SURFING
Back Row : Isla Prins , Zak McGrath , Luca Rendle , Luca Broome , Dale Cromhout , Simon Murfitt ( Coach ) Front Row : Evan Broad , Max de Groot , Zaiphair Le Bon , Robert Ennor , Harry Prins Absent : Cameron Broad
Gnarly , Epic and Radical - HNHS ’ Surf Team
The HNHS Surf Team has come a long way since its formation in 2018 . In Term 1 the team travelled up to Mahia to gain experience in new surf conditions and train for events later in the year . We scored a pumping Tracks ( a right-hand point break ) and made do with onshore conditions that Mahanga Beach had to offer . Despite this being less than ideal , it proved to be great practice for when we travelled to Raglan to compete in the 2021 NZ Schools Surfing Champs .
On the day of the comp , we arrived at the beach to find lumpy , onshore waves . We met up with the NBHS Team and set up for the day . Only two team members had their heats that morning - Max de Groot ( 1st in under 18s , round one , heat two with a nine point total ) and Luca Rendle ( 2nd in under 18s , round one , heat five with a six point total ). Unfortunately , that night the contest was cancelled due to a Covid-19 lockdown . This meant the rest of those attending ( Dale Cromhout , Harry Prins , Isla Prins , Evan Broad , Zaiphair Le Bon , and Luca Broome ) missed out on surfing their heats . On the bright side , our whole team could say they came first equal in the competition .
The final school event of the year was the Hawke ’ s Bay High School Surf Champs . This was the first year the event had been held . A big thanks to Michael de Groot , Keri Mckenzie , and Simon Murfitt for making it happen . On the day Havelock cleaned out the other schools ( Taikura Rudolf Steiner School , Napier Boys High School , and Lindisfarne College ) winning the
overall champion school with 40 points compared to Steiner ’ s seven points and NBHS ’ s six . As well as this , Isla Prins won the Overall Girls ’ division , Dale Cromhout won the Junior Boys ’ division , and Max de Groot won the Senior Boys ’ division . Other notable placings were Luca Rendal with 3rd in Senior Boys ’, Evan Broad with 2nd in Junior Boys ’, and Harry Prins coming 3rd in Junior Boys ’.
Next up was “ the National Scholastic Surfing Championships .. the pinnacle of junior surfing in New Zealand .” - to quote the Surfing NZ site . Cameron Broad , Max de Groot , Isla Prins , Evan Broad , Dale Cromhout , and Luca Rendle , from the HNHS Surf Team , were selected for the Hawke ’ s Bay Boardriders Regional Team . They would have travelled , alongside other Hawke ’ s Bay surfers , to compete in the prestigious event in Taranaki . Regrettably , this year ’ s Scholastics was cancelled due to Covid restrictions .
In conclusion , this year has been gnarly , epic and radical .
Max de Groot , Co-captain
Addendum : Max ( the author of the above article and Year 13 student ) reached the semi-finals of the top 16 NZ Surf Series finals competition , missing out on the finals by 0.3 points . This meant that Max was 5th equal in the competition and so , Aotearoa New Zealand - a top achievement .
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