Over 500 athletes for eastern junior champs

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

It's been a long time coming but Whakatane will finally host one of surf lifesaving's largest junior events this weekend.

The two-day Eastern Region Junior Championships start at Ohope tomorrow morning, with sunshine and light winds forecast for the Bay of Plenty beach.

That's in stark contrast to the weather bomb that hit the venue two years ago and forced the abandonment of the event before racing could even begin.

With over 500 athletes from 19 different North Island surf clubs competing, the championships are the ideal preparation for the Oceans 20 championship this month.

The event has drawn huge interest from the likes of Mount Maunganui (93 entries), Omanu (73), Gisborne's Dawson Building Midway (58) and Papamoa (53), while the resurgent hosts have the fifth-largest contingent, with 46 athletes ranging from the under-8 to under-14 division.

Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae have 14 entries and the other Gisborne club, Riversun Wainui, have 11.

There are also clubs represented from Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Hawke's Bay and Taranaki.

Omanu will go in as defending champions following a 49-point win over hosts Whangamata last year, with Whangamata winning in 2017 at Waihi Beach.

“We're really focused on giving every athlete the chance to shine and hone surf skills,” Eastern Region sport manager Mark Inglis said.

“It looks like the weather will play ball.”