Young clubbies happy with hit-out

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

THE district's top young surf lifeguards acquitted themselves well at separate carnivals in Whangamata over the weekend.

They competed in an interclub carnival on Saturday and then several of them were included in an inaugural teams' event on Sunday.

Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae's Lachie Falloon won the under-17 ironman and board event on Saturday, and was a close second in the open ironman on Sunday.

“Lachie raced really well all weekend and that effort on Sunday was great against the big boys,” said Waikanae head coach Cory Hutchings.

Clubmate Chloe Kapene placed in the diamond, board and beach sprint in the under-15 age group.

“Briana Irving won the beach sprint both days and finished second and third each day in the beach flags,' Hutchings said.

“Seven Mapu won the beach flags and the beach sprint in the teams event, and was one of the star individuals in that event.”

Mapu was second in the open beach sprint on Saturday.

Dawson Building Midway head coach Matt Sutton said it was a really good carnival.

“Sophie Petro won the under-15 board and ski and was second in the surf race on the Saturday. She and Jack Lepper, along with Tyron Evans, were particularly outstanding.

“The three of them have really applied themselves in training over the last six months and it showed,” Sutton said.

“Their results do not surprise me.”

Lepper placed third in the u15 board and ski, and Evans was runner-up in the u15 surf race.

“He would have won it but unfortunately he tripped near the finish line.”

Riversun Wainui head coach Dion Williams said it was “a great hit-out for a December carnival against quality opposition.

“Jonty Evans raced well and I was really pleased with Ava Smith's performance in winning the open board. There were some good early-season signs.

“Jay Ryan-Emerre was there for a medal (in the u15 board) but was just pipped on the line. I'm really pleased with how she's going.”

Williams said the mixed age and club team event on Sunday was a fantastic opportunity for the Gisborne athletes to be part of a more high performance carnival.

“It was next level. It was excellent and brought back the old excitement of the teams' surf league.”

Midway's Will Pittar, Chris Dawson and Matt Scott teams, Waikanae's Falloon, Edan Wilson, Mapu, Irving, Nathan Proctor, Christy Tate and Georgie Pitkethley, and Wainui's Jonty Evans and Smith were involved.

“The Gizzy athletes who did the teams' international challenge on Sunday all raced incredibly well,” Hutchings said.

“It was a bloody good event and we need more of them. The feedback from the kids was great. They found it so explosive, with straight finals, and they really enjoyed it.

“Some even said it was the most fun they had had in competition since joining lifesaving.”

The surf was dead flat on Saturday and “deader than flat” on Sunday.