It began as a punishment for trainee lifeguards deemed lazy during the week. Today, lifeguards from all over New Zealand will line up of their own volition for the Mount Monster.
Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service head coach John Bryant conceived 'the Monster' in 2004.
"It started as a punishment forour squad. If we'd had a bad week of training, I'd surprise them at the weekend with the Monster and there would be a few moans and groans."
Realising he had a potential event in the making, Bryant enlisted the help of Steve Bird, whose infectious enthusiasm got the first Mount Monster over the start line in December 2013. Such was its appeal that the inaugural event attracted lifesaving stars Cory Taylor and Danielle McKenzie, and more than 250 athletes took part in the 2014 event.
The Monster is a coastal adventure where participants run, swim, ski and board paddle through water, off rocks and across beaches. The swim starts spectacularly with a leap off Moturiki Island's blowhole.
At 25km, it is longer than most traditional surf lifesaving events, and this is the appeal for Olympic kayaker and K1 world champion Teneale Hatton. She brings a squad of people to today's event from Omaha Surf Life Saving Club, where she coaches.
"The club [Omaha] haven't raced a lot and we want to build up that experience. We are hosting the Northern Regional Championships in 2016 and have some people going to the national championships for the first time. Mount Monster is such a cool experience. There are lots of age groups and categories to race, and it's longer than most events, so it's a good test."
Bryant agrees that events are an important form of training for the serious business of saving lives in the water.
"Surf sports keep athletes in the movement, and teach training ethic and resilience. Ultimately the aim is to create fitter, faster lifeguards who can respond immediately to rescues and keep our beaches safer. That's what we've created in the Mount Monster."
