Waikanae duo will be contenders

HOME BEACH: The crack Waikanae IRB team of Connor Mitchell and Oliver Shivnan (pictured in action) will lead the charge for Gisborne in the North Island surf lifesaving inflatable rescue boat championships in Gisborne at Waikanae Beach this weekend. It’s the first time such a major IRB competition has been held here. File picture

SURF LIFESAVING

THE well-performed Waikanae inflatable rescue boat combination of Connor Mitchell and Oliver Shivnan get the chance this weekend to showcase their skills in a major carnival on their home beach.

The North Island IRB championships will be staged tomorrow and on Sunday at Waikanae Beach.

Over 50 crews will be in Gisborne from all over the North Island, and some from the South Island.

Mitchell and Shivnan will again contest the under-23 division, where they won three gold medals and a bronze.

Last year they never got the chance to compete for the New Zealand titles, because the national champs were cancelled due to Covid-19.

The Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae duo will be a force to be reckoned with this weekend.

“We are really looking forward to competing on our home beach,” Mitchell said.

“We’ve been training well.

“Oli and I have been hard at it since November, and we’re ready to go.”

Mitchell said the overall Waikanae team for the titles looked great, with five crews racing.

“I’m excited about how the whole team might go this weekend.”

Sam Blackburne and Cole Williams will join them in the under-23 age group, and will be hoping to carry on their strong form from the u19s last season.

Waikanae club manager Clara Wilson said that Britta Carroll and Ana Naden had been putting in the hours, even though they were living on different islands.

“They’ll be looking to bring home some more medals in the open women’s category,” Wilson said.

“Travis Mitchell and Harry Allan will hit the u19 group again this year, and they’ve been putting in the work to chase down the mass rescue title again.

“And Matt Kemp and Alan Thorpe are dusting off their lifejackets to get back into the fray.

“These two legends of the sport have been in retirement for a wee while, so it will be amazing to watch them in action again.

The patients to be “rescued” at great speed by the Waikanae teams are Silke McNaught, Hamish Swann and Emily Horne.

The Dawson Building Midway and Riversun Wainui clubs will not have crews competing this weekend.

Racing starts at 8am on both days, and the arena will be set up just in front of the Waikanae club.