Two of New Zealand's rising female stars of surf lifesaving made a huge impact at the Australian national championships at Perth over the weekend.
Midway's Madison Boon won the under-19 women's board race after she was by far the best performing female athlete at the New Zealand championshipsat Whakatane in mid-March.
At the New Zealand championships she won the under-19 ironwoman title and teamed with her clubmates to win the ski and board relay titles.
Boon added individual silver medals in the run-swim-run, board and ski races.
Also beating the Australians at their own game was Teneale Hatton from the Orewa club, who took the gold medal in the under-19 women's ski final. Hatton beat some of Australia's leading paddlers at their Olympic trials last month.
She now has the distinction of winning the second gold medal in the colours of her Australian club, Kurrawa.
Mt Maunganui's Natasha Scott teamed with her Kurrawa teammates for two relay gold medals and East End's Daniel Nelson took third place in the under-19 men's ski race.
New Plymouth Old Boys beach specialist, Ben Willis, competing for Queensland's Northcliffe, won silver in the open men's beach sprint, while Paul Cracroft-Wilson (Fitzroy/Kurrawa) and Morgan Foster (Sth Brighton/Kurrawa) won silver and bronze in the open men's beach flags.
