The Raglan quartet in the under-16 boys division dominated the day pushing through to the final eight surfers. Navryn Malone, Kora Cooper, Jayden Willoughby and Tana Clapham all advanced to the semifinals.
Malone (14) won a title last year but is surfing in a new age category this year which appears to have had no impact on his performances.
Malone, Willoughby and Clapham will face off against each other in one semifinal while Cooper will take on the in-form Finn Vette, who was another standout.
In the under-16 girls division, Auckland’s Liv Haysom was the standout performer alongside Natasha Gouldsbury. Those two have advanced to the semifinals alongside Leah Wilson.
In the other semifinal, New Zealand representative Ava Henderson will face off against Anna Brock and Amelie Wink.
The under-16s will be surfing for national selection later in the year as well, so there is plenty at stake. The national championships is the first event of the New Zealand grom series, which has several events scheduled over the summer months in the build-up to the world junior championships.
Surfers as young as 9 took to the water in the under-14 divisions, including finalist Poppy Pennington. The youngest competitor in the event made her way through two rounds to make the final.
She will be joined in the final by Otago’s Misha Peyroux, Jess Haysom and defending champion Amarnie Barber.
Some of the most exciting action of the day came in the under-14 boys division from the likes of Dunedin pair Alexis Owen and Karne Gabbott, Ryder Pennington and Tao Mouldey, who all advanced through to the final.
The surf is expected to build throughout today, with light winds forecast.
Defending champion Billy Stairmand will continue his campaign for an eighth national title while the likes of Elliot Paerata-Reid, Daniel Farr (Tara) and Dunedin’s Elliott Brown will go for their first title in the division.
