Surfing: Bowden brothers break through

Whangamata surfer Tane Bowden hurtles off an end section . Photo / Ben Kennings.

The Bowden brothers, McKenzie and Tane of Whangamata, have broken through the grommet ranks to claim their maiden national level events at the final competition of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge completed at Piha today.

McKenzie won the under-16 boys' division, while his younger brother Tane won the under-12 boys.

The surf continued to drop for the final day of the event with marginal 0.5m waves which changed dramatically throughout the day due to the huge tides.

McKenzie got a good start to the final but it was a 6.67 point ride with two minutes remaining that elevated from third to first before the ocean went flat for the final two minutes.

"I am pretty excited, it is my first ever win, I am real happy'' said McKenzie.

"I only needed a five point ride on that last wave, I tried to get two turns out of it and on that last one I pushed it more than usual to get the score, I was lucky to get the wave really.''

The two brothers combined to win the Sony Breakthrough Performance of the event award for their double victory.

Runner up in the under-16 boys division today was Elliot Paerata-Reid (Piha) who looked like he had the heat under control. However as the clock wound down the victory was snatched away by Bowden who finished with 11.60 to Paerata-Reid's 10.17.

Paerata-Reid did however clinch the series with his runner up placing after winning the first two events of the series. He will now travel to Australia along with the four other winners of the series and compete in the Billabong Occy Grom Comp to be held in July on the Gold Coast.

"I was coming fourth for a lot of the final so I am pretty stoked that I won the series in the end,'' he said.

Placing third in the final was Dune Kennings (WGM) who held the early lead but fell on several big air reverses. Fourth in the final was Whakatane surfer Caleb Braithwaite surfing in his first final of the series.