Taming the Monster

TOP THREE: Midway Surf Life Saving Club member Ella Sutton (right) was second in the Mini Monster race held as part of the Mount Monster surf lifeguard endurance event at Mount Maunganui on Saturday. She is pictured with winner Elizabeth Brennan (middle) of the Orewa club and third-placed Freya Stolte (Fitzroy).Picture by Alan Gibson/Gibson Images

MIDWAY club member Ella Sutton finished second in the Mini Monster surf lifeguard endurance event at Mount Maunganui on Saturday.

Twelve-year-old Sutton was 43 seconds behind winner Elizabeth Brennan of the Orewa club.

Sutton clocked 46 minutes 48 seconds for the swim, board and run event over a distance of 3.5 kilometres.

“She finished second to a girl who was in an age group above her,” said proud dad and former New Zealand surf lifesaving representative Matt Sutton.

“It was a really good effort. Ella’s doing well. I’m really proud of her. It’s so cool to see all the hard work pay off for her.

“Ella’s fully committed to what she’s doing and the biggest thing for me is that she enjoys racing.”

Sutton also competed in the Bay of Plenty junior championships on Sunday, winning the diamond and board races in her age group.

The Mini Monster was an under-14 age group race held as part of the annual 24.5km Mount Monster, which is billed as “New Zealand’s most prestigious surf lifesaving endurance race”.

The Mount Monster comprises a 12km ski paddle, 5km run, 1.5km swim — that includes the famous five-metre jump from the Moturiki Island blowhole into the ocean — and 6km board paddle to the finish line.

Gisborne clubbies lined up as individuals or in teams.

Dawson Building Midway had 20 competitors involved and Sutton said “they all raced really well together”.

The Midway Mullets pair of Dylan Bronlund and Jacob Corrin were runners-up in the under-19 men’s division of the teams’ race and fifth team home overall.

They completed the course in 2 hours 34 minutes 29 seconds — 5 minutes behind an u19 team from the Red Beach club.

The Salty Gals from Riversun Wainui were third women’s team across the finish line and second in the u19 women’s section in 2:49:21 — 1min 10sec behind the winning u19 team from Omanu.

Salty Gals comprised Ava Smith (board and run), Hannah King (ski) and Emily Horne (swim).

“They were really strong, went really well, and they loved it,” said Wainui head coach Dion Williams.

The Midway Uni Gals team of Danielle Scott, Jess Blakeman and Kate Blakeman were third in the open women’s division in 2:58:05 and fifth women’s team overall.

Wainui’s Jonty Evans and Hue Cowie, competing under the name The Paki Hackers, were fourth in the u19 men’s team division and seventh team overall in 2:38:39.

Several Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae members competed.

Lachie Falloon was in the leading group until he suffered a leg injury, said Waikanae coach Cory Hutchings. He ended up sixth in the open men’s division and 10th overall in 2:35:09.

Clubmate Nathan Proctor was fourth in the u19 men’s division and ninth overall in 2:34:48.

Waikanae’s Georgie Pitkethley was fourth in the u19 women’s division in 3:07:58 and clubmate Edan Wilson was 10th in the u19 division in 3:15:48.

The Waikanae Walruses team of Matt Cairns, Nathan Williams, Freya Wilson and Emily Gillies were third open mixed team in 2:47:10.

History repeated in the individual men’s and women’s races. Hamish Miller (Mt Maunganui) won the men’s crown in 2:24:47 while Rachel Clarke (Mairangi Bay) won the women’s title in 2:50:21. The pair also won in 2017.

Organisers were delighted with the turnout in the eighth edition of the Monster.

Testing conditions made it extra tough, with wind gusts at times reaching 50 kilometres an hour.