The Muriwai club showed strength across the divisions to defend the Owen Chapman Cup in near perfect conditions at Red Beach yesterday.
Similar to previous surf lifesaving carnivals, it was in the women's open, under-19 and under-16 sections that the club shone.
Muriwai's performance was outstanding considering many of its top
athletes were absent because of injury or other commitments.
"Some of our athletes are not as fit as they were this time last year, plus some of our swimmers are away on training camps," said Muriwai coach Craig Johns. "But we were thrilled with the performance of Lucy Pengelly in the women's ironman, especially in the ski leg of the event."
Johns said his team had also made some silly mistakes, causing a couple of injuries that could take some of the team out of upcoming carnivals.
But that negative had been balanced by a positive with the return of their top beach sprinter Lizzi Fysom, after injury.
Muriwai's winning tally came from many of the club's younger competitors winning their age-group events and competing well in higher grades.
"To win the points tally is really encouraging, but now it's time to get into some real fitness work leading up to the Northern Region Championship Auckland Anniversary weekend and the national in Christchurch mid-March," Johns said.
Three-time world Ironman champion Cory Hutchings finished a gruelling weekend with victory in the Ironman event.
His Midway (Gisborne) team-mate Matt Sutton was second.
The pair are in preparation for the second round of the Australian Ironman series at Portsea this weekend.
Hutchings had been suffering from the flu last week and needed the three carnivals (Orewa, Muriwai and Red Beach) during the weekend to sharpen his fitness.
