State Beach Series: Ferguson on top again

Steven Ferguson in action during the 5km Surf Ski Paddle. Photo / Sam Mayhew

Overcast but calm conditions greeted competitors in Race 4 of the State Beach Series on Takapuna Beach on last night.

There was plenty of interest in the Mens 5km Ski Paddle that's seen three of the country's best ocean paddlers pitted against each other.

Paddlers took to the ocean on an outward tide which together with a strong offshore breeze made the return paddle home tough. Olympian Steven Ferguson lead from start to finish, taking out the race to make it three from four, 19 secs ahead of fellow olympian Ben Fouhy and Travis Mitchell. Rachael Dodwell was the first woman home.

Olympic hopeful Steven Kent has dominated the 1km swim this season but in his absence Ben Gillies, a newcomer to the event this season, came in first six seconds ahead of North Shore teenager Jackson Cropp who has now placed in all for races.

Brenda Russell chalked up another win in the women's event where she's fighting out the top spot with NZ Surf Lifesaver Kirsty Wannan.

On the beach Tara La Grange is making the 5km run her own with four wins from four starts while Nick Sutherland ran home first in the men's race.

RESULTS
Ocean Swim - 1000/1500m - Male
1 GILLIES, Ben 13m 45s
2 CROPP, Jackson 13m 51s
3 ANDERSON, Ross 14m 02s

Ocean Swim - 1000/1500m - Female
1 RUSSELL, Brenda 14m 44s
2 ROSEWARNE, Nicole 14m 53s
3 WANNAN, Kirsty 14m 56s

Beach Run 5km - Male
1 SUTHERLAND, Nick 18m 07s
2 SELEZNEV, Kostya 18m 24s
3 MASON, Finn 18m 41s

Beach Run 5km - Female
1 LA GRANGE, Tara 19m 13s
2 RYAN, Lesley 21m 48s
3 MASON, Grace 21m 54s

Surf Ski Paddle 5km - Male
1 FERGUSON, Steven 26m 47s
2 FOUHY, Ben 27m 06s
3 MITCHELL, Travis 27m 48s

Surf Ski Paddle 5km - Female
1 DODWELL, Rachael 32m 28s
2 BUTT, Georgia 35m 48s
3 SIMPSON, Dene 40m 25s

Stand-Up Paddle 3km - Male
1 HUSTON, Troy 22m 26s
2 STEPHENSON, Jeremy 22m 45s
3 HOUGHTON, Mark 22m 48s

Stand-Up Paddle 3km - Female
1 SMITH, Stacey 26m 35s
2 LYTHE, Alana 27m 50s
3 STUART, Victoria 27m 51s

Board Paddle 3km - Male
1 BUTT, Stephen 27m 36s
2 SIDDINS, Mitchel 28m 23s
3 VANDERPUTTEN, Harry 30m 43s

Board Paddle 3km - Female
1 WILSON, Emma 27m 36s
2 CAMPLIN, Brita 30m 25s
3 STEPHENSON, Vanessa 31m 50s

Junior Beach Run 2.5km - Male
1 HADDY, Josh 10m 53s
2 ELLIOT, Luke 11m 40s
3 SAXBY, Toby 11m 41s

Junior Beach Run 2.5km - Female
1 HARDEN, Brieanna 11m 10s
2 LOUGHLIN, Eloise 11m 20s
3 GOOD, Samantha 11m 42s

Junior Swim - Male
1 ELLIOT, Aidan 5m 01s
2 HARDEN, Joshua 5m 10s
3 MCPHEAT, Adam 5m 27s

Junior Swim - Female
1 BROOKE, Elle 4m 34s
2 WALKER, Emma 4m 44s
3 HARROWER, Lauren 4m 58s