Big day for Waikanae

SPRINT FINISH: Waikanae open men's canoe team member Sam Middleton sprints towards the beach as teammates (from left) Sam Ferkins, Zach Ferkins and Quaid Thompson bring the canoe through the shallows in the short-course final of the national surf lifesaving championships. Waikanae dominated the race to win gold in a big day for the club in the surf canoe events. Pictures by Paul Rickard

Waikanae took eight titles yesterday and topped the points table heading into today's competition in the national surf lifesaving championships on Gisborne's beachfront.

Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae finished the day on 54 points, one point ahead of Mount Maunganui.

Omanu were third, on 42 points, and Ocean Beach Kiwi from Hawke's Bay were fourth, on 21.

Dawson Building Midway finished the day in seventh place, on 10 points, and Riversun Wainui were eighth, on nine.

Organisers of the TSB New Zealand Surf Life Saving Championships relocated the under-16 events to Waikanae and shifted the canoe arena closer to Roberts Road because of challenging conditions at Midway Beach in the morning.

The open and u19 events continued in front of the Midway Surf Life Saving Club nationals venue.

Waikanae speedster Briana Irving got the ball rolling for her club with a double in the beach sprint, winning both the under-19 and open women's titles.

Waikanae had a tremendous day in the surf canoe. Their open men's team dominated the short-course final to win gold, their open and u19 women's teams took silver in the same canoe event, and their other open men's and u19 women's canoe teams took bronze.

The gold rush continued for them with first placings in the u19 men's board relay, the open women's beach relay, to Lachie Falloon in the u16 men's board, and to Oska Smith in the u16 men's beach sprint.

Silver medals went to the u16 boys' beach relay team, Casie Fyall in the open beach sprint, Jessie Kapene in the u16 sprint, and Summer Rolston in the u16 girls' surf race.

Bronze medals were also gained in the sprints, and the beach and board relays.

“We went great . . . the conditions were very testing,” head coach Cory Hutchings said.

“There were probably a few points we left out there, but we converted a few as well.

“Traditionally, the first day of the champs tends to be a good day for us in the beach area and with the mix of events that are on, and we are quite happy with how the day went for us points-wise. We just have to try to stay in the fight now.”

Midway's Cory Taylor won both the open men's surf race and board, and was second in the run-swim-run.

Clubmate Angus Blair won bronze in the u16 surf race, and Midway Red took bronze in the open men's board relay.

Wainui's Jack Keepa won the u16 surf race, the club's u19 board relay team picked up silver, and the u16 boys' board relay team won bronze.

The championships resumed at 8am this morning in much more settled sea conditions, with a full day's competition ahead.

The championships conclude with semifinals and finals tomorrow, again from 8am.