Sunset Beach took a narrow lead into the final day of the North Island IRB surf lifesaving championships in Ohope today, despite Waimarama dominating the podium.
Waimarama's premier crew of Mike Harman and Ben Cross dominated the premier division in the tube rescue and mass rescue finals on the first day of the carnival, which doubles as the second round of the Surf Rescue national series.
The Hawkes Bay duo also helped win the teams race final, while their club's under-21 crew picked up the mass rescue final.
In contrast, Sunset Beach - from the mouth of the Waikato River - managed only one gold, when Sam Dwen and Shane Edwards grabbed the tube rescue title, but picked up enough placings with their six crews to collect 35 points from the day, one ahead of Waimarama.
Dwen and Edwards found the one-metre swells tricky but mastered their starts, which proved the difference.
"We've come a long way - not so long ago it was just me and Sam racing but now we've got six crews, all still under-21, and we're the leading crew overall," Edwards said. "We're hoping to just maintain that consistency tomorrow, pick up a few more medals and see where it takes us."
World champions Steph and Carla Laughton dominated the women's division, winning both the mass and tube rescue finals, with Taylors Mistake, Sunset Beach and United North Piha picking up the minor placings.
Tomorrow's program will see competition in the prestigious single rescue and assembly rescue divisions.
Results from the penultimate day of the North Island IRB surf lifesaving championships in Ohope today:
Premier men
Tube Rescue: Waimarama (Ben Cross/Michael Harman/Timothy Cox) 1, Paekakariki (Richard Whinham/Mitchell Logan/Netta Cagney) 2, Westshore (Bradley Hall/Ryan Ennor/Jessica Ennor) 3.
Mass rescue: Waimarama A (Ben Cross/Michael Harman/Leila Cross/Luke Davis/Travis Wainwright) 1, Waimarama B (Timothy Cox/Jason Harman/Zoe Nilsson) 2, Otaki (Luke Christensen/Brad O'Leary) 3.
Premier women
Tube rescue: St Clair (Carla Laughton/Stephanie Laughton/Natasha Scott) 1, Taylors Mistake (Meg Fisher/Molly Bell/Zoe Merrick) 2, Sunset Beach (Tori Shrimpton/Taylor Shrimpton/Robbie Shrimpton) 3.
Mass rescue: St Clair (Carla Laughton/Stephanie Laughton/Natasha Scott) 1, United North Piha (Grace Joseph/Katherine Reardon/Tamsin Reilly/Simone Hollier) 2, Sunset Beach (Mal McGuire/Alana Ibbs/Lewis Powell/Samantha Coughlan/Joshua Higgie) 3.
Senior
Tube rescue: Paekakariki Gold (Dwight Garton/Tyler Mills/Amy Spiekerman) 1, United North Piha (Leif Neilson/Miles Regal/Maddy Shieff) 2, North Beach (Hayden Andrews/Matthew Aplin) 3.
Mass rescue: United North Piha (Leif Neilson/Miles Regal/Maddy Shieff/Simone Hollier) 1, East End (Steven Rolfe/Scott Nelson/Jessica Cox/Lisa Cox) 2, Paekakariki (Dwight Garton/Tyler Mills/Amy Spiekerman) 3.
Under-21
Tube rescue: Sunset Beach (Samual Dwen/Shane Edwards/Grace Poole) 1, Papamoa (Chad Wheeler/Kirby Wheeler/Paul Smith) 2, Muriwai (Lincoln Baltus/Thomas Clarke/Jessica Polo) 3.
Mass rescue: Waimarama (Luke Harman/Rhys Harman/Luke Davis/Travis Wainwright) 1, Muriwai (Lincoln Baltus/Thomas Clarke/Jessica Polo) 2, Papamoa (Chad Wheeler/Kirby Wheeler/Paul Smith) 3.
Open teams
Waimarama (Timothy Cox/Ben Cross/Jason Harman/Michael Harman/Leila Cross) 1, East End (Campbell Begg/Scott Busing/Geoffrey Cronin/Scott Nelson/Lisa Cox) 2, Papamoa 3.
Points
Sunset Beach 35, Waimarama 34, Paekakariki 26, St Clair 21, Muriwai 21, Papamoa 20, United North Piha 19, Taylors Mistake 18, East End 18, Westshore 14, North Beach 5, Otaki 5, Kariaotahi 4, Mairangi Bay 4.