Ryan Hawker : photo NZ Surfing Magazine

Billabong Grom Series
in Association with Oceanbridge, Event #3

Surfing New Zealand
Divisions: Boys and Girls Under 16, 14 and 12
Piha Beach Auckland
11 – 12 March 2006

HAWKER FENDS OF OPPONENTS AND SHARK AT BILLABONG GROM SERIES

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 12 March, 2006 : - -  A huge shark sighted within the contest arena and subsequent beach closure could not deter Ryan Hawker (Piha) from giving it his all to take his first win in the 2006 Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge.  In home waters Hawker was dominating his opponents when his semi final was temporarily called to shore after a huge shark was sighted.  He was itching to get back out there straight away and after winning his semi final he went on to blitz the final in 1.0m – 1.5m waves on the ‘Piha Bar’. 

Hawker surfed two good scoring rides of 7.25 and 6.75 before putting the final nail in the coffin with his last wave which scored an excellent 8.5.  Hawker’s surfing was tight on his backhand and the amount of spray that he threw impressed everyone.  Hawker commenting on the conditions “Yeah I enjoyed it out there, the other event I went in, the surf was real small but it was good out there and perhaps some of the other competitors struggled with the conditions but I enjoyed it”. 

Due to overseas commitments he could not attend the first event in the series and as such was not in the running for the series win but the long term plans of the young man are evident “Yeah I am not too concerned about not winning the series, I have to go over and get experience in Australia and that has come at the price of domestic events but that is all good, it doesn’t bother me”.

Alex Dive : photo NZ Surfing Magazine  

The series accolades fittingly went to second placed surfer at this event – Keone Campbell (Tara) who wins the air ticket to Australia and entry into the Billabong Occy Grom Comp on the Gold Coast.  Campbell sealed his runner up placing on his last ride of 5.60 and the series win will be rewarding for Campbell who has placed runner up in all three events of the series. 

The two goofy footers in the final, Braedon Williams (WGM) and Sean Peggs (Tairua) could not match the backhand attacks of Hawker and Campbell and had to settle for third and fourth respectively after impressing everyone in the preliminary rounds. 

Paige Hareb (Tara) made it three from three in the series with yet another win in the Under 16 Girls.  She started the final with a near perfect 9.5 which included several powerful forehand gouges in the pocket of the wave.  Late in the heat she surfed another 7.50 point wave to ‘combo’ her fellow competitors (other three finalists required more than a perfect ten point ride to catch her).  Grace Spiers (WGM) looked to be in the hunt early on after scoring a 6.75 but could not keep up with Hareb and finished second ahead of India Wray Murane (Mur) in third and Alexis Poulter (Piha) in fourth.  

Sean PeggsPaige Hareb : photo NZ Surfing Magazine

All the stars aligned for Johnnie Hicks (Gis) to take out the Under 14 Boys Division at the event and seal the series win.  Hicks not only needed to win the final but he needed other results to go his way and they did when two surfers ahead of him, Landem Collier (Gis) and Blake Myers (WGM) placed third and fourth respectively.  Hicks was recently named in the New Zealand Junior Surfing team and his 16.75 heat total will be a good confidence boost as he builds to the World Junior Champs in May.  Alex Dive (TGA) achieved his career best result with a second placing in the final.  Dive surfed well on his backhand and looked comfortable in the punchy lefthanders. 

Alexis Poulter (Piha) saved her best until last with a win this weekend and her first of the series.  Recently moving to Piha has obviously helped her surfing and she used her local knowledge to fearlessly tackle the big waves.  A heat total of 9.50 was enough to take the win ahead of Grace Spiers (WGM).  With a second placing Spiers secured the series win and the ticket to Australia.  Georgia Cooper (Piha) placed third ahead of Renee Pearson (Gis) in fourth. 

Local boys Tane Wallis and Ben Poulter continued their battle and with one win a piece in the series, the winner would take all the spoils.  This time it was the calculated Wallis that was too good for the others posting 14.60 in the final.  Busting out of the gates with what turned out to be the highest wave score of the final, a 9.25, Wallis was always in control of the heat.  Poulter started well with a 6.0 point ride but needed an 8.26 to win.  Brad Pitcher (WGM) placed third with Damien Tafu (Piha) in fourth making his first final of the series. 

Paige Hareb : photo NZ Surfing Magazine

Gabe Marriot (Gis) won the Under 12 Girls Division and in doing so clinched the series jumping ahead of Ella Williams (WGM) who finished fourth today.  Marriot scored 9.40 in the final to pip Ella Spiers (WGM) for first.  Spiers finished ahead of Georgia Te Brake (WGM) in third with Williams in fourth and Nalu Maria Miers (Auck) in fifth.  

Full results from the third and final Billabong Grom Series event held at Piha Beach follow. 
Winners of each division for the overall series are also listed. 

BILLABONG GROM SERIES WINNERS

Under 16 Boys – Keone Campbell (Tara)
Under 14 Boys – Johnnie Hicks (Tara)
Under 12 Boys – Tane Wallis (Piha)
Under 16 Girls – Paige Hareb (Tara)
Under 14 Girls – Grace Spiers (WGM)
Under 16 Girls – Gabe Marriott (Gis) 

U16 BOYS QUARTER FINALS
Heat one: Sean Peggs (Tai), 1, Keone Campbell (Tara), 2, Karne Pitcher (WGM), 3, Adam Cranston (Gis), 4
Heat two: Johnny Hicks (Gis), 1, Stefan White (WGM), 2, Tane Wallis (Piha), 3, Jareth Thompson (Rag), 4
Heat three: Ryan Hawker (Piha), 1, Ethan Atkinson (Wgtn), 2, Buck Woods (Gis), 3, Ryan Heath (WGM), 4
Heat four: Braedon Williams (WGM), 1, Tyler Anderson (Tara), 2, Travis McCoy (TGA), 3, Alex Dive (TGA), 4

U16 BOYS SEMI FINALS 
Heat one: Keone Campbell (Tara), 1, Sean Peggs (Tai), 2, Stefan White (WGM), 3, Tane Wallis (Piha), 4
Heat two: Ryan Hawker (Piha), 1, Braedon Williams (WGM), 2, Ethan Atkinson (Wgtn), 3, Tyler Anderson (Tara), 4

U16 BOYS FINALS
Ryan Hawker (Piha), 1, Keone Campbell (Tara), 2, Braedon Williams (WGM), 3, Sean Peggs (Tai), 4

U14 BOYS SEMI FINALS 
Heat one: Alex Dive (TGA), 1, Blake Myers (WGM), 2, Ben Poulter (Piha), 3, Tane Wallis (Piha), 4
Heat two: Johnny Hicks (Gis), 1, Land'em Collier (Gis), 2, Brad Pitcher (WGM), 3, Fraser Chatham (WGM), 4 

U14 BOYS FINALS
Johnny Hicks (Gis), 1, Alex Dive (TGA), 2, Land'em Collier (Gis), 3, Blake Myers (WGM), 4 

U12 BOYS SEMI FINALS
Heat one: Tane Wallis (Piha), 1, Brad Pitcher (WGM), 2, Dune Kennings (WGM), 3, Kahu Craig Te Ranga (Waihi Bch), 4
Heat two: Ben Poulter (Piha), 1, Damien Tafu (Piha), 2, Peri Matenga (Mnt), 3, Marcelano Botin, 4

U12 BOYS FINALS 
Tane Wallis (Piha), 1, Ben Poulter (Piha), 2, Brad Pitcher (WGM), 3, Damien Tafu (Piha), 4 

U16 GIRLS SEMI FINALS 
Heat one: Paige Hareb (Tara), 1, Alexis Poulter (Piha), 2, Sharnae Van Der Helder (Rag), 3, Georgia Cooper (Piha), 4
Heat two: Grace Spiers (WGM), 1, India Wray Murane (Mur), 2, Annie Stuart (Auck), 3, Rosa Thompson (Auck), 4 

U16 GIRLS FINALS 
Heat one: Paige Hareb (Tara), 1, Grace Spiers (WGM), 2, India Wray Murane (Mur), 3, Alexis Poulter (Piha), 4 

U14 GIRLS SEMI FINALS
Heat one: Grace Spiers (WGM), 1, Georgia Cooper (Auck), 2, Ella Williams (WGM), 3, Rosa Thompson (Auck), 4
Heat two: Renee Pearson (Gis), 1, Alexis Poulter (Waihi Beach), 2, Brydie Calquhoun (Kait), 3, Ellen Koland (Kait), 4

U14 GIRLS FINALS
Alexis Poulter (Waihi Beach), 1, Grace Spiers (WGM), 2, Georgia Cooper (Auck), 3, Renee Pearson (Gis), 4 

U12 GIRLS FINALS
Gabe Marriott (Gis), 1 Ella Spiers (WGM), 2, Georgia Te Brake (WGM), 3, Ella Williams (WGM), 4, Nalu Maria Mier, 5

For further information on the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge, please contact Ben Kennings at Surfing New Zealand 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.  High resolution images of the action from the event are available from Surfing New Zealand free of charge.

Background Event Information 

The Grom Series visits three of New Zealand’s most noted surf beaches being Mount Maunganui, Whangamata and Piha on Auckland’s West Coast.  Over the past several years, similar events have spawned what are now household surfing names in the form of 2005 Open and Junior Men’s National Champion Richard Christie (Mah), 2004 National Women’s Champion Airini Mason (Gis), and current Junior Men’s Champion Kierin Van Der Helder (Rag).  The Billabong Grom Series will again unearth New Zealand’s future stars in 2006 as the cream of the crop rise to the challenge. 

The events also provide the first time opportunity for many youngsters to surf competitively.  Along with this experience, each competitor gets to meet other surfers from around New Zealand making friendships and becoming familiar with what it takes to make it to the top of their sport.  In 2006 Oceanbridge are the presenting sponsors and the event is held in association with e2, Clearasil and UV Triple Guard.  Each event will feature a stack of giveaways from these sponsors as well as games for the competitors and spectators. 

*The Billabong Occy Grom Comp does not have an Under 12 Girls Division and therefore no air ticket or entry will be awarded for that division. The Billabong Grom Series is brought to you by Billabong, Oceanbridge, e2, Clearasil, UV Triple Guard, The Edge, Von Vipper and Kustom. The event would not be possible without the assistance of Wildcoast Boardriders and Surfing New Zealand.

More Australasian Surfing News available here
Check the latest Australasian Surf Reports and Forecasts
Subscribe to Surfervillage News-Alerts

Ben Kennings
benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz

SNZ Contests - Surfersvillage