Waikanae closing in on the Mount’s heels at NZ Surf Life Saving Championships in Gisborne

Off and running: The under-16 diamond lady competitors get off to a fast start in a heat at the New Zealand Surf Life Saving Championships at Midway Beach. A day after the masters had their event, the club champs started with competition in u16, u19 and open divisions yesterday. The championships end on Sunday.

WAIKANAE had a great run on Day 1 of the TSB New Zealand Surf Life Saving Championships at Midway Beach and emerged as the club most likely to challenge defending champions Mt Maunganui.

The Mount had accumulated the most points on the first of the three days of competition — 50 — and Waikanae were on 46.

The Gisborne club’s medal rush started first thing yesterday, when Christy Tate won the under-16 girls’ ski and clubmate Brooke Willock took bronze.

Waikanae enjoyed more golds right across the beach during the day.

But their highlight top placings came in the u19 and open women’s board relays, where the teenage team of Lauren Pickett, Ella van Kregten, and Georgie Pitkethley took both titles.

They won the open final quite easily, then backed up to win a thrilling age-group final.

Pitkethley was the particular heroine in that race. She went into the water as the third paddler in sixth or seventh place, powered her way through the field, and outsprinted her rivals in the run to the finish flags.

“It was a bloody good day for us,” Waikanae head coach Cory Hutchings said.“It was a bloody good day for us,” Waikanae head coach Cory Hutchings said.

“I was really stoked with the club’s performance. Everyone raced well and everyone enjoyed themselves.

“We started the day with Christy’s gold, then finished the day with a gold in the canoe.

“We are all looking forward to getting amongst it in the bigger surf conditions today and tomorrow.”

The southerly change overnight has transformed the surf on the city beaches, from small, clean half-metre waves yesterday to a choppy metre to 1.5 metres today.

The more challenging conditions prompted competition organisers to transfer the under-16 events to Waikanae Beach this morning.

Midway finished the day yesterday with 6.5 points, in eighth position overall.

“Our athletes put in some gutsy efforts yesterday, but we didn’t have much go our way,” club coach Matt Sutton said.

“We are looking forward to how things might go for us in the bigger surf.”

The club’s highlights yesterday included an open men’s surf race silver medal to Matt Scott, who lost out on the run up the beach to a teenager from Taylors Mistake.

Midway's u19 girls’ canoe team scored a thoroughly deserved silver in the long-course canoe.Their u19 girls’ canoe team scored a thoroughly deserved silver in the long-course canoe.

Kirby Scammell, Haylea Rodgers, Alex Bermingham and Annabel Higgins put in a great final paddle.

Midway’s other medals were bronze in the open men’s board relay and the u19 women’s ski.

Riversun Wainui finished the day in 16th position with three points.

The Wainui u19 girls’ board relay team of Saffi Vette, and sisters Stella and Ava Smith won the bronze medal, and there were bronze medals in the canoe.

Great credit must go to the Wainui’s women who won the canoe event for teams with a combined age of 200-plus . . . Great credit must go to the club’s women who won the canoe event for teams with a combined age of 200-plus in the masters champs, then raced yesterday against women half their age.

Anelia Evans, Sophie Burns, Carolyn Hodgkinson and Moira Lee raced their hearts out to take the bronze.

The Wainui u19 boys also produced a fine effort for a bronze.

Waikanae’s day ended with gold for their u19 canoe team of Ben Bristow, Cole Williams, Sam Ferkins and Jordan McLarin. They blitzed the field.

Waikanae’s open women took the silver in the tough women’s long-course canoe final, just ahead of the Wainui women.

Their open men’s team completed a strong showing for Waikanae in the canoe with a hard-fought silver.

Quaid Thompson, Alex Bristow, Zach Ferkins and James Blackburne put in a gutsy effort for second place.

Briana Irving took the gold medals in the u19 and u16 beach sprints.

Waikanae won gold in the beach relays, Casie Fyall was second in the open women’s beach sprint and Jamie Gedye was third.

Maddie Wilson won bronze in the u16 women’s sprint.