Mount Maunganui surfer Kehu Butler will make his return to New Zealand waters to compete at the Rip Curl GromSearch at Fitzroy Beach in New Plymouth this weekend.

It'll be the first trip home for the 15-year-old this year after spending two months tiki-touring across Australia competing on the World Surf League Australasian Pro Junior Series.

Young gun Mount Maunganui surfer Kehu Butler returns to New Zealand for the Rip Curl GromSearch in New Plymouth this weekend. Photo: Col / Surf2Surf.com

Butler is New Zealand's highest ranked surfer on the Pro Junior Series currently sitting in ninth position with three events remaining.

He claimed the Rip Curl GromSearch title in 2015, and in doing so, won himself a trip to Brazil to compete in the international final hosted by 2014 World Champion Gabriel Medina of Brazil.

The coveted spot in the international final is up for grabs again in the U17 Boys and Girls Divisions this year and Butler's eligible for the spot which goes to the two highest placed surfers under the age of 16.

He will further strengthen an already bulging line-up and will give current ratings leader and undefeated New Zealand Grom Series surfer Jonas Tawharu of Mount Maunganui a good challenge.

Other U17 Boys Division surfers to look out for include Jared Gebert (Ohope), Dylan Preston (WGM), Caleb Cutmore (Ham) and Waitara surfer Reef Matthews who round out the top five positions on the rankings.

The U17 Girls Division will be another hotly contested division. Raiha Ensor (Mount) has led for the entire summer but she will again face a good challenge from Elin Tawharu (Mount), Kai Woolf (Gis) and local surfer Zhana Hutchison who will no doubt use a home town event to find some late summer form.

Ensor was the New Zealand representative in Brazil for the 2015 final but this year she will be too old to attend the event, leaving the race to her counterparts under the age of 16.

Fresh off a win in the U14 Boys Division at Piha last weekend, Whakatane surfer Jack Lee will be eager to continue his run of good form that has seen him make two finals this summer and sit in the top five despite missing the National Championships in Dunedin.

Likewise Mount Maunganui's Georgia Wederell took a win at Piha last weekend and she will attempt to surf to back-to-back victories and strength her ratings lead against her opponents.

The Rip Curl GromSearch includes U12 Boys and Girls Divisions which introduce new talent to the sport as well as giving those keen youngsters that generally compete in the Under 14 Boys Division, a chance to go head-to-head against surfers their own age.

U17 BOYS:

Jonas Tawharu (Mnt)

Jared Gebert (Ohope)

Dylan Preston (Whmata)

Caleb Cutmore (Ham)

Reef Matthews (Tara)

U14 BOYS:

Taylor O'Leary (Mur)

Tom Robinson (Whngrei)

James Ririnui (Mnt)

Josef Jungwirth (Rag)

Jack Lee (Whakatane)

U17 GIRLS:

Raiha Ensor (Mnt)

Elin Tawharu (Mnt)

Kai Woolf (Gis)

Tiana - Breeze de Mooj (Mnt)

Maaia Reid - Bennett (Mnt)

U14 GIRLS:

Georgia Wederell (Mnt)

Stella Smith (Gis)

Estella Hungerford (Chch)

Summer Carkeek (Auck)

Hannah King (Gis)

Alice Westerkamp (Auck)

The Rip Curl Grom Search takes place at Fitzroy Beach in New Plymouth on Saturday and Sunday, March 12-13.