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Mangawhai is once again making waves on the national surf circuit, with local teen Lara Lay taking out the Girls Under 18 National Longboard title at this year’s National Scholastics Surfing Championship.
Held in Gisborne from September 28 to October 2, the annual five-day event, hailed as the pinnacle of New Zealand junior surfing, brought together 200 of the best young surfers from around the country.
At the competition individual champions are crowned in each division, while the overall team champion is decided by accumulated points. This year Northland finished fourth, with Bay of Plenty taking the team title for the second year running.
Surfing for Northland and taking part in the competition for the first time, year 9 Rodney College student Lara won the longboarding division with a points tally of 15.16 with 6.2 points more than her closest rival.
With an excellent wave score of 8.33, her dominance was clear, leaving all other competitors in a combination situation, needing two waves to match her total.
“We were all really happy to have such epic waves for the week,” Lara says.
“I really enjoyed my first Scholastics and being part of the Northland Team.”
Just as impressive is the fact that Lara’s sister Emma Lay is also a two-time Scholastics national champion, winning the Girls Under 18 National Longboard title back-to-back in 2024 and 2025.
Emma, who has been recovering from a knee injury, was selected for the U16 shortboard division this year.
“I was stoked to recover just in time to compete and really grateful to Joel from Move Well Physio for all his help getting me back in the water,” she says.
She says she was proud to see her sister and their fellow Northland teammate Hawk Edwards win.
“It was cool to see Lara win the title and keep it with Northland. It was also great to see Hawk Edwards from our team win the U18 boys longboard title.”
Both Lara and Emma have been hitting the waves from a young age, and their mother, Sarah Ling, says the Scholastics is a really great opportunity for young surfers.
“It was great to see both girls selected to represent Northland this year. Representing Northland is an honour, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to be part of a team, work with a coach and gain valuable competition experience.”
Businesses and community sponsorship have also played an important role in helping the girls on the path to success. Bammas Surf Shop, Morris Surfboards, and Chris Mennell and Amanda Bond from Bayleys Mangawhai are just some of the local supporters of the talented duo.
“Their dedication to surfing and commitment to training have been rewarded with outstanding results, with Lara winning the Under 18 longboard division,” Mennell and Bond say.
“With both girls now National Scholastic Champions, this achievement is a true reflection of their hard work and determination. We are proud to support and sponsor them on their journey and look forward to seeing what the future holds.”
Both girls are set to hit the waves again at the upcoming East Coast Pro in Gisborne over Labour weekend. The event marks the first event in this year’s NZ Grom Series.
