Mount Maunganui surfer Georgia Wederell wins grom title

Raglan's Billy Stairmand and Mount Maunganui's Georgia Wederell triumphed at the Backdoor BayBash event held in the Hawke's Bay over the weekend.

The event was the fifth and final event of the year on the New Zealand Surf Series and also completed the New Zealand Grommet Series for all the age group surfers.

Despite an excellent swell forecast, the final day held at Te Awanga was hampered by tiny waves for much of the day forcing a late start and a period when the event went on hold due to the size of the swell in the middle of the day.

The small conditions did not take away from the first-class performance of Stairmand who rode to a 14.54-point heat total in the final with his precision forehand surfing along the right-hand point break too sharp for his opponents.

Georgia Wederell, 15, claimed the Open Women's Division with a last-minute ride that pushed Tiana-Breeze de Mooij (Mount Maunganui) into second place. Trailing de Mooij for much of the final, Wederell took off on a small right-hander and rattled off two quick backhand turns to score 4.63 out of a possible 10 points, the score coming through as the final hooter sounded.

It is Georgia's first win on the New Zealand Surf Series and has pushed her up into fifth place overall for 2017. Ella Williams (WGM) claimed the overall series by way of her results at the start of the year which included a national title and a win at the Rip Curl Pro at Raglan.

De Mooij finished the final in second place today and fourth overall for the year. Billie Scott (Whangarei) placed third in the final ahead of Brie Bennett (Rag) in fourth.

Surfing through three rounds, Stairmand never lost a heat on the way to the final and, once there, defeated Taranaki surfer Daniel Farr, Mount Maunganui's Callum Chuter and local favourite Jeremy Evans who finished second to fourth respectively.

Stairmand had already sewn up the New Zealand Surf Series prior to the final event of the year but he extended his points lead after the result over the weekend.

Taylor Hutchison (Rag) won the Under 20 Boys final with his last-minute 6.77 point ride.
The natural-footer had been sitting in second behind Jared Gebert (Ohope) for much of the final until his last wave. Hutchison had already secured the overall New Zealand Grom Series title prior to the event but completed his junior career with an event win and he now moves on to the Men's Division.

Tiana-Breeze de Mooij couldn't find a win in the Open Women's Division but she made up for that with a win in the Under 20 Women's Division. De Mooij posted a 12.83-point heat total to comfortably win the final over Brie Bennett (Rag) in second, Georgia Wederell in third and Billie Scott (Whangarei) in fourth.

Under 17 titles went to Jared Gebert (Ohope) and Brie Bennett, Bennett tipping the tables on her opponents in the Under 20s and Open Women's Divisions for the win.