TWO YEARS, TWO NATIONAL SURFING TITLES

Emma Lay is fast becoming one of Mangawhai’s brightest young athletes, carving out an impressive name for herself in New Zealand surfing.

Taking out the Girls Under 18 National Longboard title at this year’s Scholastics Surfing Competition – for the second year running – Emma has firmly cemented herself as a rising star in Northland’s surf team. It’s an extraordinary achievement for the 14-year-old, now a two-time national scholastic champion, placing her among the strongest junior longboarders in the country.

Held in Taranaki, the five-day competition delivered challenging surf conditions. A standout moment for Emma was surfing the semifinals at Stent Rd in 4-6ft pumping waves, where she earned a 9.33 ride – the highest single-wave score of the event.

Emma’s connection to the ocean runs deep. She began surfing at just four years old and has grown up immersed in Mangawhai’s coastal lifestyle. From surfing and swimming to diving, Junior Surf and now lifeguarding, she has become an all-round waterwoman. Any spare moment finds her at the beach, training, refining her technique, and simply enjoying the waves.

Emma is grateful for mentorship from Takkesh at SurfFlow and coaching from Jason Ruddell through the Northland Team, along with local surfers she looks up to and who have supported her over the years. Tony Baker has been influential, involving Emma and her younger sister Lara in longboard competitions from a young age. Also providing key support is Chris and Amanda at Bayleys Mangawhai, with their sponsorship helping Emma get to Taranaki for Nationals.

“Emma has worked hard, progressed steadily through the junior ranks, and shown real commitment to developing her skills,” says Chris. “She’s an emerging talent with so much potential, and it’s been a pleasure to watch her grow and to support her journey.”

Emma now has her sights set on further improvement and plenty of time in the water over summer, including a trip to Gisborne for the NZ Surfing Nationals.