Cory Taylor ready to battle

SONIC YOUTH: Now based on the Gold Coast, Midway surf lifesaver Cory Taylor has been back in Gisborne for a few days. When he returns to Australia he will be in the last weeks of training for one of the most challenging events of his career — the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IronMan Series. Pictures by Liam Clayton

THE last time Gisborne surf lifesaving top gun Cory Taylor was back home was in March when he competed in the national championships at Midway Beach.

He returned from Australia’s Gold Coast this week to visit family and friends but was soon heading back out of the district again for the Surf Life Saving New Zealand Pool Championships, which started today in Auckland.

“It is always cool to come back,” said the 22-year-old. “I will be racing for Midway. The pool rescue event is another side of the sport. The variety keeps it interesting.”

What is really on the athlete’s horizon, though, is one of the biggest ocean-based events in the world — the prestigious 2015-2016 Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IronMan and IronWoman Series, a professional racing series combining the various disciplines of surf livesaving and featuring the world’s top surf competitors.

Taylor trialled for the series in 2012 and in 2014 but was unsuccessful.

Last month he gave it another go at trials held at Alexandra Headland Beach on the Sunshine Coast.

The 60 contenders in the men’s trials were vying for just three places. Two of those went to New Zealanders — Taylor and Omanu club member Max Beattie, both of who compete for Northcliffe in Australia.

Men's and women's divisionsThe ironman series features 18 contenders in each of the men’s and women’s divisions. They race over several rounds in front of huge crowds and the rounds are televised. Each of the series’ three rounds are made up of different formats contestants are only told about on the day. One format is known as the eliminator in which three contestants are knocked out of the race in each round.

“The ironman is pretty big for surf lifesaving . . . the top 18 are some of the greatest in the world,” says Taylor.

“I am going into battle with the big dogs. I want to get in there to learn some new skills. If you have done the work, you know you are good. If you are hurting, you know they are hurting too.”

Getting off to a good start is imperative. In the past 15 years, most of the early pacesetters have gone on to fight out the overall honours.

“There is a tendency for those at the top to stay there. That makes your fight a lot harder.”

Only a handful of Kiwi clubbies have competed in the event before, including Taylor’s namesake, three-time world ironman champion Cory Hutchings.

“That makes you want to race well and make your country proud.”