There
were
first-time
event
winners
amongst
those
going
back-to-back
from
the
Nationals
and
two
returns
to
the
winners
circle
for
others
at
the
first
event
of
the
Billabong
Grom
Series
presented
by
Oceanbridge
completed
at
Mount
Maunganui
today.
Raglan’s
Van
Camenzind
and
Mount’s
own
Summer
Holmes
were
two
surfers
to
win
their
first
event
events
at
a
national
level,
Camenzind
actually
making
his
first
ever
final.
Ffeon
Clifford
and
Vitor
Bauermann,
both
of
the
Mount
went
back
to
back
after
their
national
titles
at
Gisborne
two
weeks
ago
while
Kyra
Wallis
(Piha)
and
Alani
Morse
(Rag)
returned
to
the
winners
circle
this
weekend.
With
the
finals
completed,
it
was
Mount
Maunganui’s
Bay
Boardriders
Club
that
took
a
convincing
win
over
Raglan
Point
Boardriders
with
Whangamata
Boardriders
in
third.
The
day
started
out
with
small
clean
waves
and
light
offshore
winds
through
until
lunch
time
when
the
sea
breeze
built
and
made
the
waves
challenging
to
surf
along
with
the
fading
swell.
Van
Camenzind
surfed
to
a
10.17
point
heat
total
to
best
Harrison
Biddle
(WGM)
for
the
win.
With
time
counting
down,
Biddle
got
his
chance
to
take
a
win
but
fell
just
short
with
a
3.27
chasing
a
3.5.
“Yeah
it
feels
good,
yeah
to
finally
tick
it
off
I
guess”
said
Camenzind.
“I
feel
like
I
have
improved
a
bit
especially
being
in
the
Raglan
Surf
Academy
and
getting
coaching
and
support
from
Deane
and
Larry,
yeah
it
feels
good.
Its
awesome
to
win
one,”
he
added.
Leonnox
Jennings
(Whiti)
finished
in
third
place
ahead
of
Tyler
Stenzel
(Mount)
in
fourth.
Kyra
Wallis
(Piha)
returned
to
form
with
a
win
in
the
Under
18
Girls
Division
with
less
than
a
point
separating
first
from
third.
“It
was
hard
out
there
with
the
wind
and
the
big
hole
in
the
middle
but
I
am
happy
to
get
the
win,”
said
Wallis.
“I’m
not
sure
there
is
much
difference
between
this
win
and
a
poor
result
at
the
Nationals,
it
really
comes
down
to
luck
and
getting
the
right
waves,
maybe
being
a
bit
more
busy
in
my
heats
too,”
she
added.
New
Zealand
Open
Women’s
Champion
Maya
Mateja
(Rag)
finished
in
second
place
ahead
of
Poppy
Arkle
(Piha)
in
third
and
Izzy
Evans
(Mnt)
in
fourth.
The
Under
16
Boys
Division
saw
the
two
Mount
surfers
triumph
over
the
two
Raglan
surfers,
Vitor
Bauermann
and
Sol
Fritchley
making
the
most
of
the
small
wind
affected
conditions.
Vitor
eventually
stormed
to
a
14.67
point
heat
total
for
the
win
over
Sol
Fritchley
on
11.27.
Luca
Thompson
finished
in
third
place
ahead
of
Xander
Banks
in
fourth.
Alani
Morse
(Rag)
and
Lola
Groube
(Pau)
continued
their
battle
in
the
Under
16s,
this
time
Alani
getting
the
nod
after
bravely
letting
Lola
go
on
a
wave
during
a
tense
paddle
battle.
Requiring
a
5.17,
Lola
came
up
short
with
a
4.9
and
had
to
settle
for
second
with
Jade
Nias
Phillips
(Ahipara)
finishing
in
third
and
Ella
Rebolledo
–
Withers
(Piha)
finishing
in
fourth.
Ffeon
Clifford
(Mnt)
made
it
two
from
two
for
summer
in
the
Under
14
Boys
Division.
After
taking
out
the
National
Championships,
he
backed
it
up
this
weekend
with
a
win
at
home.
His
high
score
of
6.73
points
was
what
pushed
him
clear
of
his
opponents
with
Jimmy
Wernham
(Rag)
in
second
and
Louis
Macquet
(Mnt)
in
third.
Arlo
Scorringe
(Mnt)
rounded
out
the
final
finishing
in
fourth
place.
Summer
Holmes
(Mnt)
claimed
her
first
title
in
the
Under
14
Girls
Division
after
a
runner
up
finish
at
the
Primary
School
Champs
at
the
end
of
last
year
and
a
finals
berth
at
the
National
Championships.
Today
she
led
the
final
from
start
to
end
surfing
to
a
12.60
point
heat
total
to
beat
her
mates,
Millie
Dyck,
Savannah
Dawes
and
Alba
Clifford
who
finished
second
through
fourth.
Full
results
can
be
viewed
via
Live
Heats.
Season
rankings
for
the
New
Zealand
Grom
Series
can
be
found
on
Live
Heats.
The
first
event
of
the
series
played
host
to
129
participants
from
Ahipara
through
to
Dunedin.
The
event
marks
the
second
of
eight
national
events
around
the
New
Zealand
coastline
as
part
of
the
Surfing
New
Zealand
Epic
Break
summer
campaign
showcasing
surfing
talent
and
celebrating
the
surfing
community
between
January
and
April.
The
Billabong
Grom
Series
presented
by
Oceanbridge
now
heads
to Whangamata
(14-15th
February)
before
finishing
at
Piha
Beach
on
February
28th
–
March
1st.
The
2026
NZ
Grom
Series
comprises
over
10
events
nationwide
with
participants
best
four
events
counting
toward
their
national
ranking.
Event
Dates
Event
2 –
14th-15th
February
2026,
Whangamata
Beach.
Event
3 –
28th
February
–
1st
March
2026,
Piha
Beach,
Auckland.
Further
Information
For
further
information
on
the
2026
Billabong
Grom
Series
presented
by
Oceanbridge
please
contact
Surfing
New
Zealand’s
Gavin
Bisman
–
027-446-4174
/
gavin.bisman@surfingnz.co.nz
Imagery
High
resolution
action
images
of
the
surfing
at
all
events
on
the
Billabong
Grom
Series
will
be
available
to
media
free
of
charge.
Please
contact
Ben
Kennings
for
further
details
–
ben.kennings@surfingnz.co.nz
Partners
Generous
support
from
Billabong
and
presenting
sponsors
Oceanbridge
has
made
this
series
possible
for
21
years.
Thank
you
to
Bay
Boardriders
for
hosting
event
one
of
the
series.
Follow
the
event
Follow
the
action
via
social
media
@billabong
on
Instagram
and
@surfingnz
across
Facebook,
Instagram,
X
and
TikTok.
Follow
the
series hashtag
–
#BillabongGromSeries
#EpicBreak
Surfing
New
Zealand
is
proudly
partnered
by:
Sport
New
Zealand
ACC
Sun
Bum
Kiwi
Holiday
Insurance
Ends
Go to Surfing New Zealand
Author: Ben Kennings