A pair of new winners have been crowned at the national surf championships at Auckland's Piha Beach.
Pia Rogers was the best of a youthful women's field, with Dune Kennings beat a Kiwi veteran to the men's title.
Cyclone Hale may have hammered the North Island’s east coast this week, but the days of offshore winds meant the west coast wasn’t as wild as usual.
Clean conditions at Piha meant high scores in the open men’s final, where Kennings won a maiden title, his best waves scoring 9.35 and 9.9.
"It's amazing, aye," he said. "I've been working hard for so long, and to be out there with my best bro Elliot and to have a heat like that, where we’re just dropping nines... it’s incredible and I'm so happy."
The Piha local's performance denied veteran Billy Stairmand a ninth national title.
"That guy's an absolute weapon," said Jennings. "He’s always surfing so well, but I live here and surf out here all the time, so I was confident."
With established stars like Paige Hareb and Ella WIlliams not competing, youth dominated the women's open competition, where 16-year-old Rogers took out the top spot.
Rogers wasn't even close to being the youngest in the final though. Amazingly, 11-year-old Lola Groube made it through, finishing fourth.
"It was super fun," she said. "Quite hard with the other girls, but fun."
While results didn't go her way, time is definitely on her side.
