Students take advantage to serve up quality

The first event of the 2012 Northland Scholastics Surfing Series went swimmingly on Friday thanks to some marvellous conditions for competitors at Sandy Bay.

With a clean 1.0m-1.05m swell running and light, variable winds, contest organisers couldn't have hoped for a better start to the year.

With a good level of entry in the Girls' Division, young Breeze Durham (Kerikeri High School) surfed her way into her first victory at the Northland Scholastics event.

The youngster from Kerikeri is no stranger to surfing contests as her older sister Thandi Tipene is the current 2012 National Open Women's Champion.

With 8 entries in the girls' division, this was the highest number so far for an NSSS event. In the Under-18 girls Robyn Turnbull (Mangawhai / Raglan Area School) won the final ahead of good friend Julia Smith (Rodney College).

In the Under-14 boys, current National Champion Manu Scott-Arrieta blitzed his opponents to win the final comfortably. Showing local knowledge at his home break, Scott-Arrieta showed why he is at the top of his age-group nationally, linking vertical lip bashes with fast, powerful cutbacks.

The Under-16 boys' division hosted the largest field of surfers with 32 entries, featuring a handful of youngsters who have been competing regularly on the national surfing circuit. Conditions were near perfect for the heats and plenty of surfers showed good talent and style. In the finals, Waipu Cove surfer and 2010 Northland team surfer Rhys Whitaker made his first finals appearance in two years, and placed 4th overall. Sergio Hansen (Kaitaia College), who was dominant in the heats, went head-to-head with Mangawhai Heads' Ryan Renall (Rodney College), with both surfers exchanging great scoring waves.

Renall edged ahead of Hansen after the goofy footer destroyed a solid left hander, moving him into 2nd place. Joe Palmer (Kerikeri High School) was a stand-out from the start of the day, and picked off the best waves in the 20-minute final to take his first series win for 2012. Palmer, who was a member of the 2011 Northland Team, was delighted with his win and showed a huge step-up in his performance at Sandy Bay.

2012 saw the most entries in the Under-18 boys since the NSSS' inception in 2010, with 28 surfers competing.

William Bowden (Whangarei Boys' High school) dominated in the heats, linking some powerful lip bashes with smooth cutbacks. Bowden has spent a lot of time surfing at Sandy Bay and it was plain for all to see.

2011 Northland Team member Fraser Seymour (WBHS) was another stand-out, along with Ari Tidyman (Rodney College) and Flynn Hart (WBHS). But nobody could get close to 2012 New Zealand Junior Team surfer Paul Moretti (Mimiwhangata) from the start of the day. Moretti, who regularly competes in the Under-20 division at national events, absolutely destroyed every wave that came his way, showing why he is one of Northland's brightest surfing stars. In the final, Moretti dominated start to finish, for an easy win.

In second place was Flynn Hart (WBHS) who pipped teammates William Bowden and Fraser Seymour for his best NSSS result.

Overall, the level of surfing showed a massive step-up from previous years, and Head Judge Kevin Piper said it was obvious that many of the entrants had been competing nationally.