Billabong Grom Series news
The Raglan trio of Taylor Hutchison, Indica Ratima and Brie Bennett claimed big wins at the final event of the Billabong Grom Series held at Mount Maunganui over the weekend.
Hutchison and Ratima won their respective Under 20 Divisions while Bennett claimed the Under 14 Girls Division in less than desirable conditions as the North Island of New Zealand took another storm lashing. The surf remained around the 1.5m mark all day but it was the strong onshore winds that caused the average surface conditions.
Both Hutchison and Bennett claimed series titles as a result of their wins today while Claudia Fraser (Piha) won the Under 20 Girls, Conor McLennan (Chch) the Under 17 Boys, Elin Tawharu (Mnt) the Under 17 Girls and Tom Butland (Oakura) the Under 14 Boys titles.
The final of the Under 20 Boys Division saw Hutchison use his experience to outpoint Sandy Bay surfer Manu Scott – Arrieta who finished runner up. Hutchison, a New Zealand representative, posted a 15.83 point heat total for the win compared with Scott – Arrieta’s 12.87. Placing third in the final was Jonas Tawharu (Mnt) with Harry Macintosh (Waiheke) finishing in fourth.
Indica Ratima won her first national level event with her win today. The goofy foot surfer has shown glimpses of form over the past few years but has never managed to put it all together in a final until today.
Ratima started the final with a well surfed lefthander to take the lead, a lead which she held the entire 20 minutes of the final. Piha’s Claudia Fraser was her biggest rival but could not find the scoring potential to challenge for the lead in the second half of the final and she finished in second scoring 7.57 points. Taranaki surfer Milly Crewe placed third with Liberty Bradshaw (Auck) finishing in fourth place.
After an event of upsets in the Under 17 Boys Division, Christchurch surfer Conor McLennan claimed his first national win. McLennan was always in the series hunt after a runner up finish at the first event held at Whangamata. Then with the absence of Elliot Brown and the early demise of Mount Maunganui surfers Dylan Preston and William Van Der Beek, McLennan was left chasing the title alongside Caleb Cutmore and Shane Kraus (Auck).
The final was decided in the last minute when McLennan surfed to a seven point ride with two big backhand turns to jump ahead of Cutmore. Cutmore finished in second ahead of Kraus who also had a chance on his final wave but finished in third with Luke Griffin (Mnt) in fourth.
Elin Tawharu (Mnt) took her second win of the series today winning the Under 17 Girls Division. Tawharu posted an 11.10 point heat total in the final to eclipse Tiana – Breeze De Mooij (Mnt) who took her second runner up finish of the series. The third Mount Maunganui surfer in the final, Kea Smith, could not find a decent second scoring ride after surfing to the final-high 7.83 point ride for one massive turn. Smith finished in third place with Aimee Brown (Grt Barrier) in fourth.
Tom Butland (Oakura) defended his Billabong Grom Series lead in the Under 14 Division after he put in a complete finals performance to post 13.73 out of 20. It was Butland’s first win in a year and after winning the final today and the Billabong Grom Series, he moves up to third overall on the Grom Series. Placing second in the final was James Ririnui (Mnt) followed by Tom Robinson (Whangarei) in third and Kora Cooper (Rag) in fourth.
Raglan’s Brie Bennett got the edge over Ariana Shewry (Oakura) in the Under 14 Girls Division to win the final and as a result, win the series. Bennett won the first event of the series before Shewry won the second event at Piha and today’s result will no doubt continue the rivalry with two events to go this year. Placing third today was Daizee Rawles (Gis) with Natasha Gouldsbury (Levin) in fourth.
Please see below for series winners and final results from the third and final event of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge completed at Tay Street, Mount Maunganui today (Sunday 12th March).
Billabong Grom Series pres by Oceanbridge Winners
Under 20 Boys – Taylor Hutchison (Rag)
Under 20 Girls – Claudia Fraser (Piha)
Under 17 Boys – Connor McLennan (Chch)
Under 17 Girls – Elin Tawharu (Mnt)
Under 14 Boys – Tom Butland (Oakura)
Under 14 Girls – Brie Bennett (Rag)
Under 20 Boys Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Taylor Hutchison (Rag), 13.4, 1, Jonas Tawharu (Mnt), 11.5, 2, Harrison Whiteside (ChCh), 10.1, 3, Reef Matthews (Tara), 8.03, 4
Heat 2
Manu Scott Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 11.5, 1, Harry Macintosh (Rag), 11.2, 2, Callum Chuter (Tau), 8.2, 3, Eli Voschezang (Port Wai), , 0
Under 20 Boys Division Final
Taylor Hutchison (Rag), 15.83, 1, Manu Scott Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 12.87, 2, Jonas Tawharu (Mnt), 12.63, 3, Harry Macintosh (Rag), 8.4, 4
Under 17 Boys Division Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Jared Gebert (Ohope), 9.83, 1, Max Brunker (Whngrei), 9.67, 2, William Van der Beek (Mnt), 8.23, 3, Joseph Critchfield (Mangawhai), 3.27, 4
Heat 2
Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 13.33, 1, Luke Griffin (Mnt), 10.77, 2, Joel Clegg (Tara), 8.17, 3, Thomas Carter (Waihi Bch), 5.93, 4
Heat 3
Lee Ririnui (Mnt), 9.77, 1, Conor McLennan (Chch), 7.9, 2, Dylan Preston (Whmata), 6.93, 3, Lockie O’Connor (Mnt), 0, 4
Heat 4
Shane Kraus (Piha), 9.57, 1, Alex O’Dwyer (Whaka), 8.87, 2, Ollie Quinn – Gilbert (Auck), 7.53, 3, Taylor O’Leary (Mur), 7.13, 4
Under 17 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1
Luke Griffin (Mnt), 12.83, 1, Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 11.4, 2, Max Brunker (Whngrei), 11.17, 3, Jared Gebert (Ohope), 9.27, 4
Heat 2
Conor McLennan (Chch), 10.97, 1, Shane Kraus (Piha), 9, 2, Alex O’Dwyer (Whaka), 8.47, 3, Lee Ririnui (Mnt), 8.33, 4
Under 17 Boys Final
Conor McLennan (Chch), 12.4, 1, Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 11.80, 2, Shane Kraus (Piha), 11.53, 3, Luke Griffin (Mnt), 9.5, 4
Under 14 Boys Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Josef Jungwirth (Rag), 9, 1, Tom Butland (Tara), 8.3, 2, Jai Parr (Mnt), 7.67, 3, Ethan Wray (Tara), 2.67, 4
Heat 2
Jay Gordon (Waihi Beach), 6.63, 1, Kora Cooper (Rag), 5.67, 2, Ben Moir (Ohope), 5.37, 3, Dalley, Mitchell, 4.7, 4
Heat 3
James Ririnui (Mnt), 13.93, 1, Harper Mcbride (Mnt), 7.97, 2, Taj Broughton (Kaitaia), 6.53, 3, Jayden Willoughby (Rag), 4.4, 4
Heat 4
Tom Robinson (Whngrei), 12.77, 1, Jack Hinton (Mnt), 11.17, 2, Navryn Malone (Rag), 10.07, 3, Blair, William, 4.9, 4
Under 14 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1
Tom Butland (Tara), 10.43, 1, Kora Cooper (Rag), 10.3, 2, Josef Jungwirth (Rag), 9.87, 3, Jay Gordon (Waihi Beach), 4.4, 4
Heat 2
Tom Robinson (Whngrei), 11.07, 1, James Ririnui (Mnt), 8.83, 2, Jack Hinton (Mnt), 7.97, 3, Harper Mcbride (Mnt), 5.57, 4
Under 17 Boys Division Final
Tom Butland (Tara), 13.73, 1, James Ririnui (Mnt), 10.80, 2, Tom Robinson (Whngrei), 9.33, 3, Kora Cooper (Rag), 9.23, 4
Under 20 Girls Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Claudia Fraser (Auck), 9.57, 1, Liberty Bradshaw (Auck), 3.3, 2, Isabella Woolleston (Chch), 2.97, 3
Heat 2
Milly Crewe (Tara), 10.2, 1, Indica Ratima (Rag), 8.1, 2, Billie Scott (Whangarei), 2.5, 3, Janee Armstrong (Chch), 2.4, 4
Under 17 Girls Division Final
Indica Ratima (Rag), 10.50, 1, Claudia Fraser (Auck), 7.57, 2, Milly Crewe (Tara), 4.93, 3, Liberty Bradshaw (Auck), 2.6, 4
Under 17 Girls Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 11, 1, Tiana – Breeze de Mooj (Mnt), 5.57, 2, Georgia Wederell (Mnt), 3.53, 3
Heat 2
Aimee Brown (Auck), 7.63, 1, Kea Smith (Arataki), 6.9, 2, Gabrielle Paul (Auck), 5.97, 3
Under 17 Girls Division Final
Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 11.10, 1, Tiana – Breeze de Mooj (Mnt), 9.57, 2, Kea Smith (Arataki), 8.83, 3, Aimee Brown (Auck), 6.13, 4
Under 14 Girls Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Brie Bennett (Rag), 5.47, 1, Daizee Rawls (Gis), 4.8, 2, Hannah King (Gis), 4.63, 3, Summer Carkeek (Auck), 4, 4
Heat 2
Ariana Shewry (Tara), 7.47, 1, Natasha Gouldsbury (Levin), 7.4, 2, Anna Brock (Mnt), 5.63, 3, Alice Westerkamp (Auck), 4.5, 4
Under 14 Girls Division Final
Brie Bennett (Rag), 9.53, 1, Ariana Shewry (Tara), 7.27, 2, Daizee Rawls (Gis), 3.23, 3, Natasha Gouldsbury (Levin), 1.13, 4
Heat 1
Brie Bennett (Rag), 5.47, 1, Daizee Rawls (Gis), 4.8, 2, Hannah King (Gis), 4.63, 3, Summer Carkeek (Auck), 4, 4
Heat 2
Ariana Shewry (Tara), 7.47, 1, Natasha Gouldsbury (Levin), 7.4, 2, Anna Brock (Mnt), 5.63, 3, Alice Westerkamp (Auck), 4.5, 4
Under 14 Girls Division Final
Brie Bennett (Rag), 9.53, 1, Ariana Shewry (Tara), 7.27, 2, Daizee Rawls (Gis), 3.23, 3, Natasha Gouldsbury (Levin), 1.13, 4