SURFING - Local claims grand pickings at the Dump

Northland surfer Patxi Scott-Arrieta was the stand-out surfer at the New Zealand Scholastic Surfing Championships in Taranaki this week.
Surfing at the "Dump" on Wednesday, Scott-Arrieta posted a near-perfect 9.85 point ride to help him move through to the semifinals of the under-14 boys' competition.
Yesterday Scott-Arrieta continued his good form and made it through to the U14 final. "Yeah I loved it out there.
"I love surfing those big long rights, because you can use the power of the wave and come off the bottom with big bottom turns," Scott-Arrieta said after the heat.
He completed three huge forehand turns on a wave that towered above him by more than twice his height.
The surf was small at the Dump that morning, but it built to a solid two-metre swell by the end of the day, causing organisers to cut the day short when conditions became dangerous.
Yesterday, Joe Moretti (U-16) and Paco Divers (U-18) made it through to their semifinals, while bodyboarder Tyron Josephs is still alive in his competition.