A previous Eastern Region Surf Lifesaving Championships at Mount Beach Beach. Photo /Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media
A previous Eastern Region Surf Lifesaving Championships at Mount Beach Beach. Photo /Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media
Wild weather is likely for the Eastern Region surf lifesaving championships at Mount Maunganui this weekend, with more than 700 lifeguards vying for honours.
Gisborne surf lifesavers could be forgiven for thinking they’re suffering a January jinx after a disrupted buildup to the biggest carnival of the season so far.
After a Covid-induced hiatus last year, the Eastern Region championships returns to Mount Maunganui, with more than 700 surf athletes testing their lifesaving skills over three days. Action gets underway at 3.30pm on Friday, with double ski and beach sprints, and racing begins on Saturday and Sunday racing at 8am.
They’ll be greeted by challenging conditions, with organisers keeping a wary eye on the stormy easterlies and a 2m swell forecast to build through until Saturday.
It adds to a hugely disrupted month for lifeguards from the three Gisborne clubs, Wainui, Waiakanae and Midway, which started with a New Year Covid outbreak and was then followed by the remnants of ex-Tropical Cyclone Hale, which slammed into the region a fortnight ago.
Gisborne town beaches have only just reopened this week after emergency sewage discharge valves poured untreated sewage into the city rivers system for eight days.
”It’s been an absolute nightmare trying to train, especially at Waikanae, and adds to a pretty miserable month here,” ironman legend and Waikanae coach Cory Hutchings said.
“It’s been really depressing, especially since we usually have so many tourists and holidaymakers enjoying our beaches at this time of year and it’s such a big part of our lives here and we haven’t even been able to swim.”
Hutchings’ Waikanae squad has had to train up the coast at Makarori, supplemented with pool swimming to keep the athletes fit.
With a relatively young squad heading up to Tauranga this week, Hutchings himself may make something of a comeback - if he’s needed to supplement some open men’s relay teams - although the 51-year-old will line up if a troublesome Achilles strain allows, and if Mount Maunganui delivers some swell as promised.
”The bigger and uglier, the better for us. The Gissy kids tend to see swell coming and get excited, not scared because they spend so much time in waves.
Some of the competitors who competed in previous Eastern Region Surf Lifesaving Championships in Mount Maunganui. Photo/ Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media
”With the national championships to be held in Christchurch in March, this weekend’s carnival will be the biggest of the season in the North Island, involving clubs from all around New Zealand.
The event has also attracted a host of talented young stars, including Waikanae duo Lachie Falloon and Jack Keepa, Piha’s Oscar Williams and Mount Maunganui’s Jayden Murphy and Hamish Miller.
East End’s Claudia Kelly helps headline the open women’s field, with Omanu’s Molly Shivnan and Mount Maunganui pair Olive Pearce and Rebecca Barron also likely to feature.
