SURF'S UP: The Wanganui Board Riders Club looks forward to a bumper summer and an increase in membership. PHOTO/WANGANUI BOARD RIDERS
SURF'S UP: The Wanganui Board Riders Club looks forward to a bumper summer and an increase in membership. PHOTO/WANGANUI BOARD RIDERS
As summer nears, the Wanganui Board Riders club is looking for new members. And the club is just as passionate about protecting and promoting the North Mole as it is about surfing.
President Ben Englebretsen and Jared Quirke took over the running of the club about six months ago withthe aim to revitalise it.
"It sort of lost a little but of direction, it needed a bit of rejuvenation," he said. "It was definitely still going, but we're just trying to get a bit of momentum with it. There's a lot of people that surf down there."
Englebretsen said the club had about 50 members but had the potential to grow.
The club accepted people of all skill levels and club member Kerry Hagen was keen to have the club teaching people, he said.
While the surf breaks were not as consistent as around Taranaki, they were good enough and always uncrowded.
The club also hosts competitions and competes in an annual interclub event with the Opunake club. The Oakura club was keen to set up a regular interclub contest with Wanganui.
"We're starting to branch out and be recognised. It's been slowly building," Englebretsen said.
The club is also affiliated to Project Castlecliff and pushes to promote the area
"A lot of the guys are concerned about how the North Mole has been quite neglected. We've kind of got the same concerns. It does have a lot of potential down there."
The club meets on the first Tuesday of each month at a member's house. Anyone interested in getting in touch with the club can visit the "Wanganui Board Riders" Facebook page.
