Kids can spend a day on the beach with two of the world's top surf lifesaving athletes at Waimarama today.
New Zealand surf ironman Daniel Moodie and ironwoman Nikki Cox, two of Hawke's Bay's champion surf lifesaving athletes, are teaming up to meet with local kids on Monday from 10am-4pm.
Moodie and Cox will be available for photos, to sign autographs and give hot tips to young nippers wanting to follow in their footsteps.
The double act is fresh from competing in the New Zealand Surf Lifesaving team that finished second at the Lifesaving World championships Rescue 2010, in Egypt, in October. Both have been picked to compete in the International Surf Challenge, in Mount Maunganui.
For Daniel, spending a day on the beach with local kids at Waimarama was a great opportunity to give back to the community that supported him as he developed into a champion.
"Living on the Gold Coast makes it hard to get home as much as I'd like, especially during the summer, but this season I want to get back home and meet the new nippers coming through the ranks," he says.
Nikki lives in Wellington where she divides her time between university studies and chasing surf lifesaving national and international titles.
She saw the chance to team up with her Westshore clubmate as a great opportunity to help the next generation.
"I get back regularly to help out the kids when I can, and I know Dan does as well when he can, but it's just a bit harder for him," she said.
"We thought it'd be cool for the kids if we organised something and got as many kids down to the beach as possible, not just the kids doing nippers for competition but every nipper who's keen."
"We'll make the day fun, start with the little kids by having some games and we'll generally just hang out with the kids all day - we'll do anything, it's fun for us as well."
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