Omanu from the Bay of Plenty finished third on 80 points. Dawson Building Midway were ninth on 32, with five titles, and Riversun Wainui were 11th-equal on 26 points, with four golds.
“It's our best showing since I started coaching at Waikanae six years ago, and we are pretty pumped about it,” Waikanae head coach Cory Hutchings said.
“For us it was always more about getting our kids up to have good performances, and to try to win titles.”
The club did that work well. Their 14 golds were supplemented by 14 silver and 11 bronze medals.
“That makes me prouder than anything,” Hutchings said.
“We struggle to match the Mount numbers-wise but we certainly punch well for our weight.”
Waikanae's Lachie Falloon got the competitor-of-the-carnival award in the under-16s with gold medals in the ski and board, and was one of the club's standout performers.
“In the testing surf conditions for the under-16s, Lachie did really well,” Hutchings said.
“He was strong, consistent and calculated, and that's what you need in surf.
“It was pleasing to have Briana Irving, Casie Fyall, Lachie and Seven (Mapu) make New Zealand teams. I'm stoked for them. They've trained so hard.”
Midway finished with five titles, three silver medals and three bronze.
One of the golds was taken by Cory Taylor, who won the open ironman title for the fifth time.
He came out of the water after the final swim leg level with another competitor but outran him to the finishing line.
“It was exciting racing,” Taylor said.
“Races like that only make you better.
“It was awesome to hear the cheering for me from the crowd and to win on the beach I grew up on.”
Midway head coach Matt Sutton said he was “really happy” with how the club went.
“They're a great group of people from the bottom to the top, from the newbies to Cory Taylor.
“The four guys winning the open surf teams race was another highlight, aside from Cory's win in the ironman.”
Taylor, Chris Dawson, Shaun Pahina and Matt Scott won it, the 11th time Midway had done so.
“That's the most times it's ever been won by one club,” Sutton said.
Of Taylor's ironman win he said: “He's a tough kid; it could have been a different result. It was a fanastic win.”
He singled out under-16 competitor Olivia Gaddum for special mention.
“For Olivia it was her first nationals and for her to get sixth in the under-16 ski final is an unreal result.”
Wainui head coach Dion Williams said he was really proud of their team, and the four golds, three silvers and a bronze.
“In the big waves they fronted up and really performed well.
“With a bit of luck we might have had a few more points, because we had six fourth placings across the weekend.”
He pointed to the titles won by under-16 competitor Jack Keepa in the surf race, in the board rescue with Jonty Evans, and in the ironman.
“Jack was a shining light in the under-16 boys' division,” Williams said.
“He puts in the effort, big time, and he got the rewards, particularly in the ironman.
“I'm also very proud that he and Ava Smith have made the New Zealand youth squad.”
Midway have three in the New Zealand team — Chris Dawson, Olivia Corrin and Cory Taylor.
