Midway started the Saturday programme in fifth place overall on 31 points, then were fourth, on 67, starting the Sunday programme.
“Saturday was an unbelievable day for the crew,” Midway head coach Jack Gavin said.
That tremendous effort continued on the final day as the medals kept flowing.
“It was an unbelievably good few days for the club,” Gavin said.
“Everyone raced hard and got the results they worked for and deserved.
“There were too many good results across the weekend to single out any one athlete.
“I’m just proud of the way the crew raced for each other and had a lot of fun while doing it.
“As always, a big thank-you goes to our managers, parents and supporters. None of this would be possible without them.
“I also want to thank Matt Sutton for helping me out with coaching across the weekend. I am very fortunate to have someone as experienced as him to lean on.”
“Lastly, I would like to thank our major sponsors Dawson Building and Universal Engineering. Their support plays a vital role in our surf sports programme.
“Bring on the Gizzy Nationals 2025 at Midway!”
Midway’s Olivia Corrin was among the standout competitors at the champs, winning the open women’s iron, board, run-swim-run and surf race individual titles and the board rescue with Sophie Petro.
Corrin said before the championships she wanted to press for a place in the “Black Fins” New Zealand team again this year, and she certainly did that.
Midway’s medal flow continued on Friday with gold in the open women’s board rescue to Petro and Corrin, to Corrin in the open run-swim-run, to Angus Blair in the under-19 run-swim-run, and to the u19 men’s canoe team (Austin Fergus, William Matthews, Jack Searle and Sam Gaddum) in the short-course event.
Blair and Matthews won silver in the u19 board rescue, and Tyron Evans won bronze in the u19 men’s run-swim-run.
On Saturday, the club’s medal rush accelerated with gold to Blair, Evans and Jack Lepper in the u19 board relay, to Jacqueline Kennedy, Ella Sutton and Hannah Webb in the u17 ski relay, and to the u19 canoe team, who completed the double by winning their long-course event.
Silver medals were won that day by the open men’s surf team of Cory Taylor, Evans, Blair and Yahni Brown, the u17 ski relay team of Brown, Fin Cameron and Max Kennedy, the u19 women’s ski relay team of Sophie Petro, Kennedy and Alice Sparks, the u19 women’s board relay team of Sophie and Emily Petro and Sparks, and the u19 men’s surf race team of Lepper, Blair, Brown and Evans.
Bronze medals that day went to the u17 board relay team of Brown, Cameron and Harry Hayward, the u19 ski relay team of Lepper, Blair and Evans, and the u17 board relay team of Emily Petro, Sutton and Kennedy.
On Sunday, the medal rush carried on, with gold to Corrin, Evans and Sutton, silver to Blair and bronze to Kennedy in the “iron” finals.
Bronze medals went to Brown, Sutton and Petro in their ski finals.
In taplin finals, the u19 men won silver and the u17 women won bronze.
Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae finished with 18 points — 15th place — with Christy Tate adding the open women’s ski title in a thrilling final.Oska Smith won gold in the u19 beach flags to go with his gold medals in the u19 and open beach sprint events. Briana Irving added the open women’s beach flags title to the open women’s beach sprint gold.
“What an incredible nationals for the Gisborne clubs,” Waikanae club manager Clara Wilson said.
“It was fantastic to see the strength and skill on display and to see all three clubs coming home with national titles.
“We are very proud of the performances put in by our team.
“Oska was outstanding, winning three national titles. He works very hard at his craft under coach Arna Majstrovic and just keeps getting faster.
“Two national titles for Briana in a very fast field shows this young lady’s ongoing dominance on the sand.”
“Christy paddled incredibly well to bring home that open women’s ski title, battling to the very end to take the win.”
Riversun Wainui picked up a gold medal too.
Mako Fukushima-Hall took out the u15 beach flags title, which club head coach Dion Williams described as “bloody awesome”.
The youngster narrowly missed out on another medal in the u15 board final.
“He was third throughout the race, then almost got into first as he neared the beach, only to have five guys catch a wave behind him,” Williams said.
“He finished fifth.”
Williams said it was terrific to have the Wainui club back at the nationals, with more competitors expected in 2025 at the Midway nationals.
