SURFING - Surfers barrelled by tough foes

NORTHLAND Surfers flew the flag high at the 2008 Smokefree National Scholastic Surfing Championships held at Opunake last week but an unfortunate finals day undid their week's work.
The Northland team were on target for their best showing ever at the event by holding fourth place going into the final day on Saturday but when things didn't go their way, the wheels fell off their effort and they slid down to seventh place.
Team manager Malcolm Pullman said although the team were disappointed with the final placing, the level of surfing shown by the team up until that point showed how strong the level of surfing is here.
"I was stoked with the whole team's performance both in and out of the water, they were great ambassadors for the province and are a great bunch of kids," Pullman said.
The event was won overall by Waikato, with last year's winners Bay of Plenty in second place, and the Coromandel third.
Northland had three surfers in action in the messy 1.5m waves at the Opunake surf break, the Dump, on the finals day, but none of them came out on top in the final.
The closest to a title was defending champion Paco Divers who was narrowly defeated by Gisborne's Buck Woods in the premier under-18 boys division.
Woods made his mark on the final immediately when he scored an 8.17 early on, however Divers came back at him with an 8.0 point ride. Woods' next wave scored another 8.17 and then he held on to the lead, paddling Divers way out the back, stopping him getting another good ride.
Divers managed to get away from Woods in the final minute of the final and caught a wave that linked all the way through to the rocks - sending his teammates wild as they thought he had snatched the title. But several big cutbacks and some critical surfing on the dry rock inside section only secured a 7.5 point ride and Divers had to settle for second.
Northland's two other finalists had days to forget. Paxti Scott-Arrieta, who had been in sublime form all week in the under-14 competition, didn't fire in the final, finishing fourth, while Demi Poynter never even started the under-18 girl's final after she injured her knee on the rocks before the event got underway.
U-16 Paul Moretti, U-18 Oliver Bone and Kaitaia's Jessie Anderson in the under-18 girls were eliminated short of their respective finals.
The full Northland team at the event was: Under-18 Boys: Paco Divers, Oliver Bone, Kieran Pullman, (Sandy Bay); Todd Hale, (Kaitaia). Under-16 Boys: Joe Moretti, Darcy Bowden (Sandy Bay). Under-14 Boys: Paxti Scott-Arrieta, (Sandy Bay), Jack Treacy (Ocean Beach). Under-18 Girls: Demi Poynter, (Sandy Bay); Jessie Anderson, Ellen Koland, (Kaitaia). Bodyboard: Tyron Josephs (Sandy Bay). Coach: Kim Carthew. Team Manager: Malcolm Pullman.