Surf Life Saving: Mount Maunganui have largest team heading to Eastern Region champs in Gisborne

Pāpāmoa's Leon Castle putting the finishing touches to his preparation before this weekend's Eastern Region championships. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

Mount Maunganui are known to dominate the overall point score of the Eastern Region championships having won the last eight titles - but this year they won't be at home and have a new venue to contend with.

More than 530 surf athletes from 27 clubs will head to Gisborne's Midway Beach today for this weekend's Eastern Region Championships (ERC) - the first time in the 57-year history of the event it has been held there. For most of the past three decades, Mount Maunganui has hosted the event.

The Mount's 65-member team is the biggest attending, featuring Mount Monster endurance winner Declan Dempster, previous winner Hamish Miller, as well Great British and French internationals.

Red Beach are the next biggest team, with 47 athletes, followed by Omanu (40), Waikanae's 37 and Ocean Beach Kiwi's 34. Keep an eye out too for Mairangi Bay's canny ranks, while Otaki have been boosted this year by a clutch of Wellington talent, including Burns and Mount Monster female winner Ella Kingi.

ERC is typically the second-biggest carnival behind the national championships, with athletes competing until Sunday. Included in the ranks are 10 members of the world champion Junior Black Fins, creating an intriguing sub-plot in what promise to be sublime racing conditions.

"It'll be really interesting to see how we stack up against the open competitors and it's going to be hugely exciting getting to race alongside and against the top competitors in New Zealand," Junior Black Fins co-captain Claudia Kelly explained.

East End's Kelly will join fellow world champions Waikanae's Briana Irving, Piha's Oscar Williams and Lucy Makaea, Pāpāmoa's Mitch Cowdrey and Aidan Smith, Otaki's Macy Burns and Mount Maunganui trio Declan Dempster, Lochlainn O'Connor and Tessa Bradley at the ERCs, with the 18-year-old fresh from her club team triumph in the Central Region champs in Taranaki.

They'll race the likes of senior Black Fins Max Beattie and Murdoch Finch (Omanu), Midway's Chris Dawson and Olivia Corrin and former Olympic kayaker and swimmer Steve Ferguson (Piha), with Corrin - who is also still just 18 - wary of the under-aged brigade.

"The next generation of surf sports is looking very strong and it is exciting to watch all the younger athletes starting to come through and show their talent," Corrin said.

Corrin starred at the recent Champion of the Bays event in Whakatāne, after a month's break to recover from November's world titles in Adelaide.

She's targeting her last year in the under-19 age group but more than anything, she's keen to ensure the first ERCs held in Gisborne certainly won't be the last.

"I love racing at my home beach Midway and I'm really excited that the ERCs are going to be held here. With all the out of town athletes coming in to town, it brings an exciting and positive vibe to the Gisborne community, which is really great."

The weekend forecast is looking ideal too, with a solid metre of ground swell, hot summer temperatures and kind winds.

Many of the athletes will also be involved in Monday's national representative challenge, featuring 20-strong teams from most of the major regions.

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