Mount Main Beach to stage Oceans 17 drama

CHAMPIONS: Kiahi Horan, right, and Loui Schuler from top club Omanu at last year's Oceans 16. PHOTO: FILE

Mount Maunganui's Main Beach will be awash with junior athletes over four intense days of competition at the annual Under-14 New Zealand Surf Life Saving Championships from March 2-5.

Known as Oceans 17, the annual competition has a proud history of being one of Surf Life Savings biggest events which aims to encourage and promote young children to pursue a future in life guarding.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand sport manager, Mike Lord, said the carnival was the high point of the season and many of the athletes had been training and competing at a local level throughout the season in preparation.

"There's always an amazing atmosphere at the Oceans carnivals as the kids give the competition their all but also display great sportsmanship, looking out for one another and cheering each other on. It's a great chance for them to hang out with their mates in an environment that they love," he said.

Last year's event saw Omanu Beach Surf Life Saving Club successfully defend their championship title after fighting off stiff competition from around the country.

This year has attracted 898 entries from 46 surf clubs around New Zealand from as far north as Waipu Cove to St Clair in Dunedin in the south.

The largest group of athletes comes from Red Beach, just North of Auckland, with 70 athletes followed by Mount Maunganui with 54 and Mairangi Bay with 52.

The largest age group being contested is under-13s with 276 competitors, followed by the under-14 with 243, under-12 with 224 and under-11 with 155.

As well as the sporting action on the beach, a number of surf lifesaving sponsors including Zespri and EBOS Sport will have marquees set up on site to support and assist the young athletes in achieving their best throughout the four days of competition.

Live results at http://liveresults.co.nz/sis