The neighbouring high schools combined to achieve a South Island first at the national secondary school surfing championships held in Raglan last week.
The team of five King’s pupils and one girl from Queen’s finished second behind Mount Maunganui College.
King’s teacher Johnny Simmons said it was pretty ‘‘major achievement’’ by the team. It is the first time a South Island team has won a place in the top five.
"Normally, the North Island teams are really strong and the Mount Maunganui team has won it for the last three years in a row," Simmons said.
There was cause for extra celebration for 16-year-old Elliott Brown.
The year-12 pupil came third in the under-16 division had has been selected to represent New Zealand at the World Scholastic Championships in Portugal in mid-September.
His team-mate Jack McLeod "would have gone close to making that New Zealand team, had he not broken his arm when they selected it," Simmons said.
Maddy Barclay and Ruben Peyroux are also standouts in their age group, while Shani Ayson beat her surfing coach at Queen’s, Tash Civil, for the Otago women’s title.
