Editorial: Sporting variety a blessing

Mal Eggington has turned his passion for surfing into a recreational and business lifestyle. Photo / John Stone

The four nominees for this year's Northern Advocate Sports Personality of the Year award are a great example of Northland's varied sporting climate.

The award is decided by you, our readers, through public vote, which closes in two weeks.

You sometimes hear people grumble about the dominance of rugby on our regional and national sporting landscape. Well, the only oval ball reference among this year's nominees is rugby league, and even that is through the side door of Brad Flower's nomination because football is Brad's preferred sport, but his sporting governance expertise is such that he has also served time with the Rugby League Northland board.

It is a common theme among our nominees this year, that not only do they play, they "do".

Mal Eggington has turned his passion for surfing into a recreational and business lifestyle.

And he also helps out developing surfing as a sport, through his role as president of the North Coast Boardriders. He has also been part of the Polar Bear Classic competition since its inception in 1981. Squash player Angus McDonald sponsors an annual major Squash Northland event, and is a member of the Northland Masters team. He has also been involved with the NZ Deaf Squash team over recent years and in 2014 finished 11th at the World Deaf Squash Association Championships in the Netherlands.

The Wilson sisters are Vicki, Kelly and Amanda, and have become prominent equestrian personalities, within showjumping and through their work with wild Kaimanawa horses.

Their TV show Keeping up with the Kaimanawas attracted half a million viewers each week, and they also have two best-selling books and a documentary.

Surfers, horse lovers, squash aficionados and football fanatics.

Who wins is up to you.

Email your choice to competitions@northernadvocate .co.nz or text the initials NAD and your vote to 021 241 4568.

Voting closes on December 2.