New
Zealand’s
top
junior
surfers
delivered
outstanding
performances
at
Whangamatā
over
the
weekend
of
14–15
February
for
the
second
stop
of
the
2026
Billabong
Grom
Series
presented
by
Oceanbridge,
with
Sunday
turning
on
as
a
1.0m
swell
built
throughout
the
day.
The
event
attracted
the
nation’s
best
surfers
aged
under
18,
all
chasing
valuable
NZ
Grom
Series
points
to
go
toward
their
national
ranking
positions
and
for
the
top
end
of
the
field,
a
chance
to
represent
New
Zealand
at
the
recently
announced
Would
Junior
Championships
being
held
at
El
Salvador
in
September.
Under
18
Divisions
The
premier
Under
18
Boys
division
saw
an
all-action
final,
with
Tyler
Stenzel
(Mnt)
claiming
victory
with
a
two-wave
total
of
15.24
points.
Stenzel
narrowly
edged
Kaikōura’s
Sonny
Lyons
(14.57),
while
local
hope
Harrison
Biddle
(13.17)
thrilled
the
locals
packing
out
the
dunes
with
a
podium
finish
ahead
of
Taimana
Marupo
(11.97).
In
the
Under
18
Girls
division,
Maya
Mateja
(Rag)
secured
a
commanding
win
with
13.04
points.
She
held
off
strong
challenges
from
Piha
surfers
Poppy
Arkle
(11.84)
and
Kyra
Wallis
(11.33),
with
Bonnie
Lynch
(Gis)
finishing
fourth.
Under
16
Divisions
The
Under
16
Boys
final
was
fiercely
contested,
with
Zeke
Pragert
(Piha)
taking
his
first
ever
win
on
13.13
points.
Jesse
Frazerhurst
(Auck)
finished
a
close
second
(12.30),
followed
by
Jaxon
Pardoe
(11.16)
and
Beau
Broadhurst
(Ohope).
Local
surfer
Lola
Groube
(Pauanui)
delivered
one
of
the
standout
performances
of
the
event
to
win
the
Under
16
Girls
division
with
an
impressive
15.33
points.
Alani
Morse
(Rag)
placed
second
ahead
of
Jade
Nias
Phillips
(Ahipara)
and
Selva
Petzold
de
la
Cruz
(Rag).
Under
14
Divisions
The
Under
14
Boys
title
went
to
Ffeon
Clifford
(Mnt),
whose
15.40
heat
total
proved
decisive
in
the
final.
Clarence
Faherty
(Tara)
placed
second,
with
Mount
surfers
Louis
Macquet
and
Arlo
Scorringe
completing
the
finalists.
In
the
Under
14
Girls
division,
Nami
Marsden
(Mnt)
produced
a
dominant
performance,
posting
14.66
points
to
secure
victory
ahead
of
Summer
Holmes
(Mnt),
Savannah
Dawes
(Mnt),
and
Millie
Dyck
(Mnt).
Strong
Performances
Across
Clubs
Boardrider
clubs
from
across
the
country
were
well
represented,
with
Bay
Boardriders
particularly
prominent
across
multiple
divisions
and
taking
an
easy
victory
in
the
club
standings
over
their
22
fellow
clubs.
Series
Continues
Surfers
will
now
turn
their
focus
to
the
remaining
event
of
the
series
at
Piha
on
the
28
Feb
–
1
March.
Results
—
Event
2
Winners
-
Under
18
Boys
—
Tyler
Stenzel
(Mnt) -
Under
18
Girls
—
Maya
Mateja
(Rag) -
Under
16
Boys
—
Zeke
Pragert
(Piha) -
Under
16
Girls
—
Lola
Groube
(Pauanui) -
Under
14
Boys
—
Ffeon
Clifford
(Mnt) -
Under
14
Girls
—
Nami
Marsden
(Mnt)
Go to Surfing New Zealand
Author: Ben Kennings