Alexis Owen was the best of the home surfers at the national scholastic championships at St Clair Beach last week.
Owen, who finished fourth at the world junior championships earlier this year, sailed to victory in the under-16 boys division.
His efforts helped the Otago team finish fifth overall.
Otago team-mate Pipiata Richie won the Adam Clegg Award for most improved surfer at the event, which featured nearly 100 elite young wave riders from around New Zealand.
Northern athletes dominated the championships.
Cooper Ashill (Northland) and Leia Millar (Auckland) were the under-18 champions, Northern surfer Indi-Lee Ruddell won the under-16 girls title, Jesse Frazerhurst (Auckland) and Lola Groube (Coromandel) won the under-14 titles, and Auckland pair Taj Robinson and Emma Lay claimed longboard honours.
Auckland won the overall team title with 8455 points, finishing clear of Coromandel (8030), Northland (8025), defending champions Bay of Plenty (7683) and Otago (7265).
It was a first podium finish for Coromandel in 20 years, and the first podium finish for Northland in the history of the event.
The final day of the scholastic championships featured clean 1m waves, with St Clair Beach delivering sunny skies and light winds all day.
