New Zealand Billabong Grom Series
Presented by Oceanbridge

Surfing New Zealand
Piha Beach, Auckland New Zealand
5 - 6 April 2008

Double Trouble for Poulters

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 5 April, 2008 : - - The brother-sister Poulter combination proved potent today at Piha Beach, Auckland when Ben and Alexis took out the premier under 16 divisions at the last event of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge. 

In massive 2.0m waves, both surfers looked fearless in their approach and it paid off with big scores.  Alexis by way of winning the under 16 girls won a trip to Australia and entry into the Occy Grom Comp as did Alex Dive (Mnt) – runner up in the under 16s division. 

Ben Poulter (Rag) nearly had a perfect run for the day however got pushed into second place in the under 14s just prior to his under 16 heat.  On top of this Poulter retained his position as the surfer with the highest heat score of the event winning himself a new Panasonic video camera.

The under 16 boys final endured the outgoing tide in the early afternoon.  It made for many closeout waves.  Wave selection was critical.  Poulter opened his account early with a 7.17 and then late in the heat backed it with a 5.60 for two good turns.  The other three competitors struggled to get waves in the challenging conditions and by the time Poulter locked in his last wave the final was a done deal.

Poulter’s win left the race for the series wide open.  Front runners Alex Dive (Mnt) and Johnny Hicks (Gis) struggled to complete their turns but it was a late dash by Dive with a small score that bumped him ahead of Hicks and that was enough to take the series.  Hicks finished the final in third place with local surfer Tane Wallis (Piha) in fourth.

Alexis Poulter was in the same dominating form as her brother in the under 16 girls division.  Poulter scored 14.17 to take an emphatic win in the final and with it she won the series over her closest rival Rosa Thompson (Auck) who today could only manage a third placing behind local surfer Georgia Cooper.  Whangamata’s Ella Williams finished in fourth place.

The under 14 boys division remained the two horse race as predicted prior to the event.  Tane Wallis and Ben Poulter – both double finalists today have been inseparable throughout the year.  Today was no different with Ben taking top spot in the under 16s but it was Tane that got the win in the under 14s and with that he also won the series and trip to Australia. 

In a low scoring affair Wallis posted 9.57 to win clinching it in the dying seconds of the final with his last ditch effort of 4.07.  Third place went to Waretini Wano – a stand out surfer throughout the weekend with his big turns and gutsy efforts taking on the big swell on the final day.  Kahu Craig Te Ranga (Waihi Beach) placed fourth in the final.

At the peak of the swell the under 14 girls took to the water.  Three of the girls opted to take on the swell out the back.  Christchurch surfer Alethea Lock got washed in close to Lion Rock and had to be rescued by the famous Piha Surf Life Savers. 

Gabe Marriott (Gis) was the one to succeed catching a 6.0 point ride and backing that up with a 5.0 point ride to win the final.  Good friend Chloe Shutt (Gis) placed second ahead of double finalist Ella Williams in third and Alethea Lock who managed to get back into the water in third.

The under 12 boys was another two horse race and local surfer Elliot Paerata-Reid was too good for Dune Kennings (WGM) opening his account with an excellent 8.17 point ride for a long left hander he rode from way out the back.  That was never going to be satisfying enough for Paerata-Reid as he doggedly made his way back out the back to finally post an 11.50 heat total. 

Kennings also tried his luck out the back but fell on his only two rides and finished up in second.  That gave Paerata-Reid the series win after winning two of the three events.  Raglan’s Sam Poulter put in his best performance to date placing third in the final ahead of Quin Matenga (Mnt) in fourth.

The under 12 girls final was an all Maori Bay Boardriders affair and the girls made sure they had the most fun as well.  The Sansom twins who have dominated the division all year were joined by friends Milly Crewe and Gabriella McDonnell. 

The twins continued their dominance with Gabriella Sansom getting the nod.  That was the second time this year and as a result she won the series.  Bianca had to settle for second today with Milly Crewe in third and Gabriella McDonnell in fourth. 

See below for full results from the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge.  For full ratings please go to www.surfingnz.co.nz.

Under 16 Boys Quarterfinals
Heat 1 Todd Doyle (Mnt), 1, Ben Poulter (Piha), 2, Dune Kennings (Whmata), 3, Kahu Craig-Ranga (Waihi Bch), 4
Heat 2 Alex Dive (Tauranga), 1, Peri Matenga (Mnt), 2, Nat Hughes (Rag), 3, Reno Marriott (Gis), 4
Heat 3 Tane Wallis (Piha), 1, Johnny Hicks (Gis), 2, Aaron Reid (Mnt), 3, Fraser Chatham, (Whmata), 4
Heat 4 Blake Myers (Whamata), 1, Joe Moretti (Mimiwhangata), 2, Jacob Kohn (Gis), 3, James Tume (Wgtn), 4 

Under 16 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1 Alex Dive (Tauranga), 1, Ben Poulter (Piha), 2, Peri Matenga (Mnt), 3,Todd Doyle (Mnt), 4
Heat 2 Johnny Hicks (Gis), 1, Tane Wallis (Piha), 2, Joe Moretti (Mimiwhangata), 3, Blake Myers (Whamata), 4

Under 16 Boys Finals
Ben Poulter (Piha), 1, Alex Dive (Tauranga), 2, Johnny Hicks (Gis), 3, Tane Wallis (Piha), 4

Under 14 Boys Quarterfianls
Heat 1 Waretini Wano (Piha), 1, Paul Moretti (Mimiwhangta), 2, Peri Matenga (Mnt), 3, Mackenzie Christie (Tau), 4
Heat 2 Tane Wallis (Piha), 1, Fintan Cram (Whmata), 2, Ian Luscombe Jnr (Gis), 3, Connor Pearson (Auck), 4
Heat 3 Ben Poulter (Rag), 1, Kurt Geiseler (Gis), 2, Adam Grimson (Gis), 3, Josh Taylor (Mnt), 4
Heat 4 Kahu Craig Te Ranga (Waihi Bch), 1, Jules Craft (Gis), 2, Patxi Scott-Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 3, Dune Kennings (Whmata), 4

Under 14 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1 Tane Wallis (Piha), 1, Waretini Wano (Piha), 2, Fintan Cram (Whmata), 3, Paul Moretti (Mimiwhangta), 4
Heat 2 Ben Poulter (Rag), 1, Kahu Craig Te Ranga (Waihi Bch), 2, Kurt Geiseler (Gis), 3, Jules Craft (Gis), 4

Under 14 Boys Finals
Tane Wallis (Piha), 1, Waretini Wano (Piha), 3, Ben Poulter (Rag), 2, Kahu Craig Te Ranga (Waihi Bch), 4

Under 12 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1 Dune Kennings (Whmata), 1, Quin Matenga (Mnt), 2, Jordan Griffin (Mnt), 3, Morgan Munroe (Waiheke Is), n/s
Heat 2 Elliot Paerata Reid (Piha), 1, Sam Poulter (Rag), 2, Matt Hanson (Mnt), 3, Leo Copley (Auck), 4

Under 12 Boys Finals
Elliot Paerata Reid (Piha), 1, Dune Kennings (Whmata), 2, Sam Poulter (Rag), 3, Quin Matenga (Mnt), 4

Under 16 Girls Final
Alexis Poulter (Rag), 1, Georgia Cooper (Piha), 2, Rosa Thompson (Auck), 3, Ella Williams (Whmata), 4

Under 14 Girls Final
Gabriella McCarthy-Marriott (Gis), 1, Chloe Shutt (Gis), 2, Ella Williams (Whmata), 3, Alethea Lock (ChCh), 4

Under 12 Girls Semifinals
Heat 1 Milly Crewe (Muri), 1, Gabriella McDonnell (Mur), 2, Britt Kindred (Muri), 3
Heat 2 Gabriela Sansom (Auck), 1, Bianca Sansom (Auck), 2, Demi Hewitt (Mnt), 3

Under 12 Girls Finals
Milly Crewe (Muri), 1, Bianca Sansom (Auck), 2, Gabriella McDonnell (Mur), 3, Gabriela Sansom (Auck), 4

For more information on the series please contact Ben Kennings at Surfing New Zealand on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.  Alternatively contact Felix Dickson at Billabong on 021 917036 or email felixdickson@billabong.co.nz.

The Billabong Grom Series is brought to you by Billabong, Oceanbridge, Nickelodeon, Coke, Panasonic, Von Vipper and Kustom and NZ Surfing Magazine. Surfing New Zealand are proudly partnered by Corona, Vodafone, Hyundai, SPARC & Smokefree.

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www.surfingnz.co.nz

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