Double whammy of local champs

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

FOR the first time in a long and proud history the Gisborne senior and junior championships will be held over Waitangi weekend as back-to-back events.

The junior champs kick off the long weekend tonight from 5.30pm at Midway Beach and will be completed tomorrow morning.

With 183 aspiring lifeguards entered, the event is set to be the biggest junior champs yet.

The Waikanae, Midway and Wainui clubs will battle it out for club supremacy. Last year Waikanae won by just one point from Wainui.

The attention turns to the senior athletes tomorrow as the prestigious Ralph Morse Shield goes on the line.

Waikanae are defending the shield after ending Midway’s 16-year winning streak last year.

Racing will start with the large craft events from 2pm, followed by canoe and double ski events later in the afternoon.

Remaining events will run from 8am on Sunday culminating in the pinnacle ironman and taplin relays.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand Gisborne club support manager Renee Wikaire is excited at the prospect of high-quality racing at both championships.

“It’s been amazing to see the growth of junior surf in the area and with 183 entries this year, that’s a testament to the hard work of all the local clubs.

“In the senior ranks, there is a lot of hype amongst the clubs and there are a number of athletes who have not competed in years that are coming back.

Some of the top surf lifesavers in the country will be wearing the Midway or Waikanae caps including New Zealand representatives Jamie Gedye (Waikanae), Olivia Corrin (Midway), Casie Fyall (Waikanae) and Matt Scott (Midway).

Wikaire encourages the public to head to Midway to catch the action over the weekend.