December 8, 2008: - - Gisborne’s Johnny Hicks and Raglan’s Alexis Poulter finished their years in the under 16s division in the best possible style today by both winning their respective finals at the last event of the Rip Curl GromSearch today.

The Rip Curl GromSearch has travelled the length of the country this year with four events being held at Taranaki, Gisborne, Dunedin and Piha Beach, Auckland. Today’s event was held in excellent 1.0m surf at Piha Beach.  The sun was scorching and it appeared that half of Auckland took the chance to hit the beach for the first time this summer.

In the boys final, Hicks only rode three waves in 20 minutes.  His excellent performance was epitomised by his near perfect 9.75 point ride for an excellent lefthander mid way through the final.  Hicks completed several big turns on the outside before landing a critical air-drop floater on the inside section.  The wave jumped him out to a massive lead after earlier surfing to a 6.50 point ride (16.25 point heat total).

“There were a few good sets but the last six minutes just went completely flat out there in the final.  It was good for me cos I was in the lead, the other boys didn’t catch another wave so I was stoked” commented Hicks on how the final eventually panned out. By winning the event Hicks also finished first on the Rip Curl GromSearch four-event series and the Surfing New Zealand Grommet Series ratings.

“Pretty stoked with the win today, I turned sixteen last weekend and this is my last event in this division so I am stoked that I finished with a win” commented Hicks on his performance over the weekend.  “Next year I have to step it up in the under 18 boys division and play with the big boys – I am looking forward to it” Hicks added in regards to his move up to the under 18 division in 2009.

Mount Maunganui’s Alex Dive kept pace with Hicks in the final.  While Hicks rode to a 9.75, Dive was on the very next wave completing huge backhand turns to score an 8.75 – one point short of Hicks.  His second scoring ride was also one point short leaving him with a 14.25 point heat total.

Double finalist Tane Wallis (Piha) could not emulate his earlier win in the under 14 boys division and finished in third place despite scoring 13.25 points in the final and starting off with an 8.25 point ride.  Taranaki surfer Mark Parthemore finished in fourth place and in doing so secured the last Rip Curl GromSearch national final spot.  The national final takes place in February at Raglan as part of the Rip Curl Pro.

Alexis Poulter (Rag) made it four from four for the Rip Curl GromSearch this year when she won the under 16 girls final.  Poulter’s domination of the division continued through this event right into the final where she posted 15.85 points out of a possible 20 in the final.  Powerful backhand turns were rewarded highly with individual scores of 8.35 and 7.5.

“I came into this weekend with the aim of winning the last event – then I could say I won four straight and I am pretty happy that I finished the series with the win” commented Poulter.  “The surf was real fun for our final, just as fun as the waves back at home at Raglan” Poulter added when comparing the conditions today with the conditions of the long Raglan lefthanders.”

Auckland’s Rosa Thompson placed second in the final scoring 13.0 to finish the year in second.  Double Finalists Jayda Martin Fitzharris (Gis) and Ella Williams (WGM) placed third and fourth respectively after looking like they had expended everything in their earlier under 14 girls final.

Tane Wallis (Piha) proved too good for his opponents in the under 14 boys division.  After dominating the first day of the event Wallis maintained his flow through the rounds and ended with a 15.75 point heat total in the final.  Wallis looked to be at his best in taking the win as he looks on to 2009 when he moves up to the under 16 boys division.

Peri Matenga (Mnt) placed second in the final after riding an 8.25 point ride late in the heat for a 13.75 heat total.  Matenga edged out Ben Poulter (Rag) who finished third with Dune Kennings (WGM) in fourth.

Ella Williams (WGM) secured her first win in ten months with an emphatic victory in the under 14 girls division.  Williams posted a 9.5 on her first wave and then scored another 8.0 point wave to make it an easy win.  Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis) had been a standout all event but the waves eluded her in the final and she had to settle for second ahead of Gabriella McCarthy-Marriott (Gis) in third and Maiya Thompson (Auck) in fourth.

Elliot Paerata-Reid (Piha) stamped his authority on the under 12 boys final from the very first wave.  Scoring 9.5 on his first wave the local boy had everything to lose from that point on.  Being in his own backyard that was never to happen though and Paerata-Reid went straight back out to clock in more good waves and hold down first place until he scored 8.50 on his last wave to seal the deal.

Dune Kennings (WGM) placed second in the final scoring 15.0 points out of a possible 20.  Kennings could not match the big turns of Paerata-Reid despite having a good heat.  Ten-year-old Sandy Bay surfer Manu Scott-Arrieta placed third in the final with a score of 10.35 ahead of Jordan Griffin (Mnt) in fourth.

Gabriella Sansom (Auck) continued her domination of the under 12 girls division winning the final with a heat score of 14.50.  Sansom drove around some big sections of wave that towered above the small surfer.  Twin sister Bianca placed second in the final scoring 13.0 points while Demi Hewitt (Mnt) placed third and Britt Kindred placed fourth.

Please see below for full results from the fourth event of the Rip Curl GromSearch held at Piha Beach, Auckland today (Sunday).

Under 16 Boys Semifinal
Heat 1 Johnny Hicks (Gis), 1, Tane Wallis (Piha), 2, Joe Moretti (Mimiwhangata), 3, Adam Grimson (Gis), 4
Heat 2 Alex Dive (Tauranga), 1, Mark Parthemore (Tara), 2, Ben Poulter (Rag), 3, Subarn Linklater (Auck), 4

Under 16 Boys Final

Johnny Hicks (Gis), 1, Alex Dive (Tauranga), 2, Tane Wallis (Piha), 3, Mark Parthemore (Tara), 4

Under 14 Boys Semifinals
Heat 1 Tane Wallis (Piha), 1, Peri Matenga (Mnt), 2, Paul Moretti (Mimiwhangta), 3, Adam Grimson (Gis), 4
Heat 2 Dune Kennings (Whmata), 1, Ben Poulter (Rag), 2, Fintan Cram (Whmata), 3, Patxi Scott-Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 4

Under 14 Boys Final
Tane Wallis (Piha), 1, Peri Matenga (Mnt), 2, Ben Poulter (Rag), 3, Dune Kennings (Whmata), 4

Under 12 Boys Semifinal
Heat 1 Jordan Griffin (Mnt), 1, Elliot Paerata Reid (Piha), 2, Sam Poulter (Rag), 3, Blake Haven (Muriwai), 4
Heat 2 Dune Kennings (Whmata), 1, Manu Scott-Arietta (Sandy Bay), 2, Korbin Hutchings (Gis), 3, Quin Matenga (Mnt), 4

Under 12 Boys Final
Elliot Paerata Reid (Piha), 1, Dune Kennings (Whmata), 2, Manu Scott-Arietta (Sandy Bay), 3, Jordan Griffin (Mnt), 4,

Under 16 Girls Semifinal
Heat 1 Alexis Poulter (Rag), 1, Ella Williams (Whmata), 2, Gabriella McCarthy-Marriott, 3, Madison Atkins (Whakatane), N/S, 
Heat 2 Rosa Thompson (Auck), 1 , Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 2, Maiya Thompson (Auck), 3, Ruby Meade (Auck), 4

Under 16 Girls Final
Alexis Poulter (Rag), 1, Rosa Thompson (Auck), 2, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 3, Ella Williams (Whmata), 4

Under 14 Girls Quarterfinals
Heat 1 Gabriella McCarthy-Marriott (Gis), 1, Hannah Kohn (Gis), 2, Gemma McDonnell (Muriwai), 3, Brooke Naismith (Auck), 4
Heat 2 Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 1, Maiya Thompson (Auck), 2, Milly Crewe (Muri), 3
Heat 3 Ella Williams (Whmata), 1, Madison Atkins (Whakatane), 2, Britta Camplin (Auck), 3, Billie Fairchild-Mckelvie, 4

Under 14 Girls Semifinals
Heat 1 Gabriella McCarthy-Marriott (Gis), 1, Maiya Thompson (Auck), 2, Madison Atkins (Whakatane), 3
Heat 2 Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 1, Ella Williams (Whmata), 2, Hannah Kohn (Gis), 3, Gabriella McCarthy-Marriott (Gis), 4

Under 14 Girls Final
Ella Williams (Whmata), 1, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 2, Gabriella McCarthy-Marriott (Gis), 3, Maiya Thompson (Auck), 4

Under 12 Girls Semifinal
Heat 1 Demi Hewitt (Mnt), 1, Britt Kindred (Muri), 2, Claudia Fraser (Piha), 3
Heat 2 Bianca Sansom (Auck), 1, Gabriela Sansom (Auck), 2, Hannah Kohn (Gis), 3

Under 12 Girls Final
Gabriela Sansom (Auck), 1, Bianca Sansom (Auck), 2, Demi Hewitt (Mnt), 3, Britt Kindred (Muri), 4

2008 Rip Curl GromSearch Series Winners
Under 16 Boys – Johnny Hicks (Gis)
Under 14 Boys – Tane Wallis (Piha)
Under 12 Boys – Elliot Paerata Reid (Piha)/Dune Kennings (WGM)
Under 16 Girls – Alexis Poulter (Rag)
Under 14 Girls – Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis)
Under 12 Girls – Hannah Kohn (Gis)

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