Surfing bliss

Near perfect conditions greeted surfers at Sandy Bay last Thursday for the second leg of three making up the 2018 Northland Scholastics Surfing Series last Thursday with clean 1-1.5m waves breaking all day with offshore winds and perfect tides. Judges and spectators were treated to a fine display of high-performance surfing across all the age divisions, particularly in the under-16 and -18 boys’ divisions. The older boys showed progressive surfing too with Max Brunker, Tom Norton and Tom Robinson all completing air-reverse manoeuvres during their heats. Results from round 2 of the NSSS series at Sandy Bay on April 5 were, U14, girls: Sky Gundry (Keri High) 8.4 points, 1, Trinity Smith (Rod) 6.8, 2, Pipi Johnson Phillips (Keri High) 6.1, 3, Arlia Gray (WGHS) injured, 4; boys: Tama Kauwhata (correspondence) 14, 1, Tai ErcegGray (WBHS) 8.8, 2, Ben Moretti (cor) 7.8, 3, Ari D’Anvers (WBHS) 4, 4. U16, girls: Ely Backhouse (Bream Bay Coll) 12.7, 1, Kayla Carter (Bream Bay) 6.7, 2, Brydie Harrison (Kaitaia Coll) 4.4, 3, Laura Lamauric (Kaitaia) 1, 4; boys: Tom Robinson (WBHS) 11.7, 1, Taj Broughton (Kaitaia) 7.7, 2, Oscar Harper (WBHS) 6.6, 3, Thomas Charlesworth (Pompallier) 5.0, 4. U18, girls: Grace Pevats (WGHS) 6.2, 1; boys: Max Brunker (WBHS) 12.5, 1, Tom Norton (Bream Bay) 10.2, 2, Max Thomas (WBHS) 5.3, 3, Ben Springford (WBHS) 3.7, 4. And, in the longboard: Billy Wheelan (Rod) 11.4, 1, Ben Moretti (cor) 9, 2, Corey Vercoe (Rod) 7.4, 3, Lochie Espiner (WBHS) 6, 4. The third and final event is scheduled for Thursday, May 17, venue TBC.