KEY POINTS:
Red Beach will again host the most popular club-organised surf lifesaving carnival in the country when it stages the 51st Owen Chapman Cup today.
Entries are registered only on the day so it's possible competitors from the Bay of Plenty, Taranaki and Wellington along with Auckland's top clubs will take the opportunity to influence regional and national selectors and coaches.
The Owen Chapman Cup is the last chance for surf sports athletes to impress before teams are announced for the national provincial surf league at Mt Maunganui in March.
Over the years the carnival has become a magnet for regional lifeguard competitors and big fields have become a feature.
Red Beach expect more than 300 athletes in the open, under-19 and under-16 categories.
Arch-rivals, Red Beach, Orewa and Mairangi Bay are expected to battle for open men's honours, but hosts Red Beach also have very strong open women and under-19 athletes.
Today's hosts claimed the national club title at the New Zealand championships held at Oakura, Taranaki last March.
The benchmark for the open women in the swimming events will be New Zealand team member Johanna O'Connor, who leads a strong contingent from the Mt Maunganui club. Fellow New Zealand team member Michael Buck, from Mairangi Bay, will be hard to beat in the men's swimming events.
National board and ski champions Kevin Morrison and Travis Mitchell will lead the Mairangi Bay charge in the small craft, while Wellington's top-ranked boat crew, Titahi Bay, and national champions Red Beach will set the boat arena alive.
Leading women's ski and kayak paddler Katie Pocock will have to keep a close watch on the rising Red Beach paddling star, Rachel Clarke, who is improving with every event.
The national and provincial selectors will be paying attention to the head-to-head contests especially between athletes from the Northern region.
There is much interest in the under-19 and under-16 athletes with an 18-strong Northern Region team heading for a three event series with New South Wales Country and Central Coast in mid January.
The Northern Region team consists of six open, under-19 and under-16 members. All members of the representative team will compete today for their own clubs.
The carnival gives competitors an opportunity to assess their chances at the Northern Regional Championships held at Mt Maunganui at Anniversary Weekend.
