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Posted on Wednesday December 2nd 2009 at 3:35 p.m.
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Tane Wallis winning the first Rip Curl GromSearch event held at Gisborne. Photo Kiwi Surf Magazine
A constant stream of massive surf accompanied by terrible weather over the past few weeks made the outlook bleak for the final event. However, forecasters have predicted a relatively fine weekend with favourable surf conditions which are sure to make an excellent playing field.
The event is the second of two events in the series and the final event of the year for the Surfing New Zealand Grommet Series. A massive field of over 100 competitors have registered for the event in a bid to secure the last two places in the Rip Curl GromSearch final and improve their year end ratings.
Local Piha surfer Tane Wallis will come into the event as a favourite. Wallis won the first Rip Curl GromSearch event held at Gisborne and together with second place-getter Patxi Scott - Arrieta (Sandy Bay) he secured a place in the national final.
The favourites tag doesn't bother Wallis who intends to approach the event in the same way as any other. "Having already secured a place in the national final will definitely not change my approach to this event. You have to treat all events the same and I will be going through my same routine this weekend" commented a focussed Wallis.
The bigger conditions over the past few weeks would have suited Wallis with his exceptional knowledge of his home break. Now that the conditions are expected to be a smaller and more manageable, the playing field will have levelled up.
"I can't control the conditions this weekend. I will just work around whatever there is and do the best I can. The conditions don't really matter. It is going to come down to who gets the best waves on the day" added Wallis.
Scott - Arrieta will also head into the event with a boost of confidence after his best ever result at the first event of the Rip Curl GromSearch. He will be joined by a swag of contenders hoping to join him in the national final. They include national representatives Ben Poulter and Adam Grimson (Gis).
Grimson has spent the week at Piha in preparation for the event after he spent last weekend in an intensive training camp for the Rip Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team. The team will contest the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Championship at this very location in January so a good performance this weekend will be imperative for Grimson's World Title aspirations.
National representatives Grace Spiers (WGM) and Jayda Martin - Fitzharris (Gis) confirmed their place in the Rip Curl GromSearch Under 16 Girls final by placing first and second at the first event. The two surfers were also present at the training camp last weekend. The two girls will welcome the better conditions on offer this coming weekend after tackling the challenging conditions Piha dished up only four days ago.
"The surf was massive at the camp last weekend but the training we did will be a big help for sure regardless of what the conditions are like this weekend" commented Spiers.
Despite having already secured a place in the national final, Spiers wants nothing less than first place this weekend, the event being her last in this age group. "I want to win because it is my last ever comp in the Under 16's and I want to finish on a good note".
For weeks, the surf has been flat on the East Coast of the North Island but Spiers has still found waves travelling around the country each weekend. "I have also been training heaps at home and getting in the water paddling around and riding longboards as well, anything to keep me fit" added Spiers.
Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha) and Ella Williams (WGM) lead the ratings in their respective under 14 divisions while Korbin Hutchings (Gis) and Dayna Story (Gis) lead the under 12 division ratings for boys and girls respectively. Like the Under 16s, the surfers in these divisions will be amped to finish the year on a high this weekend.
The Rip Curl GromSearch culminates in a national final where the winner of the under 16 boys and girls divisions win an all expense paid trip to compete at the International GromSearch Final alongside the prestigious World Tour event The Rip Curl Pro held at Bell's Beach, Australia. The world's biggest surfing super stars attend the Rip Curl Pro and just being there to witness their surfing is mind blowing let alone competing in the famous Bells Beach surf.
To reach the National Final of the Rip Curl GromSearch series held in Raglan Feb 2010, surfers need to finish in the top two places of their respective under 16 divisions to secure a spot amongst the country's four best junior surfers.
No one walks away from the Rip Curl GromSearch empty handed, every competitor receives a goodie bag packed with giveaways from sponsors including an issue of Kiwi Surf Magazine and the latest Ben Harper and Relentless Seven album courtesy of EMI. Along with this Rip Curl will be putting up massive prize pools for each and every division.
New Zealand's leading radio station ‘The Edge' will be amongst the action at this year's GromSearch series. The Edge's Road Runners will be bringing the party to the event running live promotions and spectator giveaways over both days of competition.
Please see below for the current top five rated surfers on the Surfing New Zealand Grommet Series. For full ratings please go to http://www.surfingnz.co.nz/ratings.htm.
Under 16 Boys Top 5
1, Tane Wallis (Piha)
2, Ben Poulter (Rag)
3, Todd Doyle (Mnt)
4, Dune Kennings (Whmata)
5, Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha)
Under 14 Boys Top 5
1, Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha)
2, Paul Moretti (Mimiwhangta)
3, Kahu Craig Ranga (Waihi Bch)
4, Waretini Wano (Piha)
5, Peri Matenga (Mnt)
Under 12 Boys Top 5
1, Korbin Hutchings (Gis)
2, Manu Scott-Arrieta (Sandy Bay)
3, Blake Haven (Muriwai)
4, Quinn Matenga (Mnt)
5, Isaac Kettle (Tara)
Under 16 Girls Top 5
1, Rosa Thompson (Auck)
2, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis)
3, Alexis Poulter (Rag)
4, Grace Spiers (Whmata)
5, Ella Williams (Whmata)
Under 14 Girls Top 5
1, Ella Williams (Whmata)
2, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis)
3, Gabriela Sansom (Auck)
4, Maiya Thompson (Auck)
5, Bianca Sansom (Auck)
Under 12 Girls Top 5
1, Dayna Story (Gis)\
2, Milly Crewe (Muri)
3, Claudia Fraser (Piha)
4, Lily Spiers (Whmata)
5, Britt Kindred (Muri)
For more information on the Rip Curl GromSearch please contact Ben Kennings at Surfing New Zealand on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz. Alternatively contact Leon Parkin at Rip Curl on 021386473 or email lparkin@ripcurl.co.nz
Check out www.ripcurl.com.au for more information.
The Rip Curl GromSearch is brought to you by Rip Curl, Kiwi Surf Magazine, The Edge and surf2surf.com.
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