Surf Lifesaving: Ferguson in form in series opener

Steve Ferguson has competed at the surf lifesaving worlds 2002, 2004 and 2006. Photo / Getty Images

Triple Olympian Steven Ferguson will retire from kayaking after the London Olympics but that won't be the end of his competitive ambitions.

The 31-year-old wants to have one more crack at the New Zealand surf lifesaving team, with the Rescue 2011 world championships to be held in Adelaide two months after London.

He made a strong statement to selectors today at the first round of the Sonic Surf series in Whangamata, winning the ski race and finishing fourth in the surf race despite little in the way of recent swimming training.

"I've got good fitness from my kayaking and swimming's a bit like riding a bike - I just swing my arms around and it all comes back to me when I'm under pressure," Ferguson said.

The son of Olympic kayaking great and former surf ironman Ian Ferguson has plenty of pedigree, competing in breaststroke at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 2000 Sydney Olympics before switching to kayaking.

He also competed at the 2002, 2004 and 2006 surf lifesaving worlds and would love another crack, six years after his last appearance, having moved back into surf this season as coach of the Piha club.

"I've told the selectors I'm pretty keen, if that's something they're interested in," he said. "This will be my last year of kayaking and I'll be extremely fit after the Olympics so I'll try and bring that into surf if I get the opportunity.

"Once you've done it before, you understand what it takes to get there so it's really just a case of putting the hard work in."