On Tuesday 19 March and Wednesday 20 March, a surfing festival took place in Muriwai, at Maori Bay, located on the Wild West Coast near Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland). It marked the first-ever school surfing festival in New Zealand.

Twenty colleges participated in the two-day event, with some solid overhead height sets rolling in. The festival featured separate divisions for boys and girls, organized as a team event under the supervision of Surfing New Zealand.

Four students from Pāpāmoa College competed in the festival: David Becker (Y9), Koby Lawton (Y10), Stanley Lawton (Y8), Kerval Taylor (Y10), along with a substitute student from Whangamata. For some of these boys, it was only their first or second time competing in a surf competition. 

Being among the youngest teams present, consisting solely of Year 8 to Year 10 students, they faced tough competition from other colleges. The event included both a main title and a Plate Cup to ensure all teams had opportunities to compete. Pāpāmoa College finished 18th out of the 20 schools competing.

The students found the experience to be enjoyable, giving their best efforts throughout the event. The contest had to be briefly paused when a shark was spotted in Maori Bay! 

This festival provided valuable learning experiences for aspiring surfers, and the participants are eager for future surfing events.