Letting off steam ... Whakaari/White Island is in the background as a field of ski paddlers race across the ocean at the New Zealand surf lifesaving nationals at Ōhope Beach. Nearly 1400 athletes from 46 clubs are taking part in the four-day carnival. Photo / Jamie Troughton – Dscribe Media Services
Letting off steam ... Whakaari/White Island is in the background as a field of ski paddlers race across the ocean at the New Zealand surf lifesaving nationals at Ōhope Beach. Nearly 1400 athletes from 46 clubs are taking part in the four-day carnival. Photo / Jamie Troughton – Dscribe Media Services
Midway’s Under-19 brigade are firing on all cylinders at the New Zealand surf lifesaving nationals at Bay of Plenty’s Ōhope Beach.
The red, white and green cap of Dawson Building Midway tasted gold, silver and bronze success on Day 2 to put the club in a top-five position on theoverall points standings.
The club’s title triumphs came predominantly in the U19 age group – Yahni Brown winning the surf race, Jacqueline Kennedy the ski, and respective beach sprint titles to Sophie Warren and James Hamblyn.
Tyson Ingoe won the U15 male beach sprint.
Riversun Wainui also celebrated gold success late in the day. The club’s open female crew of Rachael Williams, Belinda Slement, Sophie Cook and Vesna Radonich – who competed in the masters (over-30s) events on Day 1 – showed age is no barrier as they won the long course canoe final.
Reigning champions Omanu Beach are on track to retain the Alan Gardner trophy they won for the first time last year in Gisborne.
When the Gisborne Herald went to print on Friday, Omanu Beach had amassed 312 points, with East End from Taranaki second on 198 and Mairangi Bay from Auckland third on 176.
Wainui's Leigh Sheldrake and Belinda Slement after dominating their masters age group in the double ski on Day 1 of the national surf lifesaving champs. Sheldrake (nee Webster) is a former open ironwoman champion, nicknamed "the Pocket Rocket" earlier in her competition career. Slement was a member of Wainui's crew who won gold in the open female long-course canoe final late Friday afternoon. Photo /Jamie Troughton – Dscribe Media Services
Midway had banked 82 points to be sitting fifth, Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae were 22nd on eight and Riversun Wainui were 23rd on seven.
Clubs earn points for first to sixth placings in events.
Midway’s U19 crew added silver and bronze to their gold collection.
Liila Hain was third in beach sprint, while Ella Sutton was second in the U19 board.
Warren and Hain also competed in the U17 age group – placing second and third respectively in the beach sprint.
The Midway team of Hamblyn, Brown, Maxwell Kennedy and Max Phillips were third in the open men’s tube rescue.
Brown also went close to medals in the run-swim-run (fifth) and the ski (fourth), banking valuable points for his club.
Midway’s Sam Matthews was fourth in the U15 board final, while the club’s Australia-based New Zealand representatives Oliva Corrin (fifth in the open female board) and Cory Taylor (sixth in the open male board and surf race) added points to the tally.
Earlier, Wainui speedster Stavers King registered the club’s first point of the nationals with his sixth placing in the U15 male beach sprint final.
For Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae, Maxwell Latu was fourth in the U17 run-swim-run, while beach sprinter Georgie Beaufoy was fourth in the U19 and fifth in the U17 age group.
Former Waikanae club member and world champion Oska Smith, now competing for Omanu, retained his open male beach sprint crown.
