The Backdoor GromBash being held at Raglan this weekend (18th – 19th April) has attracted New Zealand’s top junior surfers as they eye results at one last event before the winter months set in.
For the first time this year, World Surf League (WSL) campaigner Ella Williams (WGM) will get a chance to compete in a domestic event. Williams has been busy all summer chasing points on the WSL Qualifying Series. However she has a brief break from international events and has opted to compete at the Backdoor GromBash this weekend in the build up to events offshore.
Williams will compete in the Under 20 Girls Division against one of the biggest fields of surfers the junior events have seen this year.
Mount Maunganui surfer Raiha Ensor will head into the Under 20 Girls Division as the number one seed after having placed in all three finals this summer.
With surfers being able to enter multiple divisions at this event, we see a number of young stars also testing their mettle in the Under 20 Girls Division and these youngsters will give the likes of Claudia Fraser (Piha), the Sansom twins (Albany) and Dayna Story (Gis) some sturdy opposition.
Likewise in the Under 20 Boys Division, Piha’s Elliot Paerata – Reid will fly back into the country on Saturday morning and head straight down to Raglan for the event.
Paerata – Reid has been competing on the WSL Australasian Pro Junior Series taking in two events held in Tahiti in recent weeks. He placed fifth at the most recent event and currently sits in eighth place on the overall rankings hoping to push into the top five with one event remaining in Australia to be held during July. A top five finish is enough to qualify for the Pro Junior World Championship as a member of the Australasian Team.
Paerata – Reid has only managed to contest one event in New Zealand this summer in between his international commitments. That event saw him take a big win at his home break at Piha.
Paerata – Reid will be joined by number one seed Harrison Whiteside (Chch) as well as Callum Chuter (Tau), Kehu Butler (Mnt) and local surfer Taylor Hutchison. Hutchison won the Under 17 Boys Division in 2014 and has honed his skills on the Raglan point breaks and Manu Bay in particular so will be one of the surfers to look out for come Sunday afternoon.
The Backdoor GromBash also plays host to Under 17 and Under 14 Divisions with a massive line up of groms competing this weekend.
Conditions are expected to be small on Saturday morning but building throughout the day and in to Sunday with excellent conditions forecast for the final day of the event.
Backdoor will bring in their mobile skate park and set it up in the car park. They will also provide free breakfast for all the competitors at the event on both days.
On Friday, conditions permitting, there will be an impromptu speed surfing event for everyone. Heats will be ten minutes, best one wave, three waves max. The top six heat scores from all of the heats will qualify for the finals. Sign up from 1:00pm at Manu Bay, the event kicking off at 2:00pm with a $10 entry fee. All entry fees received go to the finalists. The divisions will be Under 20 Boys and Girls and Under 16 Boys.
Please see below for current top 5 surfers in each of the divisions being contested at the Backdoor GromBash this weekend at Manu Bay.
Under 20 Men’s Top 5
1, Dune Kennings (Whmata)
2, Harrison Whiteside (ChCh)
3, Callum Chuter (Tau)
4, Riccardo Lucibella (Tara)
5, Andrew Fraser – MacKenzie (Tau)
Under 17 Men’s Top 5
1, Daniel Farr (Tara)
2, Jonas Tawharu (Mnt)
3, Manu Scott-Arrieta (Sandy Bay)
4, Joshua Farr (Tara)
5, Jack Wilson (ChCh)
5, Lee Ririnui (Mnt)
Under 14 Men’s Top 5
1, Dylan Preston (Whmata)
2, Caleb Cutmore (Ham)
3, Kaya Horne (Mnt)
4, William Van Der Beek (Mnt)
5, Luke Griffin (Mnt)
Under 20 Women’s Top 5
1, Raiha Ensor (Mnt)
2, Claudia Fraser (Auck)
3, Gabriella Sansom (Auck)
4, Bianca Sansom (Auck)
5, Dayna Story (Gis)
Under 17 Women’s Top 5
1, Elin Tawharu (Mnt)
2, Milly Crewe (Tara)
3, Britt Kindred (Muri)
4, Zhana Hutchison (Tara)
5, Kea Smith (Arataki)
Under 14 Women’s Top 5
1, Gabrielle Paul (Piha)
2, Grace Pevats (Whngrei)
3, Georgia Wederell (Mnt)
4, Toni Power (Mnt)
5, Kai Woolf (Gis)
Information
For more information on the Backdoor GromBash please contact Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz. Alternatively contact Backdoor via Geoff Hutchison – hutch@backdoor.co.nz.