Otago may have been short on numbers but that did not stop it impressing at the national scholastic surfing championships in Gisborne yesterday.
On the final day of the event, Otago had five surfers make finals.
Elliot Brown, who was just back from the world junior championships in the Azores, convincingly won the under-16 boys division to claim his first scholastic title.
Brown posted a 16.7 point heat total. The next-best surfer competitor finishing with an 11.9 point heat total.
Jack McLeod got through to the semifinals in the under-16 division but was knocked out in that round.
In the under-18 boys division, James Murphy finished fourth. Shani Ayson did well in the under-18 girls division to finish second.
In the under-14 boys division, Ruben Peyroux made it through to the final and finished fourth, while Tallulah Horsefield was fourth in the under-14 division.
Otago finished seventh of 10 teams but it was handicapped by only having eight competitors while other teams had the full allotment of 12 surfers allowing them to score more points.
