finish ahead of India Kennings (WGM) in third and Dunedin’s Tessa Gabbott in fourth.
Day two of the event will see the Under 18 Boys and Girls in action as well as the Under 16 Boys Division. Cyclone Dovi is expected to increase the swell on day two with strong offshore winds.
Please see below for results from Day 1 of the first event of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge held at Whangamata today (Saturday 12th February 2022). Live scoring can also be followed via www.compusurf.com.au.
Under 16 Girls Division Round 1
Heat 1
Pia Rogers (WGM), 7.5, 1, Sophia Brock (Mnt), 3.9, 2, Amanda Gouldsbury (Tara), 2.9, 3, Isabella Milne (WGM), 2.77, 4
Heat 2
Skylar McFetridge (Tara), 8.97, 1, Leia Millar (Piha), 8.23, 2, Rewa Morrison (Dun), 4.07, 3, Jess Sinton (Mur), 1.73, 4
Under 16 Girls Division Final
Skylar McFetridge (Tara), 13.5, 1, Pia Rogers (WGM), 9.8, 2, Leia Millar (Piha), 7.84, 3, Sophia Brock (Mnt), 5.27, 4
Under 14 Boys Division Round 1
Heat 1
Kiedis Baskerville (Auck), 6.34, 1, Hamua Tau (Chch), 5.76, 2, Sam Prins (Hbay), 3.80, 3, Lennox Jennings (Whiti), 3.53, 4
Heat 2
Olli Jacobs (Mnt), 7.47, 1, Jaxon Willows (Mnt), 6.73, 2, Tazman Walden (Ahipara), 6.20, 3, Levi Gillies (Auck), 3.03, 4
Heat 3
Zeke Pregert (Piha), 9.50, 1, Joel Kirk (Pukehina), 6.96, 2, Josh Scott (Auck), 2.57, 3, Jay Tingle (Pau), 0.00, n/s
Heat 4
Jude Jeffery (Auck), 10.44, 1, Kash Baskerville (Auck), 4.24, 2, Noah Officer (Piha), 3.37, 3, Lee Takurua (Tara), 2.43, 4
Under 14 Boys Division Round 2
Heat 1
Jack Higgins (Dun), 8.40, 1, Jordie Luke (Tara), 7.87, 2, Finn Norris (Wgtn), 6.10, 3, Kiedis Baskerville (Auck), 5.56, 4
Heat 2
Tai McKenzie (Chch), 9.74, 1, Vitor Kokemper (Mnt), 9.67, 2, Jesse Frazerhurst (Auck), 8.93, 3, Hamua Tau (Chch), 3.70, 4
Heat 3
Olli Jacobs (Mnt), 8.34, 1, Theo Denton (Auck), 6.33, 2, Zen Mouldey (Mnt), 6.07, 3, Keanu Woods (Mnt), 3.07, 4
Heat 4
Indy Chave (Auck), 12.60, 1, Sam Frazerhurst (Auck), 8.50, 2, Jaxon Willows (Mnt), 5.53, 3, Keo Morrison (Dun), 4.90, 4
Heat 5
Indica Corcoran (Mnt), 10.17, 1, Sonny Lyons (Kaik), 8.00, 2, Beau Broadhurst (Ohope), 5.33, 3, Zeke Pregert (Piha), 4.27, 4
Heat 6
Sol Fritchley (Mnt), 10.77, 1, Beau Rogers (WGM), 7.4, 2, Kai Shearer (Tara), 6.47, 3, Joel Kirk (Pukehina), 5.07, 4
Heat 7
Remy Sale (Mnt), 11.50, 1, Beau Fitzgibbon, 8.30, 2, Jude Jeffery (Auck), 3.93, 3, Connor Cummins (Auck), 1.40, 4
Heat 8
Maceo Thompson (Piha), 8.27, 1, Kash Baskerville (Auck), 3.74, 2,Noah Gabbot (Dun), 3.34, 3, Solomon Ryan (Auck), 3.00, 4
Under 14 Boys Division Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Sam Frazerhurst (Auck), 7.64, 1, Theo Denton (Auck), 7.17, 2, Jack Higgins (Dun), 5.13, 3, Tai McKenzie (Chch), 4.2, 4
Heat 2
Vitor Kokemper (Mnt), 9.13, 1, Indy Chave (Auck), 8.44, 2, Olli Jacobs (Mnt), 7.33, 3, Jordie Luke (Tara), 6.57, 4
Heat 3
Sol Fritchley (Mnt), 11.67, 1, Indica Corcoran (Mnt), 8.86, 2, Beau Fitzgibbon, 7.74, 3, Kash Baskerville (Auck), 3.1, 4
Heat 4
Remy Sale (Mnt), 9.57, 1, Sonny Lyons (Kaik), 7.03, 2, Maceo Thompson (Piha), 6, 3, Beau Rogers (WGM), 4.16, 4
Under 14 Boys Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Vitor Kokemper (Mnt), 11.67, 1, Indy Chave (Auck), 9.23, 2, Sam Frazerhurst (Auck), 7.73, 3, Theo Denton (Auck), 6.56, 4
Heat 2
Indica Corcoran (Mnt), 14.10, 1, Sol Fritchley (Mnt), 12.34, 2, Remy Sale (Mnt), 10.57, 3, Sonny Lyons (Kaik), 9.47, 4
Under 14 Boys Division Final
Sol Fritchley (Mnt), 10.40, 1, Vitor Kokemper (Mnt), 9.17, 2, Indica Corcoran (Mnt), 8.67, 3, Indy Chave (Auck), 6.00, 4
Under 14 Girls Division Round 1
Heat 1
Madeline Tod (Mount), 5.9, 1, Poppy Entwisle (Chch), 5.53, 2, Bonnie Lynch (Gis), 2.6, 3, Megan Luke (WGM), 1.33, 4
Heat 2
Tessa Gabbott (Dun), 6.17, 1, India Kennings (WGM), 6.13, 2, Lani Frazerhurst (Rag), 5.73, 3, Darcy Sullivan (Mnt), N/S
Heat 3
Lola Groube (Pau), 10.1, 1, Kyra Wallis (Piha), 8.53, 2, Portia Millar (Piha), 5.4, 3, Sacha Sanders (Piha), 3.77, 4
Heat 4
Alani Morse (Orewa), 8.66, 1, Lenka Cargill (WC), 5.9, 2, Izzy Evans (Mnt), 4.4, 3, Torah Kennings (WGM), 3.4, 4
Under 14 Girls Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Kyra Wallis (Piha), 8.9, 1, Tessa Gabbott (Dun), 4.73, 2, Madeline Tod (Mount), 3.4, 3, Lenka Cargill (WC), 2.93, 4
Heat 2
Lola Groube (Pau), 12.8, 1, India Kennings (WGM), 8.77, 2, Alani Morse (Orewa), 8.73, 3, Poppy Entwisle (Chch), 7.93, 4
Under 14 Girls Division Final
Lola Groube (Pau), 10.7, 1, Kyra Wallis (Piha), 6.73, 2, India Kennings (WGM), 4.44, 3, Tessa Gabbott (Dun), 4.27, 4
The final event of the series takes place at Piha at the end of February (26-27 February).
The 2022 edition of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge is split into three divisions ranging from Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18.
It is the seventeenth year that Billabong has sponsored the series in partnership with Oceanbridge who has been a proud supporter of junior surfing in New Zealand.
The majority of New Zealand’s current crop of elite surfers have taken part in the Grom Series over the seventeen years that it has run, including Richard Christie (Gis), Paige Hareb (Tara), Billy Stairmand (Rag), Mount Maunganui’s own Kehu Butler and Ella Williams (WGM).
Entry into the remaining two Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge events can be completed here:
Event 2 – 12 – 13 February, Whangamata – now full
Event 3 – 26 – 27 February, Piha Beach, Auckland
COVID 19 Protocols
The event will be held using strict COVID 19 protocols. All participants will be required to sign in with their My Vaccine Pass and scan QR codes. The divisions will be split into two separate days and run through to completion to limit the number of participants at the event site.
Further Information
For further information on the 2021 Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge please contact Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.
Imagery
High resolution action images of the surfing at all events on the Billabong Grom Series will be available to media free of charge.
Event Hotline
The Surfing New Zealand event hotline is 0211134506. This will be updated daily at approximately 7am with venue, divisions contested and conditions for the day.
Partners
Generous support from Billabong, presenting sponsors Oceanbridge, Kustom, Von Zipper and Dakine has made this series possible. The event is proudly hosted by Bay Boardriders.
Surfing New Zealand is proudly partnered by:
Sport New Zealand
Water Safety NZ
Skinnies
Volkswagen
