More than 200 school-aged surfers from around New Zealand, including the Bay of Plenty, are heading to Gisborne this week for two national surfing championships.

The Sticky Johnson Primary School Championships presented by Skullcandy and the National Scholastic Surfing Championships will run across Gisborne’s coastline from September 26 to October 2.

The action begins this weekend with the Sticky Johnson Primary School Championships, where about 90 young surfers will compete, many of them at their first national event, a media release said.

The primary school competition uses a round-robin format designed to maximise water time and provide young surfers with valuable competitive experience in a supportive environment.

The event has long served as a pathway for emerging talent, with a number of past competitors progressing to represent New Zealand on the international stage.

Attention will then turn to the National Scholastic Surfing Championships, which will feature school-aged surfers representing 13 regions from Northland to Southland.

Bay of Plenty enters the event as defending champion after claiming the title in Taranaki last year. The region has shared recent dominance with Auckland, with the two teams trading championships since 2022.

Host region Gisborne will be hoping home advantage helps secure its first scholastic title since 2011. The region enters the event on a high after Gisborne Boys’ High School won the New Zealand School Surfing Festival in March.

Competition divisions will include Under-14 through to Under-18 age groups, alongside boys’ and girls’ longboard events.

This year’s field includes 10 members of the New Zealand Junior Surfing Team, fresh from the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships, where New Zealand achieved an eighth-place finish.

Surfing New Zealand events manager Ben Kennings said organisers were excited to bring the national school surfing community to Tairāwhiti.

“We’re really looking forward to being in Gisborne for the week and seeing some of New Zealand’s top young surfing talent take on the waves Tairāwhiti has to offer.

“It’s also fantastic to have so many young surfers and their families travelling to the region. Events like these provide a great opportunity for young people to compete, build friendships and gain experience, while also bringing visitors into the region and showcasing Gisborne as a great surfing destination.”

Organisers are expecting favourable surf conditions throughout the week.

The final two days of the National Scholastic Surfing Championships will be streamed live on the Whakaata Māori YouTube channel, allowing supporters around the country to follow the action from Gisborne.