Riding The Wave
Making history with three talented young surfers from Mahurangi College on the team for the first time, Auckland has claimed victory at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Surf Nationals.
Ari O’Malley, Ziggy Neely, and Taj Robinson, are the first Mahurangi College students selected for this elite squad, competing at the prestigious event that gathers the nation’s top surf talent. Over the past four years, under the dedicated leadership of the school’s surf program coordinator, Mike Burton, and with support from parents, Mahurangi has quietly become a hot spot for surf talent.
Through focused development, the students have honed their skills on local East Coast beaches like Omaha, Mangawhai and Te Arai, carving their paths on waves that may not be the biggest but have proven to be the perfect training ground for these rising stars. “These boys have always been passionate about surfing,” says Mike. “It’s amazing to see them represent Mahurangi at such a high level.”
Taking place in Dunedin this year, the Auckland team thrived despite challenging conditions that included flooding before clearing to perfect surf. Taj Robinson, from Mangawhai, captured gold in the under 18 boys longboarding, becoming the national champion. Ari O’Malley and Ziggy Neely both put in stellar performances in the under 18 boys short board division, with Ziggy reaching the semifinals and Ari the quarterfinals. “The waves were just awesome,” reflects Ari. “To surf in such great conditions, and with such a strong team, was unreal. Competing against the best surfers from across New Zealand and testing myself against them was an incredible experience.”
All three surfers have grown up with the sea as their playground, chasing waves at every opportunity. Ari, Ziggy, and Taj are proud to represent not only Mahurangi College but their entire local surf community, with their efforts contributing to Auckland’s overall victory, marking only the second time in history that the team has won the national title. “Winning the championship is a huge deal,” notes Mike. “It proves that Auckland surfers can hold their own against the best in the country.”
This is only the beginning for these young athletes, and with the school’s surf program continuing to grow these achievements highlight a bright future for Mahurangi College surfing.