Whakatane surfer Luis Southerwood and Mount Maunganui’s Tao Mouldey have gone back-to-back at the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge event held at Whangamata this weekend winning their second event of the series.
Sunday (9th February) dawned with tiny surf putting added pressure on New Zealand’s top young surfers as they hunted down waves big enough to prove their talent.
Additional wins went to National Champions Finn Vette (Gis) and Ava Henderson (Chch) in the Under 16 Divisions, Brie Bennett (Rag) in the Under 18 Girls Division and Chloe Groube (Pau) in the Under 14 Girls Division.
Southerwood came from behind to tie up his final and push Jack Hinton (Mnt) into second on a countback after each surfer finished on 8.07 points out of 20.
“I am so excited, I am ready to work hard for Piha now and make it three in a row” Southerwood said.
“It was a fun final and I am happy to come out on top. I couldn’t believe it in the last three minutes, me and Jack were talking but I was happy to get that last wave and equal Jack’s score and get the win. A win on countback means so much and I am ready for the next one” added Southerwood.
Hinton was left agonisingly short of his maiden win with Jack Lee (Whaka) finishing in third and Taylor O’Leary (Mur) finishing in fourth.
Brie Bennett (Rag) returned from overseas to take out the Under 18 Girls Division today, surfing to an 8.67 point heat total for the win.
“I got pretty lucky with the one left that came through at the start of the final, it was one of the best waves of the heat, super happy to get good win” said Bennett.
“I have had a rough start to the year so I am happy with this weekend” added Bennett who fell ill at the National Championships in January forcing her to pull out of the event then she fell on adversity during a trip to Hawaii that saw the majority of her equipment and personal belongings razed in a house fire.
Event one winner, Georgia Wederell (Mnt) finished runner up today ahead of Estella Hungerford (Chch) in third and Ariana Shewry (Tara) in fourth.
Under 16 National Champion Finn Vette (Gis) made up for lost ground at the first event of the series with a comfortable win today defeating his three Raglan opponents. Vette surfed to an 8.7 point heat total starting the final strongly before pushing the win beyond doubt.
“Yeah I was stoked with that, the waves were pretty average but it was like that for everyone” said Vette.
“The heat went to plan I guess, take the lefts off the Rags boys” added Vette in regard to eliminating the potent backhand of his three opponents.
“I got that one wave off the start and then it went flat for 15 minutes and I got one at the end” said Vette. “I hope the conditions turn around for the final event of the series and it is big and onshore to mix things up”.
Jayden Willoughby finished second in the final ahead of Navryn Malone in third and Kora Cooper in fourth.
Ava Henderson (Chch) returned to the competitive arena after her win at the National Championships and took another title today in the Under 16 Girls Division.
“I am pretty happy, hard conditions today but stoked with the win” said Henderson.
“I couldn’t get up to the event last weekend but I will make the final event so want to make up for that. I will be staying with my friend Liv Haysom so that will be fun” added Henderson.
Mouldey won the Under 14 Boys Division and he was joined by Chloe Groube (Pau) in the Girls Division.
Please see below for final results from the second event of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge held at Whangamata today (Sunday 9th February).
Under 14 Girls Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Leia Millar (Piha), 11.33, 1, Chloe Groube (Pau), 5.4, 2, Isabella Milne (WGM), 3.77, 3, Kyra Wallis (Piha), 2.13, 4
Heat 2
Pia Rogers (WGM), 7.84, 1, Alani Morse (Orewa), 7.73, 2, India Kennings (WGM), 4.14, 3, Jess Haysom (Piha), 2.9, 4
Heat 3
Maya Mateja (Rag), 10.34, 1, Amanda Gouldsbury (Tara), 7.3, 2, Skylar McFetridge (Tara), 4.56, 3, Ruby Milne (WGM), 4.4, 4
Under 14 Girls Semifinals
Heat 1
Leia Millar (Piha), 6.6, 1, Alani Morse (Orewa), 4.33, 2, Amanda Gouldsbury (Tara), 2, 3
Heat 2
Chloe Groube (Pau), 5.07, 1, Maya Mateja (Rag), 4.53, 2, Pia Rogers (WGM), 4.2, 3
Under 14 Girls Finals
Chloe Groube (Pau), 8.43, 1, Maya Mateja (Rag), 6.26, 2, Leia Millar (Piha), 5.47, 3, Alani Morse (Orewa), 4.97, 4
Under 16 Girls Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Ava Henderson (Chch), 9.34, 1, Anna Brock (Mnt), 6.17, 2, Alice Webb (WGM), 4.6, 3, Ella Henderson (Auck), 2.5, 4
Heat 2
Asia Braithwaite (Gis), 4.93, 1, Liv Haysom (Piha), 4.27, 2, Amelie Brady (Mnt), 4, 3
Heat 3
Natasha Gouldsbury (Tara), 10.2, 1, Alice Westerkamp (Auck), 6.43, 2, Ruby Lobb (Tara), 3.53, 3
Under 16 Girls Semifinals
Heat 1
Asia Braithwaite (Gis), 4.17, 1, Liv Haysom (Piha), 2.83, 2, Anna Brock (Mnt), 2.3, 3
Heat 2
Ava Henderson (Chch), 7.83, 1, Natasha Gouldsbury (Tara), 3, 2, Alice Westerkamp (Auck), 2.96, 3
Under 16 Girls Finals
Ava Henderson (Chch), 7.63, 1, Natasha Gouldsbury (Tara), 6.03, 2, Liv Haysom (Piha), 4.7, 3, Asia Braithwaite (Gis), 3.8, 4
Under 18 Girls Finals
Brie Bennett (Rag), 8.67, 1, Georgia Wederell (Mnt), 6.66, 2, Estella Hungerford (Chch), 5.94, 3, Ariana Shewry (Tara), 3.66, 4
Under 14 Boys Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Tao Mouldey (Mnt), 12.17, 1, Cooper Ashill (Whngrei), 8.5, 2, Kalani Watts (Tara), 6.34, 3, Karne Gabbot (Dun), 3.56, 4
Heat 2
Jack Tyro (Chch), 9.63, 1, Christian Iggulden (Auck), 6.03, 2, Mali Millen (Tai), 3.8, 3, Maceo Thompson (Piha), 3.03, 4
Heat 3
Mathias Thompson (Piha), 8.06, 1, Tai Murphy (Mnt), 5.84, 2, Kanaiya Webb (WGM), 5.27, 3, George Laery, 3.94, 4
Heat 4
Tyler Stenzel (Mnt), 9.2, 1, Dale Cromhout (Hbay), 6.4, 2, Tava Santorik (Mnt), 6.07, 3, Harley Waller (Pau), 4.58, 4
Under 14 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1
Tao Mouldey (Mnt), 7.26, 1, Cooper Ashill (Whngrei), 6.4, 2, Jack Tyro (Chch), 6.0, 3, Christian Iggulden (Auck), 2.5, 4
Heat 2
Mathias Thompson (Piha), 7.54, 1, Dale Cromhout (Hbay), 6.8, 2, Tai Murphy (Mnt), 5.3, 3, Tyler Stenzel (Mnt), 5.27, 4
Under 14 Boys Finals
Tao Mouldey (Mnt), 14.5, 1, Dale Cromhout (Hbay), 7.34, 2, Cooper Ashill (Whngrei), 5.3, 3, Mathias Thompson (Piha), 4.96, 4
Under 16 Boys Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Navryn Malone (Rag), 9.83, 1, Te Kauwhata Kauwhata (Sandy Bay), 6.6, 2, Ari D’Anvers (Whngrei), 5.13, 3, Noah Camburn (Whaka), 2.34, 4
Heat 2
Kora Cooper (Rag), 6.54, 1, Jai Wallis (Piha), 5.04, 2, Tana Clapham (Rag), 4.44, 3, Kaden Littlejohn (Kati), 3.2, 4
Heat 3
Finn Vette (Gis), 9.6, 1, Izak Hayes (Whngrei), 7.63, 2, Reef Newdick (Mnt), 3.83, 3, Bill Byers (Piha), 3.03, 4
Heat 4
Jayden Willoughby (Rag), 10.73, 1, Jack McKenzie (Chch), 5.87, 2, Connor Van Der Pol (Mnt), 4.93, 3, Harper McBride (Mnt), 4.73, 4
Under 16 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1
Kora Cooper (Rag), 11.77, 1, Navryn Malone (Rag), 5.03, 2, Te Kauwhata Kauwhata (Sandy Bay), 4.94, 3, Jai Wallis (Piha), 2.86, 4
Heat 2
Finn Vette (Gis), 12.17, 1, Jayden Willoughby (Rag), 8.37, 2, Izak Hayes (Whngrei), 7.47, 3, Jack McKenzie (Chch), 5.44, 4
Under 16 Boys Finals
Finn Vette (Gis), 8.7, 1, Jayden Willoughby (Rag), 6.76, 2, Navryn Malone (Rag), 5.37, 3, Kora Cooper (Rag), 3.8, 4
Under 18 Boys Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Taylor O’Leary (Mur), 12.2, 1, Tom Robinson (Whngrei), 10.9, 2, Josef Jungwirth (Rag), 8.8, 3, Sam Charlesworth (Auck), 6.37, 4
Heat 2
Jack Lee (Whaka), 11, 1, Cassidy Mann (Auck), 6.83, 2, Isaac Klein – Ovink (Auck), 6.73, 3, Jean Viljoen (Mnt), 4.33, 4
Heat 3
Jack Hinton (Mnt), 12.9, 1, Tom Butland (Tara), 7.9, 2, Jackson Peak (Auck), 6.6, 3, Aiden Hayes (Mnt), 4.6, 4
Heat 4
Luis Southerwood (Whaka), 10.4, 1, Mitchell Dalley (Mnt), 10.1, 2, Thomas Charlesworth (Auck), 7.4, 3, Jack Luke (Tara), 4.4, 4
Under 18 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1
Taylor O’Leary (Mur), 10.5, 1, Jack Lee (Whaka), 10.3, 2, Tom Butland (Tara), 6.7, 3, Mitchell Dalley (Mnt), 5.07, 4
Heat 2
Jack Hinton (Mnt), 9.7, 1, Luis Southerwood (Whaka), 9, 2, Tom Robinson (Whngrei), 8.8, 3, Cassidy Mann (Auck), 6.8, 4
Under 18 Boys Finals
Luis Southerwood (Whaka), 8.07, 1, Jack Hinton (Mnt), 8.07, 2, Jack Lee (Whaka), 7.9, 3, Taylor O’Leary (Mur), 3.8, 4
Entry into the one remaining Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge event can be completed here:
Event 3 – 22 – 23 February, Piha Beach, Auckland
Further Information
For further information on the 2020 Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge please contact Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.
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Web clips will be distributed free of charge from each event. Please contact Ben Kennings for further details.
High resolution action images of the surfing at all events on the Billabong Grom Series will be available to media free of charge.
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Thanks to Bay Boardriders for hosting the event.
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