Camaraderie and support was one of the highlights of this 25 year anniversary North Island Surf Boat champs in Waihi Beach. Photo / Kathy Bland.
Camaraderie and support was one of the highlights of this 25 year anniversary North Island Surf Boat champs in Waihi Beach. Photo / Kathy Bland.
The giant boats of surf lifesaving battled for line honours at the North Island Surf Boat Championships for 25 years in Waihi Beach.
And Waihi Beach provided challenging and thrilling surf.
"The biggest challenge however is the same one impacting almost every sporting code and event in the country right now," says North Island Surf Boat Champs event manager Natalie Lloyd. "Covid decimated crews to such an extent that instead of the original 60 crews, 27 finally made it to the start line."
Among those forced to withdraw were local favourites, the Whangamata Motorboaters: one by one Steve Pipe's crew succumbed to the long reach of Covid-19.
Steve says he was gutted for the boys and his own disappointment ran deep.
"It's the first time in 15 years I've not been in Waihi Beach and it hurts."
Event organisers did everything in their power to ensure the event went ahead, including allowing clubs to enter team substitutions until just before the start.
Camaraderie and support were highlights of the 25th anniversary with clubs helping each other, offering not only replacement equipment but replacement crew members too.
"Most event plans require a Plan B, contingency plans for the unforeseen, but this year's event pretty much got to Plan X by the time crews and clubs pulled out, entry fees plummeted, volunteers and event workers went down with Covid or went into isolation," said Natalie.
Natalie is also a board director for Waihi Beach Lifeguard Services.
Big surf at the North Island Surf Boat Champs in Waihi Beach 2022. Photo / Kathy Bland.
"Perhaps because of the somersaults and backflips required to pull it off, this year's event had a real X-factor," she says.
"For many crews and competitors, this event was the first or one of very few surf boat racing competitions to go ahead this season, so they were determined to make the most of it."
She said the effort to deliver the championships event was "100 per cent worthwhile".
"Just to see the broad smiles, the laughter and banter within and between clubs."
The reduction in entries meant fewer entry fees but companies kept up their generosity in providing prizes. The organisers thanked Ryco, Fire Suppression Systems and Coca-Cola who helped ensure no one went home empty-handed.
Organisers say they are already looking at plans for the 2023 event.
Surf wasn't the only challenge at the North Island Surf Boat Champs in Waihi Beach as teams had to pull out due to Covid. Photo / Kathy Bland.
