Medal hopes are high for Masters

CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENCE: Wainui’s two masters surf canoe teams will defend the national age-group titles they won in Gisborne last summer when they compete in the New Zealand masters surf lifesaving championships at Mount Maunganui tomorrow. The men’s team will be (from left) Matt Logan, Jason Low, Salvatore Zame and Andrew Reid.

SURF LIFESAVING

Veteran surf lifeguards open the TSB New Zealand Surf Life Saving Championships tomorrow at Mount Maunganui and while the Gisborne contingent will be smaller than usual, medal hopes are high.

Eleven over-30 lifeguards from Gisborne will join nearly 340 other masters competitors in the day-long competition.

Riversun Wainui will have nine in action, including two surf canoe teams. Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae and Dawson Building Midway will be represented by one athlete each.

Wainui’s Moira Lee, Sophie Burns, Anelia Evans and Carolyn Hodgkinson will defend the master women’s title they won in the 200-plus canoe in Gisborne last year.

The figure relates to the accumulated ages of the paddlers.

That Wainui team also won the bronze medal in the open nationals last year and in the Eastern Regional Championships in January this year.

“We have had a disrupted training programme for the past month or two though,” team captain Moira Lee said.

“We’re going over there to enjoy it and have some fun.

“Rest assured, though, we will be doing our best.”

Wainui’s men’s team Salvatore Zame, Andrew Reid, Matt Logan and Jason Low will again contest the 180-plus canoe.

The team won that age-group title last year.

“We are hoping for a bit of surf to keep it interesting, and it looks like we will get it,” team captain Matt Logan said.

“We feel we have prepared well. We’ve been training since December.”

Waikanae speedster Debbie Hutchings will compete in the beach sprint and beach flags in the 45-to-49 age group.

She has won those events each year for close to 10 years.

“For me, it’s just about taking part and joining in with other mature athletes,” Hutchings said.

“I don’t work on my sprinting any more but I still love to be in it.”

Midway’s Rob Fergus will compete in the 40-to-44 bracket in the beach sprints and beach flags.

He won both titles last year.

“I’m looking forward to going over,” he said.

“It’s going to be tougher competition than last year, being at the Mount.

“But I’m looking forward to the camaraderie and having fun.”

Wainui’s Sonia Keepa will compete in the 45-to-49 age division in the board, beach sprint and beach flags events.

Last year she won the board, and was second to Hutchings in both the beach events.

The forecast one-metre surf should make for ideal conditions for the surf events at the masters championships.

The New Zealand club titles start on Friday. They will be previewed in The Herald tomorrow.