Midway Beach will look something like this when the SLSNZ national championships are held there next week. This was the scene in 2015, but this year looks set at this stage to be missing one valuable ingredient ... sunshine. Photo / Paul Rickard
Midway Beach will look something like this when the SLSNZ national championships are held there next week. This was the scene in 2015, but this year looks set at this stage to be missing one valuable ingredient ... sunshine. Photo / Paul Rickard
Around 1300 surf lifesaving athletes and an estimated 2000 to 3000 supporters and officials will descend on Gisborne next week for the Aon New Zealand Surf Life Saving Championships.
The Midway Surf Rescue Community Hub will host the championships, which start with Masters events on Thursday, followed by three days of club championships in Under-15, U17, U19 and open divisions.
“We are gearing up for an incredible event in Gisborne from March 6-9,” said Surf Life Saving NZ event manager Matt Cairns, who comes from Gisborne.
“The variety of events makes for an exciting spectator experience.
“The event programme profiles a huge range of skills ... canoe paddlers, surf boat crews, surf swimmers, beach sprinters and ski and board paddlers.
“With over 1300 athletes ready to showcase their talents, we’re in for four days of fierce competition, unforgettable moments and a true display of strength, skill and sportsmanship.
“A special thank you to Aon and Trust Tairāwhiti for making this event possible.”
Cairns said they were “buzzing” as they counted down to the carnival.
The pageantry of the march past has gone from the surf lifesaving nationals but it used to be a big deal back in the day, including in 1969 at Midway Beach. Photo / Gisborne Herald
However, a poor weather forecast for Wednesday to Sunday of next week looks likely to make for a challenging few days for the lifeguards.
MetService today predicted rain or shower activity from Wednesday into Sunday, with daytime temperatures of 20-22C and southerly or southeasterly winds.
The heavier falls of rain are expected on Wednesday, with showers to follow over the next four days.
Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service will be out to extend its winning streak and add another Allan Gardner Memorial Trophy for top overall club to its collection.
The Mount amassed 133 points in 2024 to win top club for the 10th consecutive year, while Dawson Building Midway claimed second with 102 points and Ōmanu SLSC was third with 96 points.
Ōmanu ended the Mount’s 16-year unbeaten run in the weather-shortened Eastern Regional championships in January this year at the Mount, so a battle royal can be expected in Gisborne.
Last year the championships attracted 1370 athletes from 47 surf lifesaving clubs.
Staff from SLSNZ and local volunteers will begin to set up the beach for the championships over the weekend.
The Herald will preview the championships from a Gisborne club viewpoint from Wednesday.
