Waikanae’s Seven Mapu won the u16 men’s beach sprint and was second in the u19 final to complete a dream afternoon for the Gisborne club.
Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae ended the day top of the overall points tally with 43 — six ahead of defending champions Mount Maunganui — with fellow Gisborne club Dawson Building Midway fifth on 20.
The Midway performance was dominated by their history-making efforts in the rescue arena.
Under-19 star Olivia Corrin and first-year open competitor Jess Blakeman kicked things off by winning the open women’s tube rescue title, then backed it up with victory in the board rescue.
It is the first time since Christchurch sisters Andrea and Tina Hewitt did the rescue double in 2002 that this feat has been achieved.
“I was really happy with Jess’s paddle and we got a nice ride home,” Corrin said. “There were some tricky conditions to read but we got a bit of luck and managed to hold on.”
Not to be outdone, Cory Taylor and Matt Scott stepped up for the Midway males, winning the open men’s tube rescue and grabbing a wave near the cans to collect the board rescue title as well.
That feat had not been achieved since New Plymouth Old Boys in 2010 although Mount Maunganui’s George Haynes was part of different winning combinations in 2014.
It is, however, the first time one club has collected all four titles at the one nationals and created some personal history for Taylor — his first open board national title.
“Scotty had a bad side for the swim out but I got an opening in the board through a rip and just committed,” Taylor said.
“I could hear Olivia yelling at us as she was warming down and then a wave popped up and we slid down it. It feels incredible to do the double.”
Waikanae’s points tally was boosted by Georgie Pitkethley and Lauren Pickett’s fine win in the u19 women’s board rescue, and second placings to Nathan Proctor and Nic Proffit in the u16 men’s board rescue and Edan Wilson and Emily Horne in the u16 women’s board rescue.
Jack Keepa and Jonty Evans got Riversun Wainui on the board with third in the u16 men’s board rescue.
There was another notable double in the double ski, with Mairangi Bay taking out the open men’s and women’s races in heavy 1.5m surf.
Danielle McKenzie and Rachel Clarke won the women’s race for the third year in a row — McKenzie’s fourth in five years — while Travis Mitchell and Mike Lee won for the second year in a row but Mitchell taking his seventh overall.
Papamoa teenager Aiden Smith won his first open men’s beach sprint after falling in the under-19 final. He headed home Mairangi Bay’s Daniel Dyet — who was chasing his third title in a row — and Papamoa clubmate Kodi Harman, who won four titles from 2011 to 2014.
The event began with a minute’s silence for victims of the Christchurch terror attack.
