Waimarama's Mike Harman and Ben Cross, along with patient Leila Cross, dominated the premier division at the South Island IRB Championships in Dunedin during the weekend.
They won the tube rescue, single rescue, assembly rescue and mass rescue events before taking out the open teams race in a perfect rehearsalfor the national championships, which will also be held at Warrington Beach later this month. The weekend's event which doubled as the fourth round of the BP Surf Series involved 130 competitors who braved chilly conditions.
The Waimarama team's closest challengers were Dunedin crews from St Kilda and Brighton who shared the minor placings in all four divisions.
The under-21 division was a similar story, with Mt Maunganui twins Kirby and Chad Wheeler winning three out of four, together with patient Sam Roy. Only the North Beach crew of Hayden Andrews, Matthew Aplin and Georgina Jackson managed to break their streak in the assembly rescue.
The women's division was all Otago, however, with St Clair sisters Carla and Stephanie Laughton winning the tube rescue, single rescue and mass rescue titles, and neighbours Julia Clement and Anna Tangata of St Kilda grabbing the assembly rescue crown.
Sumner dominated the senior division with two strong crews, consisting of Luke Keats and Derek Shanks in one boat and Steven Parrat and George Thomas in the other.
