Cyclone adds thrill to Surf Cross

Smuggling Marine's crew will be holding on for dear life as they vie to defend their series lead in the Thundercats National Surf Cross Series at Waipu Cove this weekend.
The Auckland crew of driver Logan Pringle and co-pilot Chris Wells will be up against the elements on Sunday, with a swell of around 4m expected to hit the Bream Bay coastline thanks to the remnants of tropical cyclone Wilma.
Last year's winner, Smuggler Marine, is closely followed by Black Pepper in second place and Jungle Coffee in third, in the national series.
"After gaining two wins in the competition so far, we are aiming to maintain the No 1 position, focusing on keeping the boat upright and maintaining our title," Pringle said.
Around 18 crews will battle out round four of the surf cross series at Waipu, which sees them racing around a rectangular course at high speeds about 200m near Waipu Surf Club.
It is an adrenaline-filled race with boats making impressive jumps, reaching heights of 4m above the waves, Thundercat Racing Club president Steve Frogley said.
"The big surf will make things a lot harder on the body but it's a lot of fun ... we will race the surf cross races in any conditions," he said.
There are two legs of the surf cross series remaining, at Piha on February 19 and at Hawke's Bay on February 26.
Before the surf cross racing, round two of the National Endurance Series kicks off the weekend tomorrow morning.
Competitors will participate in the 100km circuit style endurance race which starts at Waipu Cove just south of the Surf Club and heads towards Langs Beach.
The 18 crews set to line up will do six laps of this course, reaching speeds excess of 80km/hour.
The course will be close enough to the beach to enable great viewing for spectators.
Round one of the endurance series was held at Ahipara and was a great success. Henderson Demolition have a tidy lead to date, with one round remaining at Hawke's Bay on February 27.
Racing tomorrow and Sunday starts at 11am, and will conclude around 1pm tomorrow and 3.30pm on Sunday.
Thundercats racing originated in South Africa where they began racing in the early 1980s with local crews racing inflatable boats down treacherous rivers and along the rugged coastline. Inflatable boat technology has come a long way since those first thrill-seeking pioneers, but the sport is still as thrilling today.