Surf Lifesaving: Taylor completes his first title

Midway's Cory Taylor claims his first New Zealand ironman title at the national surf lifesaving championships at Ohope Beach, Whakatane. Photo/Jaime Troughton

No one could prevent a rampant Mount Maunganui from winning a fifth Alan Gardner Trophy in eight years at the national surf lifesaving championships at Ohope Beach, Whakatane, on Sunday.

The club easily claimed victory in the overall points race, finishing with 176 points after three days - well clear of Bay of Plenty rivals Papamoa (99), Red Beach (81), Piha (60) and Fitzroy (51).

Boosted by female athlete of the championship Olivia Eaton - the 16-year-old winner of the open and under-16 women's beach sprint - Mount never looked in danger.

In the race for individual honours, Cory Taylor finally confirmed years of promise, breaking through and winning his first open ironman title.

The 20-year-old Midway star put together the perfect race amid a quality field, consigning previous champions Chris Moors (Red Beach) and Max Beattie (Omanu) - to second and third respectively.

It ended an eventful New Zealand summer for the Gold Coast-based Gisborne product, after starting the season with victory over Beattie in the long-distance Mount Monster in December. More top results, however, had eluded him until Sunday.

For only the second time in history, the ironman and ironwoman titles went to the same club, with Midway's Devon Halligan out-sprinting Mount Maunganui's Flora Manciet to win the women's crown.

Taylor and Halligan emulated the deeds of Westshore pair Daniel Moodie and Nikki Cox in 2008, although Halligan needed to channel her dad Darryl's rugby league abilities on the wing to come from behind.

It was Halligan's second ironwoman title after winning in 2012, while she also claimed the run-swim-run title and was second in the board race.

Taylor's heroics also included helping Midway win the open men's surf teams race and finishing second to Nick Malcolm in the board race and second in the board rescue.

But the male athlete of the championship went to New Zealand kayaking representative Marty McDowell, who collected an unprecedented treble in the ski events. The 27-year-old Titahi Bay paddler became the first person to hold the open men's ski, men's double ski and mixed double ski titles at the same time. He paired with club veteran Todd Grace in the men's double, caught fellow kayaker Scott Bicknell (Ocean Beach Kiwi) in the single ski and combined with former Olympian Erin Taylor in the mixed double.

Mairangi Bay won the taplin.