Surf calls off-duty firefighters

FIREFIGHTERS AT PLAY: Serving and retired firefighters will get a taste of Gisborne’s surf when they gather for the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Surfing Championships next week. Leon Kahn, organiser of this year’s event, is pictured competing in last year’s contest at Raglan. Picture supplied

SURFING

FIREFIGHTER surfers from across the North Island will descend on Gisborne next week for the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Surfing Championships.

The titles were to have been held in April this year, but were postponed due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

“Covid stomped on the champs earlier in the year, as it did to everything else,” event organiser Leon Kahn said.

“We were going to cancel it but decided at the last minute to scramble and put an event together.

“We’ve got men and women, current and former firefighters, coming from most areas of the North Island — about 40 of them at this stage.”

The championships will be open to serving and retired career staff and volunteer firefighters.

The championships will have an open division, under-40s, over-40s, 50-plus, 60-plus, a women’s division, a stand-up paddleboard section, and novice and longboard divisions.

“The level of surfing is far from impressive, but the event isn’t really about that,” Kahn said.

“It’s more about getting people together every year, although there is a bit of simmering rivalry if you look hard enough.”

The championships were held in Raglan last year.

“We’ve got four surfers from the Gisborne area entered at this stage, and we could end up with another four by the time the champs roll round on Wednesday and Thursday,” Kahn said.

“Former Gisborne senior station officer Mike Milne will step out of retirement and look to regain his over-60s title and there’s a couple of newcomers in Jake O’Connor and Pete Clark.

“It’s actually the first time in the event’s history that Gisborne has a full team of four surfers.

“We’ll definitely be missing Mags Middleton-Echave, who usually has a firm grip on the women’s title but will miss this year’s event,” Kahn said.

The contestants gather in Gisborne on December 1 for a briefing and pre-championship get-together.

“I’m sure local surfers won’t mind giving us a bit of space on Wednesday and Thursday next week. We really appreciate the support.

“Huge thanks to local sponsors Sunshine Brewing and Mitre 10.”