Actions to do most of the talking for Taylor

Captain Cory . . . Aussie-based Midway lifeguard Cory Taylor, pictured winning the ironman at the 2020 New Zealand surf lifesaving champs in Gisborne, has been named captain of the Black Fins. Picture by Paul Rickard

Gold Coast-based Gisborne lifeguard Cory Taylor will captain the New Zealand Black Fins team at the International Surf Rescue Challenge (ISRC) in Texas next month.

Taylor has been in the team since 2009 and this will be his second time as captain.

He led the team at the 2019 ISRC in South Africa.

“It’s definitely humbling to be made captain,” he said.

“My idol growing up was Cory Hutchings (of Gisborne), who was captain of the New Zealand team, so I’ve always strived to be in a leadership role.”

He advocates leading by example.

“I try and perform to my very best, showing my determination to win, which I hope then motivates the rest of the team.

“Of course there are times when I have to speak up but my leadership style is through my actions.

“The Texas event should be exciting. The team are a good mixture of us oldies and new people who will lead the next generation of Black Fins.”

He’s also looking forward to competing against some of his mates in the Australia team.

“The transtasman rivalry . . .  I enjoy it. A few of the Aussie boys, we train with every day, so everyone races hard but fair.”

Taylor will lead a team containing several other Gisborne club members —  Chris Dawson and Aussie-based Olivia Corrin from the Dawson Building Midway club, and Christy Tate, Briana Irving and Michael Hanna of Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae.

The International Surf Rescue Challenge (ISRC) started as the Trans-Tasman Challenge, a traditional surf lifesaving competition between Australia and New Zealand that first commenced in 1937.

In 1999, South Africa was invited to compete and the Tri Nations Challenge was born.

In 2005, the Challenge was opened up to other nations and called the International Surf Rescue Challenge.su