Northland duo in hot form at NZ scholastics

The Northland surf team which competed at the National Scholastic Championships near Gisborne last week. Names to accompany photo at the bottom of the article. PICTURE. JASON RUDDELL

Sergio Hansen from Kaitaia and Max Brunker from Whangarei were among Northland surfers who shone in the National Scholastic Surfing Championships near Gisborne last week.

Team manager Tony Baker said although Billie Scott, of Whangarei, recorded the Northland team's best performance in the championships - she finished fourth in the under-16 girls' division - the other 11 team members had also surfed well.

"Sergio Hansen from Kaitaia made the under-18 boys' quarter-finals. It's a very competitive event," he said.

"Sergio and his brother Kalani stood out in the first couple of days when the Northland team was leading the championships."

Baker said Max Brunker from Whangarei was placed in the under-14 boys' semifinals, which was a great performance as he was young and new to championship surfing.

"If a couple of decisions, such as one for interference, had not gone against Brunker he would have made the final," he said.

The Scholastics' format for team rather than individual scores helped regions with a large number of surfers for selection, but Baker made no excuses for Northland's seventh placing among the 12 competing regions.

"Like the English rugby team we could come up with excuses, but at the end of the day that's sport," he said.

"Northland has top surfing beaches, but the geographical spread of the population makes it difficult to organise regional teams. Northland rugby has the same problem."

Baker said Northland was slowly building its surfing capacity as it aimed to be in the top four placing in future Scholastic championships.

Saving the surf spotsMeanwhile, director Ed Atkin from eCoast Marine Consulting and Research at Raglan, is off to the Global Wave Conference in England next week with a message about protecting our oceans and surf breaks.

Coastlines worldwide are subject to ongoing development and resource extraction, and New Zealand's coastlines are no exception. What makes New Zealand unique is its national policy safeguarding its surf breaks to ensure development is sustainable long-term.

"To have it in law that you have to consider any potential impacts regarding the access, amenity value and mechanics of our surf breaks, New Zealand is a very lucky country, but also leading the world in resource management of this kind," says Atkin.

Atkin will be discussing the strength of the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement and how science has been used to increase its effectiveness in a variety of scenarios across the country, including the Whangamata Bar, Aramoana, Taranaki, and surf breaks in the Greater Wellington region.

The Northland Regional Council is understood to be working on protection measures for Northland beaches. Surfers, fishers and other beach users have provided input for a future coastal plan.

Image names: From left, back row: Tom Norton, Joseph Critchfield, Jack Bennet, Grace Pevats, Tony Baker (manager), Jason Ruddell (coach), Billie Scott, Tom Parker, Oscar Harper, Max Brunker; front, Kalani Hansen, Jamahl Moselen, Sergio Hansen, Kohl Mase.