Christchurch surfer Ava Henderson surfed to an event-high 16.17 to win the Under 18 Girls Division at the final event of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge held at Piha Beach today (Saturday 26th February).
The day was played out in 1.0m waves at the south end of Piha Beach, Auckland with clean conditions in the morning, giving way to a challenging low tide and light sea breeze in the afternoon.
Henderson posted a 9.17 for her best ride, claiming the Volkswagen x Skinnies wave of the day for three vertical backhand reos.
Henderson surfed the final with overall series winner Natasha Gouldsbury (Tara) who finished in second place backing up her first two wins of the series. Local surfer Liv Haysom finished in third place ahead of Anna Brock (Mnt) in fourth, Brock getting caught with an interference in the final when she shared a wave with Haysom.
The Under 16 Girls Division was the most hotly contested with the lead swinging back and forth between local surfer Leia Millar (Piha) and Pia Rogers (WGM). Millar flipped the script with two minutes remaining scoring a 4.27 point ride surfing away to victory. In doing so, Millar also held her series lead over Rogers.
Millar’s 10.77 bested Rogers 10.33 with Rogers finishing runner-up in the event and the series. Sophia Brock (Mnt) surfed to her best result of the series finishing in third and event-two winner Skylar McFetridge (Tara) finished in fourth.
Pauanui surfer Lola Groube made it two-from-two in the Under 14 Girls Division winning the third and final event of the series. The win was enough to clinch the series over Alani Morse (Rag).
The goofy footer dominated at the final two events of the with massive heat scores and this weekend was no different as she surfed to a 14.1 point heat total in the final, well clear of her opponents.
Alani Morse finished in second to go with a win at the first event of the series. National Champion Poppy Entwisle (Chch) finished in third place with first-time finalist Darcy O’Sullivan (Tara) finishing in fourth place.
Dunedin’s Alexis Owen made the journey north for his first grom series event and smashed his way through to the final leaving his best performance to last with a 15.07 point heat total. Owen won the National Championships at Westport to start the year and the win this weekend will be rewarding for the effort put in to get to the event. Sam Frazerhurst (Auck) finished second in the final, his first final for the series after two semifinal finishes. Kaikoura surfer Sonny Lyons finished in third ahead of Kentaro Mitchell (Ahipara). This was Mitchell’s first national event and he held his own all day.
Sol Fritchley (Mnt) claimed the series for the Under 14 Boys Division despite getting eliminated in the semifinals today.
The Under 18 and Under 16 Boys Divisions will be held on Sunday with conditions expected to be much the same with a small lift in swell size.
Please see below for results from Day 1 of the final event of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge held at Piha Beach today (Saturday 26th February 2022). Live scoring can also be followed via www.compusurf.com.au.
Under 18 Girls Division Round 1
Heat 1
Ava Henderson (Chch), 13.5, 1, Natasha Gouldsbury (Tara), 7.96, 2, Isla Prins (Hbay), 3.76, 3, Kaia Frazerhurst (Rag), 3.43, 4
Heat 2
Liv Haysom (Piha), 15.1, 1, Anna Brock (Mnt), 8.77, 2, Asia Braithwaite (Gis), 6.23, 3, Ruby Lobb (Gis), 2.66, 4
Under 18 Girls Division Final
Ava Henderson (Chch), 16.17, 1, Natasha Gouldsbury (Tara), 11.23, 2, Liv Haysom (Piha), 9.75, 3, Anna Brock (Mnt), 4.83, 4
Under 14 Boys Division Round 1
Heat 1
Indy Chave (Auck), 11.5, 1, Vitor Kokemper (Mnt), 11, 2, Jude Jeffery (Auck), 5.46, 3, Beau Zonneveld (Auck), 3, 4
Heat 2
Finn Norris (Auck), 9.66, 1, Jaxon Willows (Mnt), 8, 2, Remy Sale (Mnt), 7.77, 3, Milo O’Brien (Piha), 7.17, 4
Heat 3
Maceo Thompson (Piha), 8.6, 1, Zen Mouldey (Mnt), 8.43, 2, Lennox Jennings (Whiti), 7.44, 3, Noah Officer (Piha), 2.86, 4
Heat 4
Alexis Owen (Dun), 13, 1, Sam Frazerhurst (Auck), 11.2, 2, Olli Jacobs (Mnt), 6.5, 3, Troy Berghan (Ahipara), 5.75, 4
Heat 5
Kentaro Mitchell (Ahipara), 7.5, 1, Sonny Lyons (Kaik), 6.83, 2, Theo Denton (Auck), 6.43, 3, Noah Gabbot (Dun), 2.2, 4
Heat 6
Jordie Luke (Tara), 9.17, 1, Zeke Pregert (Piha), 8.66, 2, Beau Rogers (WGM), 4.46, 3, Akira Reid (Auck), 2.7, 4
Heat 7
Sol Fritchley (Mnt), 12.3, 1, Kai Shearer (Tara), 5.9, 2, Solomon Ryan (Auck), 4.83, 3, Jack Harper (Auck), 1.8, 4
Heat 8
Jesse Frazerhurst (Auck), 8.03, 1, Kiedis Baskerville (Auck), 4.53, 2, Sam Prins (Hbay), 4.07, 3, Keanu Woods(Mnt), 2.67, 4
Under 14 Boys Division Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Sam Frazerhurst (Auck), 11.2, 1, Indy Chave (Auck), 9.26, 2, Zen Mouldey (Mnt), 4.8, 3, Finn Norris (Auck), 4.27, 4
Heat 2
Alexis Owen (Dun), 10.8, 1, Vitor Kokemper (Mnt), 7.53, 2, Maceo Thompson (Piha), 6.47, 3, Jaxon Willows (Mnt), 3.94, 4
Heat 3
Kentaro Mitchell (Ahipara), 10.4, 1, Kai Shearer (Tara), 7.4, 2, Jordie Luke (Tara), 6.37, 3, Kiedis Baskerville (Auck), 5.04, 4
Heat 4
Sonny Lyons (Kaik), 12.5, 1, Sol Fritchley (Mnt), 7.74, 2, Zeke Pregert (Piha), 7.46, 3, Jesse Frazerhurst (Auck), 4, 4
Under 14 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1
Alexis Owen (Dun), 12.1, 1, Sam Frazerhurst (Auck), 8.53, 2, Vitor Kokemper (Mnt), 8.3, 3, Indy Chave (Auck), 7.36, 4
Heat 2
Sonny Lyons (Kaik), 10.3, 1, Kentaro Mitchell (Ahipara), 9.57, 2, Kai Shearer (Tara), 6.64, 3, Sol Fritchley (Mnt), 5.87, 4
Under 14 Boys Division Final
Alexis Owen (Dun), 15.07, 1, Sam Frazerhurst (Auck), 10.53, 2, Sonny Lyons (Kaik), 9.1, 3, Kentaro Mitchell (Ahipara), 7, 4
Under 16 Girls Division Round 1
Heat 1
Leia Millar (Piha), 12.6, 1, Sophia Brock (Mnt), 5.44, 2, Jay Ryan (Gis), 4.84, 3, Stella Arkle (Piha), 2.27, 4
Heat 2
Pia Rogers (WGM), 7.83, 1, Jess Sinton (Mur), 7.6, 2, Isabella Milne (WGM), 4.04, 3, Chalee Leith (Whngrei), 1.87, 4
Heat 3
Skylar McFetridge (Tara), 6.07, 1, Amanda Gouldsbury (Tara), 5.33, 2, Ava Perkins (Whngrei), 2.9, 3, Jess Haysom (Piha), 2.1, 4
Under 16 Girls Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Pia Rogers (WGM), 9.5, 1, Sophia Brock (Mnt), 7.1, 2, Jess Sinton (Mur), 2.94, 3
Heat 2
Leia Millar (Piha), 8.4, 1, Skylar McFetridge (Tara), 7.33, 2, Amanda Gouldsbury (Tara), 4.57, 3
Under 16 Girls Division Final
Leia Millar (Piha), 10.8, 1, Pia Rogers (WGM), 10.3, 2, Sophia Brock (Mnt), 7.77, 3, Skylar McFetridge (Tara), 4.84, 4
Under 14 Girls Division Round 1
Heat 1
Alani Morse (Orewa), 8.33, 1, Darcy O’Sullivan (Tara), 6.17, 2, Ruby Milne (WGM), 3.43, 3, Bonnie Lynch (Gis), 2.8, 4
Heat 2
Kyra Wallis (Piha), 8.67, 1, Lani Frazerhurst (Rag), 5.27, 2, Sacha Sanders (Piha), 3.57, 3
Heat 3
Tessa Gabbott (Dun), 10.8, 1, India Kennings (WGM), 6.1, 2, Portia Millar (Piha), 2, 3, Ruby Becroft (Piha), 1.63, 4
Heat 4
Lola Groube (Pau), 14.2, 1, Poppy Entwisle (Chch), 11.3, 2, Poppy Arkle (Piha), 6.03, 3, Ella Rose- Luke (WGM), 2.53, 4
Under 14 Girls Semifinals
Heat 1
Poppy Entwisle (Chch), 7.8, 1, Alani Morse (Orewa), 7.23, 2, India Kennings (WGM), 7.03, 3, Kyra Wallis (Piha), 2.93, 4
Heat 2
Lola Groube (Pau), 9.33, 1, Darcy O’Sullivan (Tara), 4.4, 2, Lani Frazerhurst (Rag), 3.7, 3, Tessa Gabbott (Dun), 3.64, 4
Under 14 Girls Division Final
Lola Groube (Pau), 14.1, 1, Alani Morse (Orewa), 9.83, 2, Poppy Entwisle (Chch), 8.83, 3, Darcy O’Sullivan (Tara), 5.2, 4
Billabong Grom Series pres by Oceanbridge Top 5
Under 18 Girls Division
1, Natasha Gouldsbury (Tara)
2, Liv Haysom (Piha)
3, Anna Brock (Mnt)
4, Ava Henderson (Chch)
5, Isla Prins (Hbay)
Under 16 Girls Division
1, Leia Millar (Piha)
2, Pia Rogers (WGM)
3, Skylar McFetridge (Tara)
4, Sophia Brock (Mnt)
5, Jess Sinton (Mur)
Under 14 Girls Division
1, Lola Groube (Pau)
2, Alani Morse (Rag)
3, Kyra Wallis (Piha)
4, India Kennings (WGM)
5, Lani Frazerhurst (Rag)
Under 14 Boys Division
1, Sol Fritchley (Mnt)
2, Vitor Kokemper (Mnt)
3, Sonny Lyons (Kaik)
4, Sam Frazerhurst (Auck)
5, Indy Chave (Auck)
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).
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
