Midway's young guns really turned on a show, with all their gold medals won in the under-15 to u19 divisions.
Their team of Tyron Evans, Angus Blair, Jack Lepper and Yahni Brown won the u19 surf teams, Evans, Lepper and Blair won the u19 taplin, and they added the u19 board and ski relays to the club's team haul.
In other team events, Evans and Lepper won the u19 board rescue, Ella Sutton and Emily Petro the u17 board rescue, Petro, sister Sophie and Alice Sparks the u19 women’s board relay, and Sutton, Emily Petro and Jaqs Kennedy the u17 board relay.
Individually, Yahni Brown was one of their standouts with fine wins in the u17 ironman and board, and a silver in the u17 ski.
Angus Blair won the u19 iron, Sophie Petro won the u19 women’s iron and Jack Lepper won the u19 surf race and was second in the u19 board.
Tyron Evans was second in the u19 iron.
"The kids did bloody amazing," Midway head coach Jack Gavin said. "They all stepped up.
"Our focus was getting them the results they deserved as individuals and racing hard in the team events.
"For those boys — Tyron, Jack and Angus — to win so many major team events in their age division, I don't think that's ever been done before. That's a pretty big deal."
Gavin said the Mount shore break challenged everyone throughout the weekend.
"There's still a lot of learning to be done before the nationals are held back at the Mount in March. It's given us something to work on for the next few weeks."
Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae's seven athletes brought home five regional titles and three second-place finishes.
The club was 14th overall on 20 points and sixth out of the Eastern Regional Clubs on 26.
As expected, Oska Smith was too hot on the sand for his rivals. He won the open and u19 men’s beach sprints, and also took gold in the u19 beach flags and silver in the open flags.
Clubmate Briana Irving was likewise too hot to handle in the sprints, winning the open title yet again, and claiming second in the open beach flags.
Christy Tate won the open women’s ski title. Georgie Beaufoy picked up silver in the u15 flags.
“Our crew had a lot of fun racing over the long weekend,” club manager Clara Wilson said.
“Thank you to Sonia Keepa and her team for putting on such a fantastic event.
“Our ‘beachies’ once again displayed their dominance on the sand and will be pleased with how they’re tracking towards the nationals.
“On the water, Christy had a great race to take the win in the open ski. Georgie and Max Phillips put in big efforts with pleasing results,” Wilson said.
“Sam Ferkins and Kendra Tate took on the tough conditions in both ski and double ski, making it to the semifinals.”
While Riversun Wainui's team of just three missed out on podium finishes, Mako Fukushima-Hall made several of the u15 finals in his first ERC.
He was fifth in the beach flags final, seventh in the board and beach sprint, 11th in the diamond and 13th in the surf race.
Wainui head coach Dion Williams said it was great to have some athletes back in the senior ranks.
“Mako performed really well. He made the finals and was really competitive in each one and with more race practice, he could really become a force in his age group.”
Williams said Nikau Rudge’s first surf racing competition ever was a tough initiation.
“But he was in the top half of the field in the surf race final and he learned a lot about racing in the ocean.
“Theo Weatherley, usually an IRB driver, was in the top half of the u19 surf race final.
“I’m chuffed with how we started back.”
