Gisborne lifeguards fly NZ flag proudly at International Surf Rescue Challenge

A powerful Mount Maunganui swell of around two metres provided extremely testing conditions for the first day of the International Surf Rescue Challenge. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

The New Zealand Black Fins went into Day 2 of the International Surf Rescue Challenge at Mount Maunganui in first place and Gisborne members of the team made significant contributions.

A two-metre-plus swell provided tough conditions in the water for an event featuring lifesaving athletes from 11 nations.

That afternoon the carnival was called off for the day because of the unrelenting seas.

On the shore, Gisborne’s beach athletes were too hot to handle on the disrupted first day.

Fleet-footed Briana Irving won the women's open beach sprint final on the first day of the championships, but injury sidelined her for Day 2. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

Reigning world championships Briana Irving and Oska Smith, competing for the New Zealand Black Fins, won their open sprint finals on Day 1.

Gisborne’s Cory Taylor (Midway), captain of the NZ Black Fins, rose to the occasion with a fine second place in the open men’s ski on Thursday.

Black Fins captain Cory Taylor rose to the occasion with a fine paddle in the open men's ski. Here he negotiates the final stages of the race in the big swells on Thursday. Photo /Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

He added a fourth placing in the open men’s surf race to score further points for his team.

Over half the fields failed to finish the men’s and women’s ski finals, such was the carnage caused by the thunderous surf conditions.

On the beach, Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae club member Irving took out the beach sprint final over Australia Britney Ingr and South African Zoe Beresford.

Oska Smith, formally of Waikanae and now with Omanu in the Bay of Plenty, did the same in the open men’s beach sprint.

He won the final ahead of Australian Matthew Lloyd and Spain’s Mario Gineres Garre.

Former Waikanae clubbie Oska Smith (black cap) won the men's open beach sprint final on Thursday and was second on Friday. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

Irving and Gisborne’s Olivia Corrin (of Dawson Building Midway) were part of the gold medal-winning Black Fins women’s beach relay team.

Smith was in the men’s team who won the B final in the men’s beach relay.

Midway’s Ella Sutton and Jacqueline Kennedy were in the Junior Black Fins beach relay team who finished third in their final.

In the beach flags finals later on Thursday, Irving was fifth in the open women’s final and Smith was sixth in the open men’s final.

Unfortunately, Irving suffered a leg injury in that event and was unable to compete on Friday.

The championships resumed at 8am Friday morning with swell conditions down a little on Thursday’s big waves.

The Black Fins started the day on 96 points, with Australia on 91 and South Africa third on 78.

“We saw some epic performances on Thursday before being cut short due to challenging conditions,” Surf Life Saving NZ GM Sport Zac Franich.

Taylor chimed in again on Friday with a second place in the open surf race and third in the ski.

Smith was second in the beach sprint and seventh in the beach flags.

Sutton was fourth in the youth board race final for the Junior Black Fins and Kennedy was fifth in the youth ski.

Corrin won the women’s ski, was third in the Ocean M (iron race) and second with Max Beattie in the mixed board relay.

Sutton and Kennedy were in the junior team who again finished third in the beach relay.

Smith was in the Black Fins open beach relay team who placed second.

The IRSC continued into Friday afternoon and, after a rest day on Saturday, the third and final day is on Sunday.