The K2 crew of Caitlin Ryan (left) and Aimee Fisher make a fast start in their heat at the world cup in Portugal. Photo by Rene Olsen.
Lisa Carrington continued her winning ways at the first kayaking world cup of the season in Portugal overnight, although it was a couple of relative rookies who provided the highlight for the New Zealand team.
Carrington, the world and Olympic K1 200m champion, cruised through her K1 500m heat early in the day at the wind-affected Montemor-o-Velho course to easily qualify for tonight’s final.
She clocked 1min 53.86secs, the fastest time of the day, to head off local paddler Teresa Portela and China’s Feng Wang, with Poland’s Beata Mikolajczyk and rising Hungarian Anna Kárász winning the other two heats and progressing directly.
Also progressing straight to tonight’s A final was the little-fancied New Zealand K2 500m boat, with Aimee Fisher and Caitlin Ryan jumping out to a fast start in their heat and never looking back.
The pair are mainly focused on filling the middle of the strong K4 boat, with Kayla Imrie and Jaimee Lovett, but showed enough form winning the New Zealand K2 title earlier in the year for coaching staff to try them on the international stage too.
Their heat time of 1:47.98 overnight was good enough to hold off the fast-finishing Hungarian crew of Anett Szilágyi and Fanni Simán, who were 0.7secs behind. Fisher and Ryan have earned a rematch with top Australians Jo Brigden-Jones and Naomi Flood, who they beat at the New Zealand nationals in February, although the Australian pair had to qualify through the semifinals after finishing second in a fast second heat.
That was also the route taken by Marty McDowell, the other New Zealander in action, as he also qualified for tonight’s A final in the K1 1000m.
McDowell finished fifth in his heat, won by Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta in a slick 3:35.13, but stepped things up in his semifinal, where he clocked 3:44.10 and finished second, 2.8secs behind Australian Murray Stewart. The New Zealander also had to battle the worst of the wind, which gusted up to 45km/h at times, out in lane seven but finished strongly.
As well as tonight’s finals, the Kiwi K4 boat will also begin its campaign, along with K1 200m specialist Scott Bicknell, while Carrington and McDowell will also move in distance.
Action from the second day of the Canoe Racing New Zealand national championships at Lake Karapiro. Feel free to tag or share but please don’t download. Photo by Jamie Troughton Dscribe Media Services info@dscribe.co.nz
Some of the big guns may be missing but New Zealand’s top kayaking talent have clear goals heading into the first world cup of the season.
The seven-strong canoe sprint team begins racing on Friday night (NZ time) at Montemor-o-vehlo in Portugal, the first of three world cups on consecutive weekends.
World and Olympic K1 champion Lisa Carrington heads the team, with a K4 women’s boat – Caitlin Ryan, Jaimee Lovett, Aimee Fisher and Kayla Imrie – and Scott Bicknell (K1 200m) and Marty McDowell (K1 1000m) joining her.
The first world cup comes just two weeks after the European championships, with a number of European nationals sending development squads instead. That suits the likes of Bicknell, who has been given instructions from coach Richard Forbes to race the clock rather than those around him.
“We are simply looking to show an improvement – I did a 35.9sec at last year’s world championships and a 35.6sec at the New Zealand nationals this year, so we’re mainly focused on showing that progression in performance,” Bicknell said. “If we keep chipping away at the time, the results will follow.”
Just two of the nine finalists from last year’s world championships will line up against Bicknell, although those two are defending world champion Mark de Jonge (Canada) and world championship bronze medalist, Spaniard Saul Craviotto.
“There’s definitely not the level of depth we would expect at the world championships but there are still some very good paddlers here and everyone is just keen to get amongst the racing and get the first hit-out done,” Bicknell said.
Carrington’s main rivals are also missing, including Hungarian Danuta Kozak, who pipped the 25-year-old New Zealander in last year’s K1 500m decider at the world championships. The longer 500m race will be first on Carrington’s programme this week, with South African Bridgette Hartley and Teresa Portela (Portugal) expected to be her main rivals.
Polish paddler Marta Walczykiewicz, who finished second to Carrington in the K1 200m world championship final, is racing this weekend but only in a K4 boat, with Sarah Guyot (France) and Portola the only other survivors from the final in Moscow last year.
Both Carrington and Wellington’s McDowell will sport new Nelo boats this weekend, with the 28-year-old McDowell looking to build on his impressive national championships in February. He demolished a strong K1 1000m field, heading Olympic silver medalist Ben Fouhy and 2012 Olympian Darryl Fitzgerald by nearly 5secs, after linking with Carrington’s coach Gordon Walker this season.
His 3mins 45.78secs nationals time, albeit in choppy conditions, is still some way off the 3:25.09 clocked by world champion Josef Dostál (Czech Republic) last year, although Dostál, silver medalist Miroslav Kirchev (Bulgaria) and third-placed Rene Poulsen (Denmark) will all be missing this weekend. Australian Murray Stewart and former Olympic K1 500m champion Adam van Koeverden (Canada) will be among the leading contenders.
Two members of the women’s K4 boat will get an early look at the expected choppy conditions in Montemor-o-vehlo, meanwhile, with Fisher and Ryan combining to race the K2 500m on the opening day. The pair captured the national title earlier in the year with a shock win over Carrington and Lovett and Australians Jo Brigden-Jones and Naomi Flood, who made the final at the worlds last year.
Most interest will centre on the larger boat, however, with Imrie joining the K4 ranks for the first time this year and Canoe Racing New Zealand investing in top Danish coach Rene Olsen to run their program.
Olsen has a solid background with Danish national teams after a lengthy career as a former top-level sprint paddler and more recently, marathon kayaker, with crews under his watch winning fistfuls of world championship medals.
While Carrington and paralympian Scott Martlew have been pre-selected for the world championships in Italy later this year, the other crews will need to prove their worth at the world cups.
“We’ve been pretty selective about the squad we’ve chosen and definitely have Rio de Janeiro in the back of our minds,” CRNZ chief executive Mark Weatherall said. “We’re looking for strong international performances, plain and simple. These crews need to prove that they are capable of reaching finals at the highest level.”
Sumner crewman Steven Parrat and driver George Thomas competing at last year’s BP Surf Rescue New Zealand Championships. Photo by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services
If North Island IRB drivers are expecting a warm welcome at this weekend’s BP Surf Rescue New Zealand Championships at Warrington Beach near Dunedin, they’d best think again.
A cold front is due to hit the deep south just as racing starts on Friday afternoon, testing the 73 crews contesting the season-ending inflatable rescue boat titles, with a rising swell also predicted.
That could play right into the hands of the Mainlanders, with Sumner crewman Steven Parrat excited about the weather prospects.
“The cold will hopefully knock the North Island crews around a bit but it will just be another competition for us, as it’s the norm for it to be a bit nippy at our carnivals!” Parrat quipped.
Parrat, 25, and his 24-year-old driver George Thomas claimed two of the four premier titles at last year’s nationals in Whangamata, capturing the single rescue and assembly rescue crowns, and won three of the four premier titles at the South Island championships earlier this month.
Though the Christchuch builders have struggled to get quality time in the boat this season, with the earthquake rebuild in full swing, they should be right in the mix come finals time.
“Winning those two golds last year was great and it let us know that we are competitive with the top crews in New Zealand,” Parrat explained. “But the race can be anyone’s in premier grade, depending on who fires on the day, so you can never be over-confident.”
Their main premier competition should come from defending club champions Papamoa, with twins Kirby and Chad Wheeler dominating the North Island championships before Christmas and Liam Smith and Tomee Berthelsen also fast. Waimarama’s Mike Harman and Ben Cross have won plenty of national titles in the past, while Brighton pair Simon Roberts and James Walters have even more local knowledge than the Sumner pair.
The women’s division is even more open, with 19 crews – including nine from South Island clubs – battling it out.
St Clair have unearthed another star female duo, following on from the retirement of the world champion Laughton sisters, with Briar Taylor and Maysha Aherns clean-sweeping the South Island titles and helping the Dunedin club take overall honors ahead of arch-rivals St Kilda.
Fitzroy’s Katie Watts and former New Zealand ironwoman champion Jamie-Lee Reynolds collected two golds at the North Island champs, while East End, Opunake, Waimarama, Sunset Beach and St Kilda also have strong crews.
Another St Clair crew, Arthur Ibbotson and Angus MacKenzie, will be strong contenders in the 20-strong under-21 division, along with Westshore’s Taylor Dick and Ryan Ennor and Opunake’s Thomas Bell and Jordan Hooper, while the senior division is the largest of all, featuring 23 crews from around New Zealand.
Racing starts at 1.30pm on Friday and finishes on Sunday afternoon. BP Surf Rescue New Zealand Championships:
(Warrington Beach, Dunedin)
Friday (1.30pm start): Tube rescue heats and finals
Saturday (9.30am start): Assembly rescue heats and finals, mass rescue heats
Sunday (9.30am start): Mass rescue finals, single rescue heats and finals, teams race heats and final.
Nick Wilson (right) and Sam Roy celebrate their under-19 canoe double at the national surf lifesaving champs in Gisborne. Photo by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services
Mount Maunganui’s surf lifesaving dynasty shows no sign of abating, after storming to their third consecutive overall points win at the AquaPick New Zealand surf lifesaving championships in Gisborne today.
It’s the sixth time the Bay of Plenty club has won the Alan Gardner Trophy in the last nine years and this win was by far the most comprehensive.
The 213 points they accumulated over three days is believed to be the most-ever, easily eclipsing the 176 they gathered last year.
After starting the final day 69 points ahead of hosts Midway, the Mount team wasted no time in pulling even further ahead.
Their final-day tally was boosted by winning the open men’s taplin and dominating the under-16 boys arena, where young stars Hamish Miller, Daniel Barron, Isaac Marshall and Morgan Brocklesby seemed to lead a yellow and black tide.
Mount also won three titles in the canoe arena, including a double for the under-19 men, while Jess Miller and Charlie Haynes added individual under-19 wins and Perry Farrell continuing his outstanding consistency.
Elsewhere, Max Beattie continued the great carnival for Bay of Plenty clubs by claiming his third national ironman title in familiar style.
The Gold Coast-based Omanu star edged his New Zealand teammate and defending champion Cory Taylor by mere inches after a dramatic final sprint on Midway Beach, continuing a growing trend of tight finishes between the pair.
Beattie, the cousin of New Zealand 100m track star Joseph Millar, won his first title in 2012 in exactly the same fashion, then pipped Taylor in the 25km Mount Monster endurance race just before Christmas.
“I guess I’ve got some aunts and uncles to thank for my speed because Cory and I have definitely got into the habit of sprint-finishes lately,” a jubilant Beattie said. “He’s an phenomenal ironman and probably nearly deserved the win today himself but I jumped onto a runner on that final ski leg and tried to slow my breathing and heart-rate down a little because I knew it was going to end up in a foot-race.”
Despite the looming threat of the remnants of Cyclone Pam, there was little in the way of wave assistance on the final day, with Taylor, Beattie and Australian Tanyn Lyndon locked in a battle throughout the opening board leg and into the swim.
Taylor appeared to make his decisive move in the ski leg, before Beattie summoned one last burst to draw level heading into the beach.
“I didn’t know if it was Max or Tanyn coming for me at the end but then I saw the yellow tip of Max’s ski edge into view and just thought ‘here we go again’,” Midway’s Taylor said. “I’m obviously a bit disappointed but I was happy with how the race went.”
Another Australian, Kristyl Smith, took out the ironwoman final, after a strong swim leg took her out in front of Kiwis Devon Halligan and Danielle McKenzie. Halligan claimed the New Zealand title ahead of McKenzie, although Smith was wary of a quality field.
“The competition has been awesome and I’ve really had to put my head down in each race,” Smith said. “Natalie Peat is on fire, Devon’s going great and Danielle McKenzie is the best board paddler in the world at the moment, while I’ve had a couple of really close battles with Devon over the years, so it was great to come out on top.”
Halligan won the board race, out-sprinting Smith and McKenzie, while Papamoa’s Peat won the surf race.
The undoubted female star of the carnival, however, was one of the youngest athletes competing. Midway’s Olivia Corrin, at just 14, walked away with 10 gold medals from the three days, including a gold in the open board relay and a bronze in the open board rescue with Halligan.
She should’ve added the under-16 diamond lady crown to that extensive list but was disqualified yesterday after her handler forgot to wear a club cap.
New Zealand selectors, who later added her to the national development squad, requested she be allowed to race the final and she promptly won, though the title went to second-placed finisher Grace Kaihau (Orewa).
“I wasn’t sure about going into the final after getting DQ’ed yesterday – I knew I wouldn’t be racing for a medal but I raced to know where I stood in the field,” Corrin explained. “(Midway surf legend) Benny Hutchings told me it would be like candy without the wrapper – I could win the race but not get the silverware to prove it, but at least I’d know what I was capable of. Plus there’s always next time.”
Beattie also claimed the board race title, while Titahi Bay kayaker Marty McDowell collected his fourth open men’s ski title, pulling away from Mairangi Bay pair Kevin Morrison and Travis Mitchell.
“I tried for a long time to win this race and it took a while but now I’ve got a taste for it – I’m really looking forward to getting back and having another go next year,” McDowell said.
Arch-rivals Piha and Titahi Bay shared the spoils in the open men’s surf boat arena, although Titahi Bay ended a five-year drought by winning the feature long-course final, ending Piha’s four-year domination.
“It means so much – it’s just been too long between titles for Titahi Bay,” Titahi Bay’s Chris Middleton said. “It’s just unreal and an incredible feeling, especially to beat Piha in a close race like that. They’ve had an amazing streak and even though we’re fierce rivals, we seem to bring the best out in each other.”
Piha won their fifth short-course final in the last six years, however, and had further consolation in the open women’s long-course final, where their top crew beat home Red Beach and Muriwai.
A number of Mount athletes were also included in the national squad announced following the carnival:
Omanu’s Max Beattie (left) outsprints Midway’s Cory Taylor to win his third national ironman crown at the New Zealand surf lifesaving championships in Gisborne today. Photo by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services
Max Beattie claimed his third national ironman title in familiar style at the AquaPick New Zealand surf lifesaving championships in Gisborne today.
The Gold Coast-based Omanu star edged his New Zealand teammate and defending champion Cory Taylor by mere inches after a dramatic final sprint on Midway Beach, continuing a growing trend of tight finishes between the pair.
Beattie, the cousin of New Zealand 100m track star Joseph Millar, won his first title in 2012 in exactly the same fashion, then pipped Taylor in the 25km Mount Monster endurance race just before Christmas.
“I guess I’ve got some aunts and uncles to thank for my speed because Cory and I have definitely got into the habit of sprint-finishes lately,” a jubilant Beattie said. “He’s an phenomenal ironman and probably nearly deserved the win today himself but I jumped onto a runner on that final ski leg and tried to slow my breathing and heart-rate down a little because I knew it was going to end up in a foot-race.”
Despite the looming threat of the remnants of Cyclone Pam, there was little in the way of wave assistance on the final day, with Taylor, Beattie and Australian Tanyn Lyndon locked in a battle throughout the opening board leg and into the swim.
Taylor appeared to make his decisive move in the ski leg, before Beattie summoned one last burst to draw level heading into the beach.
“I didn’t know if it was Max or Tanyn coming for me at the end but then I saw the yellow tip of Max’s ski edge into view and just thought ‘here we go again’,” Midway’s Taylor said. “I’m obviously a bit disappointed but I was happy with how the race went.”
Another Australian, Kristyl Smith, took out the ironwoman final, after a strong swim leg took her out in front of Kiwis Devon Halligan and Danielle McKenzie. Halligan claimed the New Zealand title ahead of McKenzie, although Smith was wary of a quality field.
“The competition has been awesome and I’ve really had to put my head down in each race,” Smith said. “Natalie Peat is on fire, Devon’s going great and Danielle McKenzie is the best board paddler in the world at the moment, while I’ve had a couple of really close battles with Devon over the years, so it was great to come out on top.”
Halligan won the board race, out-sprinting Smith and McKenzie, while Papamoa’s Peat won the surf race.
The undoubted female star of the carnival, however, was one of the youngest athletes competing. Midway’s Olivia Corrin, at just 14, walked away with 10 gold medals from the three days, including a gold in the open board relay and a bronze in the open board rescue with Halligan.
She should’ve added the under-16 diamond lady crown to that extensive list but was disqualified yesterday after her handler forgot to wear a club cap.
New Zealand selectors, who later added her to the national development squad, requested she be allowed to race the final and she promptly won, though the title went to second-placed finisher Grace Kaihau (Orewa).
“I wasn’t sure about going into the final after getting DQ’ed yesterday – I knew I wouldn’t be racing for a medal but I raced to know where I stood in the field,” Corrin explained. “(Midway surf legend) Benny Hutchings told me it would be like candy without the wrapper – I could win the race but not get the silverware to prove it, but at least I’d know what I was capable of. Plus there’s always next time.”
Beattie also claimed the board race title, while Titahi Bay kayaker Marty McDowell collected his fourth open men’s ski title, pulling away from Mairangi Bay pair Kevin Morrison and Travis Mitchell.
“I tried for a long time to win this race and it took a while but now I’ve got a taste for it – I’m really looking forward to getting back and having another go next year,” McDowell said.
Arch-rivals Piha and Titahi Bay shared the spoils in the open men’s surf boat arena, although Titahi Bay ended a five-year drought by winning the feature long-course final, ending Piha’s four-year domination.
“It means so much – it’s just been too long between titles for Titahi Bay,” Titahi Bay’s Chris Middleton said. “It’s just unreal and an incredible feeling, especially to beat Piha in a close race like that. They’ve had an amazing streak and even though we’re fierce rivals, we seem to bring the best out in each other.”
Piha won their fifth short-course final in the last six years, however, and had further consolation in the open women’s long-course final, where their top crew beat home Red Beach and Muriwai.
Mount Maunganui’s overall domination continued, as the Bay of Plenty club finished on a massive 213 points, more than double that of second-placed Midway (104), with Mairangi Bay third on 70.
Their final-day tally was boosted by winning the open men’s taplin and dominating the under-16 boys arena, where young stars Hamish Miller, Daniel Barron, Isaac Marshall and Morgan Brocklesby seemed to lead a yellow and black tide.
Mount also won three titles in the canoe arena, including a double for the under-19 men, while Jess Miller and Charlie Haynes added individual under-19 wins.
Results from the final day of the New Zealand surf lifesaving championships at Midway Beach in Gisborne today:
Open Men
Surf Race. Chris Dawson (Midway) 1, Max Beattie (Omanu) 2, Adam Simpson (Mt Maunganui) 3.
Board Race. Max Beattie (Omanu) 1, Cory Taylor (Midway) 2, Tanyn Lyndon (Northcliff, Queensland) 3, Andrew Newton (Mt Maunganui) 4.
Olympic swimmers Dean (left) and Steve Kent (Titahi Bay) on their way to silver in the tube rescue at the New Zealand surf lifesaving championships in Gisborne today. Photo by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services.
They’ve been to Olympic Games and won world championships but winning a sibling silver medal just about trumped them all for Dean and Steven Kent at the New Zealand surf lifesaving championships in Gisborne today.
The brothers paired up in the tube rescue for the Titahi Bay club on the first day of the three-day nationals carnival, held in balmy conditions at Midway Beach.
Despite younger brother Steve struggling with injury and 36-year-old Dean on a minimal training regime these days, they finished behind Midway’s Cory Taylor and Chris Dawson with a gutsy final sprint up the beach.
“I haven’t got a whole lot of training under my belt and Stevo has a busted knee and busted ankle so it wasn’t a bad effort,” three-time Olympic swimmer Dean said. “This is our first time competing together in the tube race and it’s really special for Steve and I to be able to do a race together like that. All the family were here and to come away with a medal makes it even more special.”
It was a family celebration in more ways than one. The Kent siblings are two of seven cousins competing this week, with Danny and Kevin Morrison (Mairangi Bay) both qualifying for Sunday’s ski race final, as did another cousin, national kayaking champion Marty McDowell, who scraped through his semifinal. Two more McDowells, Danny and Will, are also representing Titahi Bay and Dean Kent said the family reunion aspect was hugely satisfying.
“It’s testament to our parents and the movement of surf lifesaving. ‘In it for life’ kind of embodies what our family’s about – we’re into surf lifesaving in a big way, both in terms of keeping people safe and also the spirit that the whole sport side brings about. We love every minute of it and the fact you get to do events as a family is all the better.”
Taylor, the reigning national ironman champion, had a great first day, adding the tube rescue title to the run-swim-run crown he picked up earlier in the day.
Papamoa’s Natalie Peat returned from training across the Tasman to claim the scalp of Australian Kristyl Smith in the open women’s run-swim-run, and paired with Malia Josephson to claim silver in the tube rescue, behind Red Beach’s Kelsi Boocock and Rachel Clarke.
Another Australian, Melissa Howard, took out the women’s beach flags final although the New Zealand title went to 17-year-old Papamoa member Madi Kidd, from another teenager Olivia Eaton (Mount Maunganui) after the trio forced out world champion Kiwi Chanel Hickman.
Kidd was also knocked out of the under-19 final in fourth spot, with Eaton going on to win, but her first open title more than made up for it.
“I wasn’t in a good state after that – I just didn’t see the flag – but they talked me into doing the opens,” Kidd said. “There’s a huge pool of young people doing flags and sprints now which is really pushing us along.”
Howard’s fiance, Fitzroy’s Paul Cracroft-Wilson captured his fourth open men’s beach flags title, although it came eight years after his last one in 2007. He just beat Murdoch Finch (Riversdale) in the final, with 10-time champion Morgan Foster third.
“The quality in the beach events is top-knotch here in New Zealand and there could’ve been five or six guys in that final who could’ve come out on top,” Cracroft-Wilson said. “There have been a few years where I’ve missed out, which breaks my heart but I live for the flags and I’m just so glad to come back and get another one. It’s the best feeling.”
Results from the first day of the New Zealand surf lifesaving championships at Midway Beach in Gisborne today:
Open men
Run-Swim-Run. Cory Taylor (Midway) 1, Adam Simpson (Mt Maunganui) 2, Tanyn Lyndon (Northcliff, Gold Coast) 3, Chris Dawson (Midway) 4.
Bulli father and son Heath (left) and Rod Mercer celebrate Heath’s successful Australian debut at New Zealand’s Waihi Beach. Photo by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services
Proudly watched by his father and decked out in green and gold, Heath Mercer enjoyed the finest day of his fledgling sporting career on Saturday.
The 23-year-old second stroke helped his Bulli men’s boat crew – representing Australia – to an emphatic win in the trans-Tasman series at Waihi Beach, New Zealand, beating Kiwi crew Piha 3-0.
Making it even more special was the presence of Mercer’s dad Rod, who also rowed for his country in New Zealand in 1991, the year Heath was born.
“It’s been one massive goal in life and I’ve ticked that off,” Mercer Jnr admitted. “I’ve made him a very proud dad and this morning, he was privileged enough to present all our caps to us. That was a really touching moment and one I’ll always remember. I couldn’t wish for anything more than my dad to be here watching me row for Australia.”
The Mercer family have a long and storied association with the New South Wales club – Rod’s father, brothers and nephews have also rowed for Bulli at one time or another.
Together with Adam Barlow (bow), Ben Lowe (second bow), Dean Roberts (stroke) and sweep Shane Geloven, Mercer and his crew had the polish to see off the challenge of big-wave chargers Piha, with only a small half-metre wave to challenge teams.
Instead, it came down to teamwork and acceleration off the cans, with Geloven steering cunning lines all the way home in each of the three races, eking out every hint of swell.
Their closest race was in the decisive second test, where Barlow out-sprinted Piha’s Jean-Paul Smit up the beach after Smit tripped in a hole.
“Luckily Adam’s the quickest of all of us across the sand – it would’ve been even closer if the New Zealand guy hadn’t tripped running up the beach but I had high hopes for Adam holding him off regardless,” Mercer said. “We came into this event feeling a lot of pressure and to get the first two races under our belt really eased it a lot and meant we could enjoy ourselves a lot more.”
Meanwhile, Queensland’s Tugun women’s crew also managed a clean-sweep over their New Zealand rivals Red Beach, the with Tugun second stroke Sascha Lahey admitting the day couldn’t have gone any better for them.
“We’re pretty stoked – we had five races and won all five but we had to work very, very hard,” Lahey, the older sister of champion surf swimmer Dev, said. “The Red Beach girls definitely gave us a run for our money today. They’ve just improved out of sight since we raced them last year and we were a bit taken aback by the that.”
Although several races were only decided in the last few metres, Lahey and her crew of Marianne Bassingthwaighte, Lisa Webber, Genevieve Bassingthwaighte and sweep Bruce Zillman relied on their strength around the turning cans and in the back half of races, which saw them through each time.
It was the second year Red Beach had represented New Zealand and they were delighted with progress.
“We’ve made a lot of improvements from last year and worked on our starts and were able to keep up with them and put them under a bit of pressure,” Zita Talaic-Burgess said. “The calibre of racing over there is pretty high so we’re happy to at least match them today. We’re holding our heads high.”
To add further misery to locals, the two Australian crews also dominated their finals at the North Island championship, held in conjunction with the trans-Tasman event.
Waihi Beach’s Broden Wood and crewman Liam Cossey meet a wave head on during Saturday’s Papamoa IRB Classic. Photo by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services
The East End resurgence continued at a wildly successful Papamoa IRB Classic yesterday, with the Taranaki club’s premier crew clean-sweeping their division.
Scott Nelson and Scott Busing won the single rescue, mass rescue and assembly rescue on their trip to the Bay of Plenty, while East End also took out the three-person and four-person teams races.
Host club Papamoa have assumed East End’s dominance over the last 18 months, and again took out overall honours at the carnival, but the gap appears to be closing again in the lead up to the national championships in Dunedin in March.
The Classic proved the perfect lead-in to nationals, with nearly 50 teams competing in 80 fast-paced races over the course of a day. Organisers included a number of innovations, such as a novice division and a 400m soft-sand run during the three-person teams race.
“We couldn’t have had a better day,” Papamoa spokesman Justin Martin said. “The waves were testing, it wasn’t too hot and we worked hard to give crews as many races as possible over the course of a day but it all came off without a hitch.”
Martin and the Papamoa club revived the Classic, after more than a decade’s absence, to fill in a big gap in the IRB competition calendar between November’s North Island championships and the BP Surf Rescue national championships in March.
Papamoa twins Kirby and Chad Wheeler, who starred at the North Island titles, continued their strong progress in the premier ranks by grabbing three silvers, while New Plymouth Old Boys, Waimarama and another Papamoa crew, Troy Walsh and Mitch Brady, shared the three premier bronze medals.
The women’s division was evenly spread, with Waimarama’s Jamie Cox and Nichola Elmsly taking home the single and assembly rescue titles and Opunake’s Jemma Pentelow and Courtney Keech the mass rescue. Sunset Beach’s two crews were also right in the thick of things.
Senior: Single: East End Black 1, Waikanae Yarnis 2, Papamoa Jason 3. B Final. Waihi B 1, Sunset Beach 2, NPOB 3. Assembly: Waikanae Yarnis 1, Sunset Beach Mighty Midgets 2, Papamoa Jason 3. B Final. Papamoa Jason 1, Sunset Set Gold 2, Half Cutt Christmas NPOB 3. Mass: East End Black 1, Papamoa Jason 2, Sunset Beach Mighty Midgets 3. B Final. Waihi A 1, Waihi B 2, Opunake C 3.
Under 21: Single: East End Yellow 1, Opunake A 2, Papamoa Michael 3. B Final. Papamoa Michael 1, East End Brown 2, Himitangi 3. Assembly: Westshore Black 1, Waikanae 2, Sunset Bach 3. B Final. Papamoa Black ST 1, Opunake A 2, NPOB 3. Mass: Sunset Beach 1, Westshore Black 2, Papamoa Michael 3. B Final. Opunake A 1, Papamoa Ross 2, Himitangi 3.
Novice: Single: Mighty Mount Masters Mongrels 1, Westshore Blue 2, Papamoa Marshall 3. Assembly: Papamoa Cowley 1, East End Purple 2, Westshore Blue 3. Mass: Westshore Blue 1, Papamoa Marshall 2, Might Mount Masters Mongrels 3.
Open: 3-person team: East End A 1, Papamoa D 2, Papamoa A 3. 4-person team: East End A 1, Papamoa B 2, Papamoa A 3.
Club points: Papamoa 113, East End 75, Sunset Beach 43, Opunake 35, Waimarama 32, NPOB 25, Westshore 17, Mairangi Bay 14, Waikanae 9, Foxton 8, Waihi 7.
Photo by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media ServicesPhoto by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media ServicesPhoto by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media ServicesPhoto by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services
Waihi Beach ironman George Haynes (left) won the open men’s title at the Eastern Region champs today, while younger brother Charlie (Mount Maunganui) won the under-19 ironman. Photo by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services
George Haynes had to wipe the tears out of his eyes before lining up in the ironman at the Eastern Region championships today, although tears of pride quickly gave way to tears of joy as he held on for a tenacious win.
It was a landmark day for the Waihi Beach club, where the 24-year-old Great Britain representative is now coaching, with the ironman win the first for the club in decades.
It also capped a great carnival for the Haynes family; younger brother Charlie won the under-19 ironman for the Mount Maunganui club in the previous race.
“I was crying and had to pull myself together before the start,” George Haynes said. “I’m just so proud of him – he’s just 17-year-old old and to come over here without Mum and Dad and do so well is just so cool.”
The older sibling led early in his race but was reeled in on the final board leg by Piha’s Ben Gillies and Mount Maunganui’s Julien Lalanne, needing a sprint to get him home.
His younger brother, however, had more success with his Mount Maunganui team spectacularly dominant and comfortable defending their overall ERC club title.
Mount finished on 229 points, with Piha second on 95. The host club’s dominance was widespread, although club coach John Bryant gained plenty of satisfaction from the open ironwoman win by Jess Miller.
The 19-year-old recently moved to Australia to train with the Northcliffe club, although she was particularly proud of winning her first open ironman title on home sand, especially after several other results didn’t go her way.
“I was leading the run-swim-run by quite a bit and turned around to see four girls come down a wave and catch me,” Miller said. “That was pretty gutting – then I had a terrible start in the under-19 ironwoman. But training with the Northcliffe girls has been amazing – they’re the best in Australia and probably the world so it’s really good to compare myself against them. My swimming is going really well against them and my ski and board has improved heaps, especially in waves, because every day the waves are huge.”
The annual two-day Auckland Anniversary weekend carnival was held in sublime conditions, with 1.5m surf and light winds, attracting nearly 1000 surf athletes from all over the country.
Other notable performers included world champion kayaker Teneale Hatton (Piha), who dominated the women’s ski race, paired with Brita Camplin to win the women’s double ski and with Steve Ferguson to claim silver in the mixed double ski. Another New Zealand kayaking star Scott Bicknell (Ocean Beach Kiwi) won the men’s ski race, Midway’s Sam Newlands and Phillip Mills won the double and Mairangi Bay’s Madison Boon and Travis Mitchell the mixed double.
Waikanae kayaker and Olympian Darryl Fitzgerald joined his brother Jarrod Fitzgerald, Alex Bristow and Quaid Thompson to take the men’s canoe double, winning both short and long-course crowns, while the Piha men’s boat crew also cleaned up in their division.
Mount Maunganui’s Olivia Eaton comfortably won the women’s beach sprint, while another teenager, Mairangi Bay’s Jake Hurley, celebrated his 18th birthday in style by winning the open men’s beach sprint and the under-19 men’s flags. Final points: Mount Maunganui 229, Piha 95, Red Beach 63, Papamoa 62, Midway 56, Waikanae 47, Mairangi Bay 46, Fitzroy 29, Omanu 27, Muriwai 26, Waihi 19, Lyall Bay, Whangamata 14, Orewa 13, Sth Brighton 11, Westshore 10, St Clair 9, Opotiki 8, Paekakariki 7, NPOB 5, Wainui, Bethells Beach, Sumner 4, East End, Ocean Beach Kiwi, Rarangi, Whakatane 3, Taylors Mistake, North Beach 1. Sunday results:
Open Men. Run Swim Run. Adam Simpson (Mt Maunganui) 1, Steven Ferguson (Piha) 2, Jake Allen (Paekakariki) 3. Board Race. Andrew Newton (Mt Maunganui) 1, Bjorn Battaerd (Whangamata) 2, Tom Mouldey (Taylors Mistake) 3. Ski Race. Scott Bicknell (Ocean Beach Kiwi) 1, Andrew Newton (Mt Maunganui) 2, Travis Mitchell (Mairangi Bay) 3. Double Ski. Midway (Samuel Newlands/Phillip Mills) 1, Mairangi Bay (Michael Lee/Travis Mitchell) 2, Waikanae (Darryl Fitzgerald/Jarrod Fitzgerald) 3. Open Mixed Double Ski. Mairangi Bay (Madison Boon/Travis Mitchell) 1, Piha Black (Steven Ferguson/Teneale Hatton) 2, Paekakariki (Tess Allen/Kurtis Imrie) 3. 2km Beach Run. Nick Berry (Piha) 1, Seth Merrett (Papamoa) 2, Wayne Howarth (East End) 3. Beach Flags. Morgan Foster (Sth Brighton) 1, James Banhidi (Sth Brighton) 2, Fraser Cameron (Sth Brighton) 3. Ironman. George Haynes (Waihi) 1, Ben Gillies (Piha) 2, Julien Lalanne (Mt Maunganui) 3. Taplin Relay (6 Person). Mt Maunganui (Perry Farrell/Kane Sefton/Julien Lalanne/Andrew Newton/Sam Shergold/Adam Simpson) 1, Midway (Matthew Scott/Callum Torrie/Samuel Newlands/Shaun Pahina/Jack Gavin/Phillip Mills) 2, Red Beach (Mitchell Grant/Matthew Thetford/Daniel Cairns/Ben Nelson/Daniel Peacocke/Cody Richards) 3. Long Course Boat. Piha (Paul Gerritsen/Ben Scott/Jean-Paul Smit/Benjamin Richards/Mark Bourneville) 1, Red Beach Boomers (Shamus Ben Flight/Charles Graham/Jed Wright/Shane O’Halloran) 2, Orewa Thunder (Christopher McCarthny/John McCarthny/William Seedhouse/Jake Griffiths/Mark McCarthny) 3. Short Course Canoe. Waikanae (Darryl Fitzgerald/Jarrod Fitzgerald/Alex Bristow/Quaid Thompson) 1, Ocean Beach Kiwi (Andrew Callinicos/Jack Crasborn/Thomas Crasborn) 2, Red Beach Flying Malyons (Paul Cleminson/Kevin Cornish/Shane Minifie/Alistair Presland-Tack) 3. Open Women. Run Swim Run. Carina Doyle (St Clair) 1, Kirsty Wannan (Piha) 2, Jessica Larson (Mairangi Bay) 3. Board Race. Madison Boon (Mairangi Bay) 1, Arna Wright (Mt Maunganui) 2, Katrina Madill (Mt Maunganui) 3. Ski Race. Teneale Hatton (Piha) 1, Rachael Dodwell (Mairangi Bay) 2, Rachel Clarke (Red Beach) 3. Double Ski. Piha Black (Brita Camplin/Teneale Hatton) 1, Mairangi Bay (Madison Boon/Rachael Dodwell) 2, Mt Maunganui (Jessica Gadsbey/Brooke Shergold) 3. 2km Beach Run. Kate O’Malley (Westshore) 1, Katrina Madill zz9Mt Maunganui) 2, Vivien Conway (Mt Maunganui) 3. Beach Flags. Casie Fyall (Waikanae) 1, Kendall Elliott (Mt Maunganui) 2, Shamay King (Mt Maunganui) 3. Ironman. Jessica Miller (Mt Maunganui) 1, Rachel Clarke (Red Beach) 2, Katie Wilson (Mt Maunganui) 3. Taplin Relay (3 Person). Long Course Boat. Piha Black Pearls (Jo Fyfe/Charlotte Haskell/Gracey Monteith/Annelies Visser/Mariska Visser/Mark Bourneville) 1, Red Beach Sirens (Kelly Andrew/Katrina Gouldstone/Ashleigh Jenkins/Madison Smith/Zita Talaic-Burgess/Shane O’Halloran) 2, Orewa (Samantha Smith/Nikki Jones/Amie Thomason/Rebecca Thomason/Stuart Handford) 3. Short Course Canoe. Red Beach Rocking Reds (Jennifer Hall/Kathy Kramer/Kelly O’Dea/Sharon Turner) 1, Waikanae (Ella Andrew/Georgia Donnelly/Lucy Mossman/Alicia Hoskin) 2, Lyall Bay (Michelle Arnopp/Juliette Dowland/Kelsey Moffatt/Rachel Ryan) 3. Under 23 Men. Short Course Boat. Long Course Boat. Whangamata (Brandon Dromgool/Josh Kerridge/Sam Stockley/Lyndon Vickers/Andrew Jujnovich) 1, Red Beach Pirates (Max Anstis/Ryan Davenport/Rhye Jacka/Luke Tomlinson/Kyle Lennon/Shane O’Halloran) 2, Waihi (David Grant/Jack Kingsford/Luke Kingsford/Morgan Sloog/Tate Van Duyvenbooden/Josha Foster) 3. Under 23 Women. Short Course Boat. Long Course Boat. Muriwai Muzzies (Sara Eivers/Andrea Gerrard/Billie-Lee Haresnape/Ashley Timoko/Emma Wilson/Chris Deacon) 2, Bethells Beach (Henry Backhouse-Smith) 3. Under 19 Men. Run Swim Run. Jack Virtue (Wainui) 1, Cameron Hayes (Mt Maunganui) 2, Ben Cochrane (Omanu) 3. Board Race. Ben Johnston (Papamoa) 1, Scott Cowdrey (Papamoa) 2, Charlie Haynes (Mt Maunganui) 3. Ski Race. Taris Harker (Omanu) 1, Kurtis Imrie (Paekakariki) 2, Ben Cochrane (Omanu) 3. Double Ski. Omanu (Taris Harker/Timothy Waller) 1, Fitzroy (Thomas Cole/Gregor Park) 2, Waikanae (Alex Bristow/Quaid Thompson) 3. Ski Relay. Mt Maunganui (Charlie Haynes/Sam Roy/Brad Wiley) 1, Omanu (Ben Cochrane/Taris Harker/Timothy Waller) 2, Midway (Malachi Scammell/Callum Torrie/Mitchell Griffiths) 3. 2km Beach Run. Mason Bryant (Papamoa) 1, Lachlan Stevens (NPOB) 2, Jacques Klavs (Wainui) 3. Beach Flags. Jake Hurley (Mairangi Bay) 1, Lewis Gjaltema (Red Beach) 2, Calvin Vari (Red Beach) 3. Ironman. Charlie Haynes (Mt Maunganui) 1, Ben Cochrane (Omanu) 2, Perry Farrell (Mt Maunganui) 3. Taplin Relay. Mt Maunganui (Perry Farrell/Cameron Hayes/Charlie Haynes/Sam Roy/Kane Sefton/Brad Wiley) 1, Midway (Matthew Scott/Callum Torrie/Mitchell Griffiths) 2, Orewa Blue (Cole Drinnan/Taine Johnston/Ethan McCathie/Ben Parker/James Scott/Luca Te Rito) 3. Long Course Boat. Waihi (Matthew Hart/Tate Van Duyvenbooden/Nicholas Wagstaff/Marc Everson/Jack Kingsford) 1, Red Beach Doom Squad Black (Brendan Herbst/Tamati Munroe/Oliver Parris-Piper/Benjamin Partridge/Craig Dillon) 2, Whangamata (Hamish Barclay/Theo Kreilen/Sam Rush/Jack Schicker/Steve Pipe) 3. Short Course Canoe. Mt Maunganui (Sam Roy/Brad Wiley/Nicholas Wilson/Dylan Williams) 1, Waikanae (Connor Mitchell/Michael Webb/Kelly Geiseler/Toby Sutton) 2, Red Beach Andreys Angels (Campbell Busby/Jordan Downey/Adam Jenkinson/Ben Jenkinson) 3. Under 19 Women. Run Swim Run. Hannah Williams (Piha) 1, Ariana Moffatt (Papamoa) 2, Jenna Barrett (NPOB) 3. Board Race. Amy Barron (Mt Maunganui) 1, Rebecca Cole (Fitzroy) 2, Adriana Bird (Mt Maunganui) 3. Ski Race. Briar McLeely (Red Beach) 1, Kayla McKenzie (Mairangi Bay) 2, Jessica Miller (Mt Maunganui) 3. Double Ski. Fitzroy Dolphins (Rebecca Cole/Keely O’Keeffe) 1, Omanu (Georgia Stewart/Kate Brrom) 2, Mairangi Bay (Libby Bell/Kayla McKenzie) 3. 2km Beach Run. Yvette Kingsford (Waihi) 1, Sinead Payne (Red Beach) 2. Beach Flags. Olivia Eaton (Mt Maunganui) 1, Madison Kidd (Papamoa) 2, Casie Fyall (Waikanae) 3. Ironman. Katie Wilson (Mt Maunganui) 1, Amy Barron (Mt Maunganui) 2, Hannah Williams (Piha) 3. aplin Relay (3 Person). Mt Maunganui C (Julia Conway/Grace Eglington/Melissa Ryan) 1, Mt Maunganui A (Jessica Gadsbey/Jessica Miller/Katie Wilson) 2, Paekakariki Black (Jonti Cullen/Katie Trott/Matisse Uluilelata) 3. Long Course Boat. Muriwai Minis (Danielle Ford/Emily Hortop/Grace Joseph/Lucy Kelly/Chris Deacon) 1, Red Beach Blakeys Angels (Jessica Cornish/Georgia Cox/Tyler McDowall/Briana Smith/Craig Dillon) 2, Piha Princesses (Grace Jacob/Annie Lines/Jordan Pope/Mikaela Ryan/Anna Karolczak-Young/Nicholas MacKenzie) 3. Short Course Canoe. Fitzroy Flippers (Charli Luff/Charlotte Rudd/Eva Reid/Kaitlin Haami) 1, Opotiki (Lilly Fell/Tynealle Fitzgerald/Summer Hurrell/Lia Seufert) 2, Waikanae (Ella Andrew/Georgia Donnelly/Lucy Mossman/Alicia Hoskin) 3. Under 16 Men. Run Swim Run. Lewis Clareburt (Lyall Bay) 1, Hamish Miller (Mt Maunganui) 2, Morgan Brockelsby (Mt Maunganui) 3. Board Race. Daniel Barron (Mt Maunganui) 1, Mitch Cowdrey (Papamoa) 2, Hamish Miller (Mt Maunganui) 3. Ski Race. Dylan Williams (Mt Maunganui) 1, Daniel Barron (Mt Maunganui) 2, Seb Johnson (Sumner) 3. 2km Beach Run. Oscar Dove (Piha) 1, Reeftahn Brown-Terekia (Midway) 2, Max Salmon (Omanu) 3. Beach Flags. Joshua Adams (Waikanae) 1, Tirau Wihongi (Westshore) 2, Kyle MacKenzie (Piha) 3. Ironman. Isaac Marshall (Mt Maunganui) 1, Blake Brown (Midway) 2, Hamish Miller (Mt Maunganui) 3. Taplin Relay (3 Person). Mt Maunganui (Daniel Barron/Isaac Marshall/Dylan Williams) 1, Sumner (Declan Dempster/Reuben Godfrey/Seb Johnson) 2, Mt Maunganui (Morgan Brockelsby/Hamish Miller/Benjamin Rowe) 3. Under 16 Women. Run Swim Run. Olivia Corrin (Midway) 1, Maia Bryant (Papamoa) 2, Malia Josephson (Papamoa) 3. Board Race. Olivia Corrin (Midway) 1, Lauren Pickett (Waikanae) 2, Ella Pollock (Omanu) 3. Ski Race. Jessica Moore (Lyall Bay) 1, Kirby Scammell (Midway) 2, Samalulu Clifton (Muriwai) 3. 2km Beach Run. Olivia Corrin (Midway) 1, Isabella Kelly (East End) 2, Ella Hughes (NPOB) 3. Beach Flags. Alicia Wilson (Mt Maunganui) 1, Chelsea Grant (Red Beach) 2, Sophie Twigley (Midway) 3. Diamond Race. Olivia Currin (Midway) 1, Malia Josephson (Papamoa) 2, Jessica Blakeman (Midway) 3. Taplin Relay (3 Person). Papamoa (Maia Bryant/Sophie Hayden/Malia Josephson) 1, Midway (Olivia Corrin/Kirby Scammell/Jessica Blakeman) 2, Mt Maunganui (Libby Bradley/Katrina Gadsbey/Alicia Wilson) 3.
Aerial drones will be used to capture footage at this weekend’s Eastern Region surf lifesaving championships at Mount Maunganui’s Main Beach. Photo by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services.
Mount Maunganui’s scenic splendors will be on full display at this weekend’s Eastern Region surf lifesaving championships, thanks to a fleet of drones.
In a New Zealand first, the drones will live-stream coverage of the on-water action back to the beach, showcasing more than 1000 athletes taking part and supplying footage for television networks.
Napier company Altus UAS is overseeing the project, enabling spectators and the general public to see exactly what’s happening out on the water.
“Surf lifesaving is such an incredibly dynamic sport but a lot of that action and drama happens out in the wave zone and beyond,” Altus spokesman Simon Morris explained. “We’ve done a lot of filming work over water and that certainly doesn’t hold any fears for us but we are really looking forward to showcasing the athletes and the amazing skills they need out there.”
The championships are the second-largest on the surf lifesaving calendar, behind only the national championships, and are returning to Mount Maunganui after a two-year absence.
Event director Scott Bicknell said the drone fleet was one of several new initiatives at this year’s event.
“The championships have been running for 52 years and have so much history and meaning in the surf lifesaving fraternity,” Bicknell said. “It doesn’t mean they can’t move with the times, however. What we’re trying to do is create a memorable event for athletes, as well as help the public comprehend why surf sports are so vital to the wider surf lifesaving movement.”
The initiatives include a central hub with a mini surf lifesaving expo, while Bicknell has also tweaked the beach-based sprinting events so they have a late-afternoon carnival atmosphere.
With another sublime weather forecast, it also appears the Mount Maunganui waves are also coming to the party, with a 1.5-2m swell and ideal offshore winds predicted for both days.
Drone footage is starting to creep in overseas and the Altus team have covered motorsports and track days previously, although they’re looking forward to seeing what their craft can do in Mount Maunganui.
“We design and manufacture all our own drones, ensuring they’re tough enough for the harshest conditions and safe enough to fly in the strongest winds and rain,” Morris explained. “Flying over ocean waves is certainly a good test, with the tricky winds and salt spray, but this is a great way of testing what our limits for this sort of work are.”
Altus is a licensed Civil Aviation Authority operator and is the only operator in New Zealand with accreditation to fly at night.
The championships start at 8am on Saturday and finish on Sunday afternoon, with the club-based Super 9 carnival to follow at the same venue on Monday.
The Super 9 pits New Zealand’s best clubs against each other in an invitation-only event, to see who has the best athletes throughout a range of agegroups and disciplines.
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