Adrenaline of Inflatable Rescue Boat racing as 200 race in Waihi Beach

Thomas Swain of Katikati and Rian Butler of Waihi get airborn at the North Island Surfboat Championships in Waihi Beach on the weekend. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services

Airborne above the surf in a race against the best surf rescue boat operators in the North Island, Rian Butler rarely needs to use his voice to communicate with driver Thomas Swain.

"It's muscle memory," says the ex-Waihi College student. "On the water you are pretty much silent, you just know what each other is going to do."

Waihi hosted the second-largest Inflatable Rescue Boat racing competition on the Surf Life Saving calendar, with local crew Rian, Thomas and Finn Miller among 60 crews from 20 clubs throughout the country.

Each time the starting hooter sounded at the weekend's North Island IRB championships at Waihi Beach, each competitor demonstrated how years of training for rescuing people from our coastlines can produce phenomenal athletes.

Thomas Swain of Katikati and Rian Butler of Waihi get airborn at the North Island Surfboat Championships in Waihi Beach on the weekend. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services

Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRBs) are used in countless rescues on New Zealand beaches every year. The championship races replicate the skills needed in real-life rescue scenarios and the athletes taking part in this event are all active surf lifeguards.

Teams dragged their inflatable rescue boats to the water, dropped the outboard engine over the rear and pulled it into action, roaring off after a split second running entry into the craft.

In offshore swells, Waihi Beach was a spectacular arena as boats launched over the whitewater and unbroken waves further out to sea.

Here, a team member was hauled into the craft in a mock rescue before boats u-turned back to shore for a reverse of the boat launch and a relay-style repeat by the next team member.

On the first day of reopened events post-Covid 19 restrictions, the championships hosted 200 competitors and allowed spectators and surf lifesaving volunteers the chance to get close to the action.

"It's a great sport to get involved in, you get to do trips around the country and it is good vibes," says Rian.

Rian has dedicated himself to surf lifesaving since he was 5. He comes from three generations of surf lifesavers, his father Darren, grandfather Dennis and grandfather's brother John are all surf lifesavers of Waihi Beach.

Pauanui crew Macayla Loch and Georgina Dodd at the North Island IRB champs at Waihi Beach. Photo / Alison Smith

He became a rookie lifeguard at 14 and says IRB racing is his favourite.

"The adrenaline," he says.

Competitors like Rian demonstrate can sprint through shallow water and uneven sand, and disembark the boat almost so fast that, cartoon-like, their legs appear to be running before they hit the ground.

"It's just practice of hours getting the technique down."

Waihi Beach SLS officer Natalie Lloyd said the club was proud to have Thomas and Rian on the committee, voluntarily looking after the craft and learning to fix equipment themselves.

"The Waihi and Pauanui clubs did extremely well, with Waihi getting seventh overall and Pauanui ninth overall against 20 clubs, which is especially good given that they're young and up against clubs with much bigger sponsorship," said Natalie.

"We were very lucky to get sponsorship from Auckland Vehicles which has been really supportive."

Natalie said the east Coromandel clubs including Whangamata, Waihi Beach and Pauanui sometimes travelled to train in big surf that's available regularly on the west coast. But Coromandel guards are tested regularly in summer with real-life rescues as crowds flocked to the Coromandel.

"Particularly since Covid the beaches have been so much busier and the number of preventative actions have risen - and the drowning rate, which is horrible," says Natalie.

"We're seeing a lot of people who haven't been to New Zealand beaches ever, or for a long time, maybe because they were always away holidaying overseas and they're just not used to it."

ACC figures relating to fatal drowning claims over the past decade show swimming and fishing are the most commonly involved sports, while Waikato recorded the second-most fatal drowning claims.

Drowning is the leading cause of recreational death and the third highest cause of accidental death in New Zealand.

Water Safety NZ 2021 data reports Māori and men were both over-represented: 31 per cent of the fatalities were Māori (23 deaths), despite Māori comprising just 16.5 per cent of the total population, and 84 per cent male (62).

Waihi Beach SLS U19 women show how it's done locally at the North Island champs. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services

The U19 Waihi Beach female U19 crew, who won bronze against whitewater afficianados and 2021 winners from Sunset Beach on Auckland's west coast, said being young and female had shocked some patients they'd rescued over the years.

"I think some guys are embarrassed that they needed rescue when I was crewing and picking them up," said Chloe Poulter, 17.

"I've also seen people going out over the bar at Bowentown, which is a really dangerous bar, and had to say something about putting on a lifejacket. When I'm not in lifeguard uniform that's not always been well received."

Waihi Beach U19s Chloe Poulter, Mackenzie Tyrrell and Rose Swain took bronze, Waihi Beach U19 men took silver, and Pauanui crew Macayla Loch, Georgina Dodd and Grace Walters won bronze in the U23 Women's in both the assembly and tube rescue races - in just their second and third season racing.

"It's a good adrenaline rush, it's team bonding and you get to know everyone, and there's camaraderie," said Georgina. "All the other crews are super friendly, a lot of people volunteer to help you when you need it."

Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service were 2021 champion club and brought the largest team with 25 competitors and nine racing crews.

Surf Life Saving NZ sport event manager Mark Inglis gave special mention to the Bethells Beach U19 Females (Maraea Whiu, Chelsey Whiu, Hohaia Pouri Hone Whiu), and the Sunset Beach Open Females (Taylor Shrimpton, Abigail Chapman, Bella Perham) who won all four events in their age category.

Beachgoers can go to www.safeswim.org.nz to find out which beaches are patrolled and when lifeguards are on duty. The site also provides information on the hazards at a beach, such as strong wind or currents, to help plan a safe day out.

See the Rookie Champs this weekend at Waihi Beach and the national championships are April 9 and 10 at Waikanae Beach, Gisborne.