Taylor Hutchison (Rag) claimed his maiden victory in the Under 17 Boys Division at the Backdoor GromBash completed at Raglan on Sunday 11th. The final was one of the closest of the day with the lead swinging back and forth between Hutchison and triple finalist Kehu Butler (Mnt).
Jonas Tawharu (Mnt) was also close behind surfing his own excellent 8.0 point ride early in the final which kept him in the hunt. However, after being pushed back into second and with a minute to go, Hutchison carved his way to a 6.60 point ride to eclipse Butler, 15.57 versus 15.47 points. Tawharu finished in third place, his best result on the New Zealand Grom Series to date. Andrew Fraser – Mackenzie (Mnt) placed fourth surfing in his first ever national final.
Last minute wins also came in both Under 20 Divisions at the Backdoor GromBashd at Manu Bay with Elliot Paerata – Reid (Piha) and Bianca Sansom (Albany, Auck) claiming titles.
In clean 1.0m waves with no wind all day long, the final day of the Backdoor GromBash produced some exceptional surfing particularly in the Under 20 Divisions.
Paerata – Reid was left shocked at the start of their 25 minute final when opponents Kehu Butler (Mnt) and Taylor Hutchison (Rag) scored eight and nine point rides to jump out into the lead. But it was Paerata – Reid that held his nerve to surf his own 8.5 point ride in the dying stages of the final which catapulted him into the lead and subsequent win.
“The boys dropped 8s and 9s right at the start but I knew if I got the right wave I could get the same scores” and Paerata – Reid did finishing with a 15.87 point heat total.
“That was probably the best final I have ever surfed in” he added. “Kehu was trying to play mind games on me but I tried to keep my composure and I was stoked when that last wave came, this is the best location for surfing events and we have had pumping waves two years in a row now” ended Paerata – Reid who flies out to Australia tomorrow before completing some training and then contesting a World Qualifying Series event.
Butler finished runner up after surfing in eight heats throughout the day for a win and two second placings. Placing third in the final was double finalist Taylor Hutchison (Rag) ahead of Jordan Griffin (Mnt) in fourth.
Bianca Sansom (Auck) surfed to her first win of the year in controversial fashion after her twin sister Gabriella was leading the final but incurred a paddling interference three minutes before the end of the heat.
“There’s a few mixed emotions, I feel bad but yeah, Gaby surfed well and so did the others but I am still stoked to take it out, that’s just the way competitions are and it was unfortunate to go that way so close to the end of the final” explained Bianca.
Sansom finished with a 12.37 point heat total ahead of Claudia Fraser who had her best weekend of competition this year finishing runner up on 9.93 points. Gabriella Sansom finished in third place ahead of local surfer Indica Ratima in fourth.
Kehu Butler (Mnt) continued his clean sweep of the Under 14 Boys Division claiming his fifth consecutive win. Butler posted a 13.93 point heat total in the final to hold Lee Ririnui (Mnt) back in second place where he has finished for the last four events. Placing third in the final was Shane Kraus (Piha) ahead of Jared Gebert (Ohope) in fourth.
Elin Tawharu (Mnt) claimed the double with wins in the Under 17 and Under 14 Girls Divisions. It was Tawharu’s first finals appearance in the Under 17 Girls Division and after earlier claiming the ‘14s title.
Tawharu carried her momentum over in a close three way battle to edge past Claudia Fraser (Piha) and Kea Smith (Mnt) who finished on the same heat score, Claudia Fraser getting the nod by way of having the highest single wave score of 6.20 points out of 10. Placing fourth in the final was Raiha Ensor (Mnt).
In the Under 14 Girls Division, Tawharu made easier work of the final winning with a 14.33 point heat total, this time Kea Smith placing runner up, her fourth consecutive second placing this year. Third in the final went to Kai Woolf (Gis) with winner of the most recent event, Zhana Hutchieson (Tara) finishing in fourth.
See below for final results from the 2014 Backdoor GromBash completed at Manu Bay, Raglan today (Sunday 11th May).
Under 20 Boys Division Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Taylor Hutchison (Rag), 14.5, 1, Adam Grimson (Gis), 12.8, 2, Andrew Fraser – MacKenzie (Tau), 9.03, 3, Joshua Farr (Tara), 6.4, 4
Heat 2
Tane Wallis (Piha), 12.7, 1, Jordan Griffin (Mnt), 10.6, 2, Jack Wilson (Chch), 10, 3, Kayden Mayes (Tau), 9.23, 4
Heat 3
Elliot Paerata Reid (Piha), 15.4, 1, Isaac Kettle (Tara), 14.2, 2, Callum Chuter (Tau), 11.6, 3, Jonas Tawharu (Mnt), 7.23, 4
Heat 4
Kehu Butler (Arataki), 10.5, 1, Corey Asplin (Ham), 8.4, 2, Ben Poulter (Rag), 7.57, 3, Zane Hicks (Ocean Beach), 5.87, 4
Under 20 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1
Taylor Hutchison (Rag), 14.6, 1, Jordan Griffin (Mnt), 13.4, 2, Adam Grimson (Gis), 8.9, 3, Tane Wallis (Piha), 6.23, 4
Heat 2
Kehu Butler (Arataki), 15.8, 1, Elliot Paerata Reid (Piha), 14.3, 2, Isaac Kettle (Tara), 6.9, 3, Corey Asplin (Ham), 5.1, 4
Under 20 Boys Final
Elliot Paerata Reid (Piha), 15.87, 1, Kehu Butler (Arataki), 14.67, 2, Taylor Hutchison (Rag), 12.27, 3, Jordan Griffin (Mnt), 11.4, 4
Under 17 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1
Taylor Hutchison (Rag), 14.27, 1, Andrew Fraser-Mackenzie (Tau), 12.27, 2, Callum Chuter (Tau), 11.87, 3, Isaac Kettle (Tara), 10.93, 4
Heat 2
Kehu Butler (Arataki), 13.17, 1, Jonas Tawharu (Mnt), 12.03, 2, Manu Scott-Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 9.93, 3, Campbell Ivory (Tairua), 6.83, 4
Under 17 Boys Final
Taylor Hutchison (Rag), 15.57, 1, Kehu Butler (Arataki), 15.47, 2, Jonas Tawharu (Mnt), 13.90, 3, Andrew Fraser-Mackenzie (Tau), 12.07, 4
Under 14 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1
Kehu Butler (Arataki), 16.9, 1, Jared Gebert (Ohope), 10.5, 2, Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 10.3, 3, Joel Clegg (Tara), 8.37, 4
Heat 2
Lee Ririnui (Mnt), 15.4, 1, Shane Kraus (Piha), 9.57, 2, Sonny Rapira Martin, 8.3, 3, James Ririnui (Mnt), 6.53, 4
Under 14 Boys Final
Kehu Butler (Arataki), 13.93, 1, Lee Ririnui (Mnt), 9.7, 2, Shane Kraus (Piha), 9.53, 3, Jared Gebert (Ohope), 7.6, 4
Under 20 Girls Semifinals
Heat 1
Gabriella Sansom (Auck), 12.7, 1, Claudia Fraser (Auck), 9.1, 2, Maaia Reid – Bennett (Mnt), 8.13, 3, Zhana Hutchison, 0, 4
Heat 2
Bianca Sansom (Auck), 13.1, 1, Indica Ratima (Rag), 9.9, 2, Milly Crewe (Muri), 7.7, 3, Raiha Ensor (Mnt), 6.83, 4
Under 20 Girls Final
Bianca Sansom (Auck), 12.37, 1, Claudia Fraser (Auck), 9.93, 2, Gabriella Sansom (Auck), 9.92, 3, Indica Ratima (Rag), 6.83, 4
Under 17 Girls Semifinal
Heat 1
Kea Smith (Arataki), 15.1, 1, Raiha Ensor (Mnt), 11.7, 2, Milly Crewe (Muri), 7.93, 3, Ella Jungwirth (Gis), 6.5, 4
Heat 2
Claudia Fraser (Auck), 12.6, 1, Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 11, 2, Maaia Reid – Bennett (Mnt), 9.07, 3, Indica Ratima (Rag), 6.83, 4
Under 17 Girls Final
Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 13.20, 1, Claudia Fraser (Auck), 11.67, 2, Kea Smith (Arataki), 11.67, 3, Raiha Ensor (Mnt), 10.78, 4
Under 14 Girls Semifinals
Heat 1
Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 14.4, 1, Kai Woolf (Gis), 10.2, 2, Gabrielle Paul (Piha), 6.1, 3
Heat 2
Zhana Hutchieson (Waitara), 9.83, 1, Kea Smith (Mnt), 8, 2, Grace Pevats (Whngrei), 5.37, 3
Under 14 Girls Final
Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 14.33, 1, Kea Smith (Mnt), 9.27, 2, Kai Woolf (Gis), 8.53, 3, Zhana Hutchieson (Waitara), 6.53, 4