Riversdale clinches surf awards

Supreme lifesaving awards have been made to the Riversdale Surf Lifesaving Club and one of its star volunteers.
The Wairarapa club won the regional 2011 Club of the Year Award and committee member Jane Thackery won the Volunteer of the Year Award at the Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa's Awards of Excellence celebrations on Saturday night.
David Beattie, Hawkes Bay regional club development officer, said Ms Thackery was presented with the Volunteer of the Year Award for "an amazing 206 lifeguarding hours on the beach and her dedication and commitment to training and support of the club and members".
He said Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa surf lifeguards last year provided more than 13,046 hours of patrols, performed 52 rescues, administered 123 first aids and conducted 14 searches. They also performed 7553 preventative actions involving 19,338 people. The awards honoured achievements in lifeguarding, surf sports, coaching and volunteer categories and were all hotly contested, Mr Beattie said.
Pacific Surf Life Saving Club featured prominently at the ceremony, taking home the prestigious titles of Lifeguard of the Year and Rescue of the Year.
Emma Hubbard, 23, was awarded Lifeguard of the Year for her exceptional commitment to her role of director of lifeguarding and her strong leadership skills.
Danyon Spiller, 15, received the Rescue of the Year Award for his outstanding rescue of a young boy who was struggling in large surf on Marine Parade Beach.
Spiller, a newly qualified lifeguard who was off-duty at the time, raced to the boy's rescue and after supporting him in the water for 20 minutes returned him safely to shore.
Members of Westshore Surf Life Saving Club dominated the sports awards taking home the top accolade for Outstanding Sports Person of the Year won by Daniel Moodie, 23, and Coach of the Year awarded to Chris Swain.
Ocean Beach Kiwi also made a huge resurgence in competition this year to finish within 10 points of Westshore and claiming many Hawkes Bay Championship titles.
Graeme Ward and Phil Harman, both from Waimarama Surf Life Saving Club, also won esteemed awards; Ward was named Surf Official of the Year and Harman Instructor of the Year.
"We are hugely proud of all our winners and would like to congratulate them for their tremendous efforts this year," Mr Beattie said. "Surf Life Saving New Zealand is grateful for all the work they do to help prevent drowning and injury on Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa beaches."