Mount surfer scores bronze

Mount Maunganui surfer Elin Tawharu claimed a bronze medal at the 2016 Vissla ISA World Junior Surfing Championship completed in the Azores Islands off the coast of Portugal in the early hours of Monday morning (September 26 NZT).

The 15-year-old surfer is the first Kiwi in nine years to reach the podium at the event with her third place finish in the Under 16 Girls Division.


Elin Tawharu at the World Junior Surfing Championship. Photo: ISA / Rezendes.

The result has helped New Zealand finish tenth overall, jumping up the rankings five places from 2015 when they finished in 15th place.

Raiha Ensor could not emulate Tawharu's success and was eliminated in the semifinals of the Under 18 Girls Division finishing the event in a respectable seventh place overall.

A powerful new swell hit the Azores Islands for the final day of the event with a clean 2.0m swell pounding the beach break and making conditions challenging for all surfers.

American surfer Caroline Marks ran away with the Under 16 Girls Division final to claim the gold medal finishing with a 14.5 point heat total. However, Tawharu found herself in a battle for the silver medal with Australian surfer India Robinson and Ellie Turner (UK).

Both Tawharu and Robinson spent considerable time stuck on the inside of the beak unable to get out in to the line-up after surfing their best waves while Turner was stuck out the back trying to find a decent wave.

As the final hooter sounded, it was Robinson that edged out Tawharu for second scoring 7.93 to Tawharu's 5.17, Turner finishing in fourth on 2.44 points.

'My goal was to get a top 10 finish so I am just so stoked to make the final and get a bronze medal,” says Tawharu.

'It hasn't quite sunken in yet, its coming though, bit-by-bit, I am over the moon, I can't believe it.

'It was so cool to be up on the podium, I am so proud to rep my country and my team. I couldn't have done it without them and the coaches and everyone who supported me.”

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