It's a curious quirk of fate that Whangamata's 42-strong band of junior surf life saving talent head to their home beach as defending Eastern Region champions this weekend.
The two-day Eastern Regional Junior Championships will draw nearly 500 under-14 athletes from 24 clubs throughout the North Island, with an ideal 1m swell and fine weather forecast.
That's in stark contrast to the 4m swells which hammered the east coast of New Zealand last weekend, or the storm swell that hit Ohope last year and caused the event's abandonment before it had even begun.
What it does mean is that Whangamata's 17-point win over Omanu in 2017 at nearby Waihi Beach was the last time the championships were held, a point not lost on Whangamata coach Tom Lowe.
"I guess that makes us defending champs?" he laughed.