The cream of New Zealand surf lifesaving talent is descending on Tauranga over the next nine days for two of the biggest carnivals on the local calendar.
The inaugural Mount Monster 25km endurance race will kick off tomorrow, followed eight days later by the annual Omanu Classic, featuring the Ian Porteous long distance ironman event.
More than 130 athletes, including 53 individuals, will line up at 10am tomorrow on Mount Maunganui's Main Beach for the 25km endurance race.
And the surf stars are certainly aligning, with New Zealand ironman champion Max Beattie, Australian Jackson Maynard, Gisborne prodigy Cory Taylor and four-time Olympian Steven Ferguson joining some top local athletes.
Billed as the Kiwi version of the famous Coolangatta Gold, on Australia's Gold Coast the Mount Monster is a multi-discipline event expected to take more than two hours. It boasts $7000 in cash prizes and a number of sponsored prizes.