Surf lifesaving: The racers getting the biggest air on the water

The North Island IRB racing championship is being held in Whangamata. Photo / Supplied

There will be thrills and spills aplenty at Whangamata this weekend, with surf lifesaving crews from around the North Island set to carve through the waves at the IRB racing Championships.

As with any motorsport, the inflatable rescue boats mix speed, action and plenty of grunt, providing lots of excitement for spectators.

But it's also a sport with a very serious purpose.

For the Muriwai premier crew of Andrew Lancaster and Ashley Matuschka, the event is not only a chance to prepare for the coming summer competition season, but it also allows them to refine their skills for what will be a busy lifesaving season on one of New Zealand's most dangerous beaches.

Matuschka said he and his driver Lancaster still regularly patrol together at Muriwai.

"The cool thing about IRB racing and surf lifesaving sports in general, is that whilst it's great getting out there and thrashing around, it's also a great way to develop the skills for your job. When Andrew and I respond to a rescue, we'll absolutely be doing exactly the kinds of things we'll be doing in a race," said Matuschka.

"Of course you're a bit more cautious in real-life situations because you are maneuvering around people, but without a doubt, we've been involved in a whole lot of rescues and we've used plenty of the skills we've picked up in racing.

"And that's probably why the sport started in the first place, they wanted to come up with another way of developing the skills of the guards and have some fun while they're doing it."

Matuschka, who has teamed up with Lancaster for the past seven seasons, said while IRB racing is seen as just a bit of fun among some surf lifesavers, it is nevertheless highly competitive.

"I used to paddleboard and do all the skis and that sort of stuff and I always thought IRB was a bit of a laugh in comparison, but once we came in to the premier division and started racing in it, we realised it was pretty hotly contested," he said.

"There are crews all over the country that spend a lot of hours training and prepping gear, which is a big part of it. So naturally when you invest a lot of time in something, there is a lot on the line. So there's definitely a few nervous moments before the gun fires at the start of the race."

IRB racing is, fast, exciting and highly skilled. It requires an intimate knowledge of the boat, precision driving procedures, high levels of physical strength and fitness, as well as some plain good luck on the day.

The competition, which gets under way tomorrow, involves five disciplines: single rescue, assembly rescue, tube rescue, team rescue relay and the mass rescue.

This year the North Island Champs will be split over two days for the first time and Matuschka believes this is reflective of how much the competition has grown over the past few years.

"Year-on-year it's pretty well-attended and given that the strongest clubs in IRB racing over the last few years have all come from the North Island, it makes it a hotly contested event."

The Muriwai pair's stiffest competition is likely to come from Jaron Mumby and Chris Scott of New Plymouth's Fitzroy club.

Mumby and Scott, who are former New Zealand representatives, have dominated the surf racing since 2003, are heavily favoured to take out all the events.

But Matuschka remains confident he and Lancaster can jag at least a couple wins.

The Muriwai pair took out the tube rescue event at last year's North Island Champs, with their Taranaki rivals winning the other three main categories.

Matuschka believes he and Lancaster can further challenge the dominance of the Fitzroy crew this weekend.

"We've been training pretty solidly," he said. "It's the kind of sport where anything can happen, we'll give it a good crack, that's for sure."