Taranaki have taken a narrow lead after the first day of open competition at the New Zealand Surf League in Mount Maunganui, as they chase an unprecedented fourth title in a row.
Going into the final event of the day - the Dearlove relay - Taranaki and Gisborne were lockedtogether, but the defending champions romped home while Gisborne could only manage fifth.
It left Taranaki on 124 points, four ahead of their east coast rivals, although Auckland (118), Bay of Plenty (106) and Hawke's Bay (104) were all still within striking distance.
Taranaki's gun IRB crew of Andy Cronin and James Moorwood led the charge with two wins, while world champion Paul Cracroft-Wilson took out the beach flags and their mixed rescue relay team also tasted success.
Gisborne had teenage stars Devon Halligan and Cory Taylor to thank for their strong showing, with both athletes backing up from big performances in the under-19 division earlier in the day.
Taylor upstaged his senior rivals with a gutsy win in the ironman, while Australian-based Halligan edged Hawke's Bay's Nikki Cox in the ironwoman.
It was a day for the young stars, with Bay of Plenty 17-year-old Kodi Harman overcoming a bad start to win the open beach sprint.
Auckland took out both open surf teams races to stay in touch, while Chanel Hickman also scored maximum points for the northern province by winning the beach flags.
The efforts of Taylor and Halligan, meanwhile, helped Gisborne to a strong lead in the under-19 division, ending the day on 117 points. Auckland are second on 103, with Bay of Plenty and New South Wales a point behind.
