Surfing: Brothers carve a niche

Kalani Hansen tears across the lip of an Ahipara wave, showing the excellent form which earned him selection into the Northland Scholastic Surfing team.

Two Far North brothers have overcome the odds to be selected for the Northland surfing team which will compete in the New Zealand Scholastics competition in Piha starting today.

Sergio Hansen gained selection in the U16 team, while younger brother Kalani Hansen was selected for the U14 competition. Both surfers were cutting it fine to make the cut when the Northland selection series was reduced from three events to two following poor surf conditions.

Having missed the first competition at Sandy Bay so they could attend their mother's graduation ceremony, the pressure was really on to impress the selectors and show them what the pair were capable of at the second event, held at Bayleys Beach.

Sergio placed third in the contest, while Kalani won the U14 division and as things turned out this was their only showing in the NSSS selection competition.

With the final event canned, the brothers attended a training and final selection camp at Sandy Bay in early September before being named in the Northland line-up.

This week's New Zealand Scholastics event is the first time the contest has been held at Piha Beach, with competition scheduled through to Friday.

The pair are not unused to Piha's surf conditions as they get to sample a good variety of waves from their base in Ahipara.

Defending champions Bay of Plenty will once again be favourites after winning the event three of the past five years (2009, 2010 and 2012), showing a consistency that has been unmatched recently.

Competing in home waters, hosts Auckland will be the Bay's biggest rivals, with the likes of Elliot Paerata-Reid, a New Zealand representative and current U18 men's national champion expected to lead the challenge at the west coast beach break.