TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 CAR ARSON SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS EXPERT PAGE 4 CALLS FOR NEAR TOUGHER TITIRANGI COVID SCULPTURE MEASURES PAGE 2 PAGE 9 NATIONAL CHAMP: Gisborne’s Saffi Vette is carried across Piha Beach by brother Finn and Gisborne Boardriders Club member Magoo THIS ONE’S Braithwaite after her victory in the open women’s final of the national surfing championships on Saturday. Picture by Cory/NZ Surfing Magazine FOR DAD Vette family double a ANDREW VETTE tribute to late father by Jack Malcolm Hareb (Taranaki), former world junior champion Ella Williams (Whangamata) TEARS flowed as Gisborne teenager and defending champion Ava Henderson Saffi Vette won her first open women’s (Christchurch). national surfing title at Piha Beach In good 1.0m waves, Vette kicked yesterday — a victory she dedicated to off the final with a 7.75 point ride and her late father Andrew. backed it up towards the end of the heat “He’ll have a big grin on his face up with 8.15 to take the lead with a 15.9 there. Hopefully, I’ve done him proud,” total out of 20 for her two best waves. said the 19-year-old, whose performance She faced a nervous wait on the beach was made even more special by brother for the final scores to be announced after Finn winning the under-18 boys’ final Williams came back in the dying minutes immediately before her. with an 8.15 ride. The siblings were jointly awarded It was too little, too late as she needed the Byers Trophy for best overall 8.49 points and she had to settle for performance at the nationals and they second on 15.6. were integral to Gisborne Boardriders Club winning the overall club crown and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 regaining No.1 status. Eight Gisborne surfers claimed titles over the week-long champs GISBORNE GLORY Andy Vette, 52, died in September of last year after battling bowel cancer. Gisborne Boardriders Club’s eight His daughter said she wrote his title winners at the national surfing initials on her hand before the final, championships were — saying “you can do this for AV”. “It definitely motivated me and made OPEN WOMEN: Saffi Vette me a bit hungrier for that win. JUNIOR UNDER18 BOYS: Finn Vette “I had little sayings he told me before OVER40S MEN: Chris Malone my heats going through my head in the OVER60S MEN: John Gisby final. It reassured me that I could do it.” MEN’S STAND UP PADDLEBOARD: Vette had a challenging path to victory, Sean Hovell surfing against what was described as MEN’S LONGBOARD: Daniel Procter one of the most talent-laden field of JUNIOR BOYS’ LONGBOARD: Geordie Sawyer finalists ever — World Tour surfer Paige JUNIOR GIRLS’ LONGBOARD: Jay Ryan-Emerre TOIHOUORA! ENROL TOIHOUTANGATA! NOW! TOIHOUKURA Move Māori contemporary art TOIHOUKURA! Blair Hindmarsh 34817-10 beyond the 21st century Toihoukura graduate 0800 22 55 348 | eit.ac.nz | GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ............10 Television ...........17 Sport ............ 20-24 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............11 Classifieds .........18 Weather .............23 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National ..8-9, 15-16 World............ 12-14 Racing ................19 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Monday, January 18, 2021 CAR ABLAZE: A stationwagon driven up an access road off Raikaiatane Road at Eastland Port last night to a spot near the Te Maro sculpture appeared to have been deliberately set alight, firefighters said. Fire and Emergency NZ sent a crew to that area of Titirangi/ Kaiti Hill at around 9.15pm “The Holden Commodore stationwagon had been parked about 10 to 15 metres away from the sculpture,” a senior firefighter said. “The vehicle was fully involved in fire when we arrived. It was totally burnt out. The sculpture was not damaged.” The cause of the fire is being treated as suspicious, “probable arson”. Police have an inquiry under way. Picture by Liam Clayton Stoked to have done Gisborne proud FROM PAGE 1 junior (u18) titles in 2017 and the junior title again in 2019. “I had no idea how well Ella She was the first Gisborne (Williams) surfed her last wave surfer to win the open women’s and I knew it was going to be crown since Airini Mason in really close,” said Vette . “Hearing Dunedin in 2011. Ella’s name announced in second Finn Vette surfed only three place was just unreal. I was so waves in the junior boys final but thankful.” two of those were good enough Hareb was third on 12.9 and for a 15.1 total and the win. Kora Henderson fourth on 6.65. Cooper (Raglan) was second on Vette said the conditions 13.85, Tom Robinson (Whangarei) were similar to her home break, third on 12.2 and Jayden Northerns, which she surfs every Willoughby (Raglan) fourth on day. But she knew it would be a 9.1. tough final. The final day of competition “I love being, as they say, the also saw Daniel Procter win dark horse and proving everyone his third open men’s longboard wrong.” title as Gisborne dominated the It was Vette’s first time longboarding divisions. competing solely in the women’s The club also won the open division, and she said she had women’s and junior boys’ been working towards winning divisions earlier in the week. the open title for several years. Procter said he went into the The feeling of hearing her event with no expectations and TOP CLUB: Gisborne Boardriders Club regained No.1 status in the country with eight titles at the name being called out on it was a special feeling to come national surfing championships at Piha. Celebrating their efforts are (from left) Gabriel Lobb, Finn Vette the beach as the winner was away with the title, adding it to Daniel Procter (behind Vette), Geordie Sawyer, Patrick “Magoo” Braithwaite, Jay Ryan-Emerre, Saffi Vette, indescribable and the victory wins in 2009 and 2013 (also at Asia Braithwaite, Mahia Braithwaite, John Gisby and Benny Hutchings. Picture by NZ Surfing Magazine still hadn’t sunk in when The Piha). Gisborne Herald spoke to her last “I’m a bit older now, at 33. night. I wanted to see if I could still do “Back home I usually don’t helped to grow a strong sense supporting other surfers across “There’s so much pride with it.” even make the final. It shows you of connection in the team at the the event.” everyone, myself and my family The local longboarding scene the level of surfing if the national champs. “It shows the work at the — everyone that you represent also deserved credit for growing champion can’t make the final of “We were the only real club level is actually paying off. and your sponsors. You know a “hotbed” of talent in Gisborne a local club competition.” region you could feel a sense Not just in performance but you’ve done them proud,” said that had lifted the level of Procter thanked Gisborne of connection across all of us. supporting one another and going Vette, who won the u16 and surfing, he said. Boardriders, who he said had We were down there every day as a team.” The Gisborne Herald • Monday, January 18, 2021 NEWS 3 LOST ITS LOAD: The scene of the log truck accident at Te Puia Springs on State Highway 35.The truck’s trailer rolled on to its Logs take out pole, fence in side and logs went through a power pole and the front fence of a house (below). Pictures by Rob Graham spilt load at Te Puia Springs STATE Highway 35 at Te Puia the others were reconnected on about 40 of them within an Springs was blocked for a couple Saturday,” the spokesman said hour-and-a-half,” the network of hours on Friday afternoon A witness said the road was spokesman said. after a loaded log truck lost its closed for about two hours and The rest of the customers were trailer on the bend just south it was several hours after that reconnected later in the day of the council offices in the before the spilled logs were Saturday. township. cleared. “The driver of the harvester The spilled logs took out an Traffic built up for a couple was lucky not to have been 11kV power pole and crashed of kilometres in both directions injured.” through the front fence of a on the highway until the road Network staff were called house. reopened. to a vehicle crash on the East It happened at around 4pm. Meanwhile a crop harvester Coast Road at Mahia at 11am An Eastland Network struck 11Kv powerlines in a on Saturday after a car left the spokesman said the incident cut farm paddock on Whakarau road and struck a concrete power power to 160 customers at the Road at around 9.30am on pole. outset. Saturday and it cut power to “There was no power “We had power back on to 150 more than 60 customers. disruption in that case and the of them within 45 minutes and “We had power back on to pole will be replaced today.” No lift-off HUNDREDS of keen spectators and photographers were left disappointed Called into action on Saturday night after Rocket Lab was forced to scrub its latest launch from Mahia. The launch was expected to provide a spectacular sight for people at the Lifeguards rescue divers, swimmers Bluck’s Pit Beach viewing site, with a sunset launch time, but the launch was halted so the space company by Murray Robertson Mitchell and Andrew Shelton launched the surf lifesaving club.