McKenzie and Tane Bowden of Whangamata claimed their maiden national level events at the final competition of the Billabong Grom Series completed at Piha Sunday.

McKenzie won the Under 16 Boys while his younger brother Tane won the Under 12 Boys.

Mount surfer Kehu Butler who won the Under 14 Boys Division. Picture: Keone Campbell.

The final day of the event was surfed in marginal half meter waves which changed dramatically throughout the day due to the huge tides.
The double victory also earned the brothers the Sony Breakthrough Performance of the Event Award.

Mount Maunganui double finalist Kehu Butler surfed to a win in the Under 14 Boys Division after early being unable to make it three from three in the Under 12 Boys.

Kehu had to surf from behind scoring consecutive rides of 6.10 and 6.43 points on his last two waves winning the series after a close three way race all weekend.

Taine Craig – Ranga, Waihi Beach, placed second in the final scoring a 5.67 on a late wave to move ahead of Manu Scott – Arrieta, Sandy Bay in third place.

Lee Ririnui placed third in the Under 12 Boys Division. Picture: Keone Campbell.

Tane Bowden Whangamata, took his first win at a national level, winning the Under 12 Boys Division. Tane led the final from start to finish after a 5.0 point ride early in the final.

He beat Kehu Butler on the day, but Kehu still wins the series overall and claims the trip to Australia to compete in the Occy Grom Comp. Lee Ririnui, Mount, won his second third finishing one place ahead of fellow Mount Maunganui surfer William Barnes in fourth.

Dayna Story took her first win of the year in the Under 16 Girls Division.
Story opted to sit wide of her competitors at the start of the heat and the strategy paid off as she rode the best wave of the final, a 5.33 point ride for a series of backhand turns.

Maaia Bennett-Reid placed fifth in the Under 14 Girls Division. Picture Keone Campbell.

Abby Falwasser – Logan (Gis) claimed back to back wins in the Under 14 Girls Division. Falwaser – Logan used her aggressive forehand attack to get the lead in the final then got a good lefthander to finish with a 9.77 point total.

Double finalist Elin Tawahru from Mount Maunganui came out of nowhere to place second in the final thanks to her final 4.97 point ride jumping ahead of series winner Milly Crewe.

Elin left nothing to chance in the Under 12 Girls winning the final event of the series and in doing so winning the overall series. Elin won the final two events of the series and on Sunday a cleanly surfed 7.33 point ride midway through the final set her apart from her opponents.

Results:

Under 16 Boys – Elliot Paerata – Reid (Piha)

Under 14 Boys – Kehu Butler (Mnt)

Under 12 Boys – Kehu Butler (Mnt)

Under 16 Girls – Jasmine Smith (Gis)

Under 14 Girls – Milly Crewe (Mur)

Under 12 Girls – Elin Tawharu (Mnt)

Under 16 Boys Semifinals

Heat 1

Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha), 11.17, 1, Caleb Braithwaite (Whtane), 4.17, 2, Daniel Farr (Tara), 4.07, 3, Joe Palmer (Kerikeri), 3.37, 4

Heat 2

Dune Kennings (Whmata), 9.17, 1, McKenzie Bowden (Whmata), 6.27, 2, Matt Hansen (Mnt), 5.03, 3, Max Marshall (Chch) , 4.83, 4

Under 16 Boys Final

McKenzie Bowden (Whmata), 11.60, 1, Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha), 10.17, 2, Dune Kennings (Whmata), 9.83, 3, Caleb Braithwaite (Whtane), 3.03, 4

Under 14 Boys Semifinals

Heat 1

Kehu Butler (Mnt), 10.33, 1, Taine Craig Ranga (Waihi Bch), 7.7, 2, Jack Wilson (ChCh), 5.7, 3, Daniel Farr (Tara), 5.43, 4

Heat 2

Manu Scott-Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 10, 1, Isaac Kettle (Tara), 8.53, 2, Xavier Campbell (Dun), 6.77, 3, Harry Macintosh (Waiheke Is), 5.77, 4

Under 14 Boys Final

Kehu Butler (Mnt), 12.53, 1, Taine Craig Ranga (Waihi Bch), 9.33, 2, Manu Scott-Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 7.93, 3, Isaac Kettle (Tara), 7.27, 4

Under 12 Boys Semifinals

Heat 1

Kehu Butler (Arataki), 13, 1, William Barnes (Mt), 5.87, 2, Shane Kraus (Piha), 5.43, 3

Heat 2

Tane Bowden (Whmata), 8.23, 1, Lee Ririnui (Mnt), 6.67, 2, Jared Gebert (Ohope), 5.47, 3

Under 12 Boys Final

Tane Bowden (Whmata), 8.93, 1, Kehu Butler (Arataki), 8.57, 2, Lee Ririnui (Mnt), 5.97, 3, William Barnes (Mt), 3.4, 4

Under 16 Girls Semifinals

Heat 1

Jasmine Smith (Gis), 9.17, 1, Claudia Fraser (Auck), 7.63, 2, Gabriella Sansom (Auck), 6.3, 3, Milly Crewe (Auck), 3.2, 4

Heat 2

Bianca Sansom (Auck), 7.57, 1, Dayna Story (Gis), 6.43, 2, Britt Kindred (Muri), 4.1, 3, Nam Northcott (Tara), 3.07, 4

Under 16 Girls Final

Dayna Story (Gis), 8.10, 1, Bianca Sansom (Auck), 6.47, 2, Claudia Fraser (Auck), 6.47, 3, Jasmine Smith (Gis), 5.37, 4

Under 14 Girls Semifinals

Heat 1

Milly Crewe (Muri), 4.83, 1, Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 4.8, 2, Jenny Rockwell (Auck), 2.2, 3

Heat 2

Abby Falwasser-Logan (Gis), 8.47, 1, Britt Kindred (Muri), 6.73, 2, Maaia Reid-Bennett (Arataki), 6.1, 3

Under 14 Girls Final

Abby Falwasser-Logan (Gis), 9.77, 1, Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 7.70, 2, Milly Crewe (Muri), 5.67, 3, Britt Kindred (Muri), 4.40, 4

Under 12 Girls Semifinals

Heat 1

Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 8.83, 1, Zhana Hutchieson (Waitara), 4.43, 2, Lucy Pownall (Piha), 2.83, 3

Heat 2

Kea Smith (Tau), 9.17, 1, Gabrielle Paul (Auck), 4.77, 2, Holly Marson-Wood (Piha), 2.93, 3

Under 12 Girls Final

Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 11.33, 1, Gabrielle Paul (Auck), 6.67, 2, Kea Smith (Tau), 5.23, 3, Zhana Hutchieson (Waitara), 4.43, 4

For further information on the 2012 Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge please contact Surfing New Zealand's Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email [email protected]. Alternatively contact Billabong Event Manager AJ Matthews on 0212416227 or email [email protected].