Top groms crowned

Lucy McDiarmid carving it up at Makorori Beach during the Gisborne Boardriders Club Junior Series. McDiarmid won the girls’ under-16 and u18 divisions of the three-event series.Picture by Derek Fryer

Gisborne Boardriders Club held its third and final Junior Series event in solid 1-to-1.5-metre Northern Makorori waves at the weekend.

Rising star Asia Braithwaite was again in the spotlight, with victory in the girls’ under-18 division, while Max Phillips won the u18 boys’ division.

Other division winners were Jaxon Pardoe (u12 boys); Lola Stewart (u12 girls); Milo Livingston (u14 boys); Charlotte McDiarmid (u14 girls); Ollie Tong (u16 boys); and Lucy McDiarmid (u16 girls).

Overall winners for the series were  Pardoe (u12 boys); Madeline Smith (u12 girls); Tong (u14 boys); Charlotte McDiarmid (u14 girls); Nikau Anderson (u16 boys); and Lucy McDiarmid (u16 and u18 girls).

The u18 boys’ overall title was shared by Phillips, Flynn McGregor and Riku Gordon.

The Junior Series and the Tairāwhiti High School Champs are being used to select a team for the NZ Scholastics in Gisborne from September 25-29.

The team will comprise 12 surfers who will battle it out against other regional teams. The Tairāwhiti team will be named in June for the national scholastics featuring eight divisions in u14, u16 and u18 age groups.

Training will begin at the end of July and will include surf coaching and Pilates.

A week before the national scholastics, the country’s top u12 surfers will compete in the NZ primary schools nationals, also being held in Gisborne.

Results from Event 3 of the Gisborne Boardriders Club Junior Series) —

U12 boys: Jaxon Pardoe 1, Harry McFarlane 2, Archie Alder 3, Tobias Smith 4.

U12 Girls: Lola Stewart 1, Madeline Smith 2, Adele McFarlane 3, Nell Alder 4.

U14 Boys: Milo Livingston 1, Archie Alder 2, Mako Fukushima-Hall 3, Harry McFarlane 4.

U14 Girls: Charlotte McDiarmid 1, Brooke Matthews 2, Ruby Easterbrook 3, Lucy Roberts 4.

U16 boys: Ollie Tong 1, Nikau Anderson 2, Shea Ferguson 3, Jett Dalton 4.

U16 Girls: Lucy McDiarmid 1, Te Waiotu Fairlie 2, Bonnie Lynch 3, Brooke Matthews 4.

U18 Boys: Max Phillips 1, William Matthews 2, Flynn McGregor 3, Gabe Lobb 3.

U18 Girls: Asia Braithwaite 1, Bonnie Lynch 2, Lucy McDiarmid 3, Te Waiotu Fairlie 4.

Overall winners —

U12 Boys: Jaxon Pardoe.

U12 girls: Madeline Smith.

U14 Boys: Ollie Tong.

U14 Girls: Charlotte McDiarmid.

U16 boys: Nikau Anderson.

u16 Girls: Lucy Mcdiarmid.

U18 boys: Max Phillips, Flynn McGregor and Riku Gordon.

U18 girls: Lucy McDiarmid.