Titahi Bay and Red Beach were the ones to watch heading into the first round of the New Zealand Surf Boat Series over the weekend and they didn't disappoint.

Their Open Men's crews both finished in the top three with Red Beach taking second and Titahi Bay claiming third but it was North Beach Surf Life Saving Club who led the charge.

Their crew of Frano Staub, Louis Kimber, Nathan Keys, Jared Glue and Dean Isherwood claimed first place.

In the Open Women's division it was Muriwai who came in first with Paekakariki and New Brighton in second and third respectively.

Fitzroy's crew of Callum Park, Ian McCallum, Richard Coomber, Paul O'Keeffe and Mark Luff claimed the Masters title with Westshore's Jude Minor, Rob Robinson, Daniel Murfitt, Eric Forster and Aidan Charman in second.

Around 36 crews and 188 competitors across the Under 19, Under 23, Open and Masters divisions took part in the event at Lyall Bay.

Not only was it the first surf boat event for the season but it also doubled as the first selection event for the New Zealand and New Zealand Development crews wishing to race in the 2016 ASRL Open in New South Wales in February.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand will select one Open Men's crew and one Open Women's crew to race against their Australian equivalents along with a Men's development crew and Women's Development crew.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand Sport Manager Mike Lord says all of the teams put their heart and soul into racing, proving that they had put in the hard yards, training throughout the winter months.

"We look forward to announcing the selected crews on January 2, 2016 following Round Two of the Surf Boat Series in Whangamata," he says.

Click here to view some photos.

Results:

Open Men:
Surf Boat Series. North Beach SLSC (Frano Staub, Louis Kimber, Nathan Keys, Jared Glue, Dean Isherwood) 1, Red Beach SLSC (Jed Wright, Charles Graham, Shamus O'Halloran, Hayden Smith Shane O'Halloran) 2, Titahi Bay SLSC (Jono Boyd, Brett Hamer, Jordan Tyrrell, Chris Middleton, Wil McDowell) 3.

Open Women:
Surf Boat Series. Muriwai LS (Jessica Parkin, Lisa McCallum, Nicole Owen, Louise Ayling, Ricky Butt) 1, Paekakariki LS (Amy Spiekerman, Elyse Robert, Steve Dickson) 2, New Brighton SLSC (Janelle Trask, Bridgit Hart, Kelly Andrew, Elizabeth Cain, Lucy Brown, Scotty Roberts) 3.

Under 23 Men:
Surf Boat Series. Whangamata SLSC (Sam Stockley, Lyndon Vickers, Josh Kerridge, Brandon Dromgool, Andrew Jujnovich) 1, Red Beach SLSC (Rhye Jacka, Kyle Lennon, Luke Tomlinson, Max Anstis, Ryan Davenport, Shane O'Halloran) 2, Orewa SLSC (Ryan Carrigan, Jasper Ballantyne, Callum Thomason, Ethan Hutchinson, Mark McCarthny) 2.

U23 Women:
Surf Boat Series. Titahi Bay SLSC (Tracey Mills, Tessa McPherson, Georgia McLaren, Kathryn Kinvig, Tim Marsden) 1, Orewa SLSC (Danielle Shrubsall, Sasha Ballantyne, Alysha Nesbit, Rachel Hellesoe, Mark McCarthny) 2, Paekakariki LS (Netta Cagney, Andrea De Atouguia, Ursula Gordon, Steve Dickson) 3.

U19 Men:
Surf Boat Series. Sunset LS (Carl Morgan, Jack Morgan, Ryan Brash, Jack Boulton, Sam Hughes, Ted Marsh) 1, Piha SLSC (Benji Lines, Finna McIntyre, Kaveen Hanthi, Joseph Jacob, Mark Bourneville) 2.

U19 Women:
Surf Boat Series. Orewa SLSC (Ashleigh Paotama, Vanja Joy Franich, Madeline Fergus, Sarah Hogg, Mark McCarthny) 1 Piha SLSC (Grace Jacob, Kelsea Broekhuizen, Bernadine Flaxman-Hendriks, Anna Karolczak-Young, Jordan Pope, Patrick Marsh) 2, Rarangi SLSC (Jana Sloot, Toni Langlois, Georgina Williams, Katherine Williams, Neil Watts) 3.

Masters Men:
Surf Boat Series. Fitzroy SLSC (Callum Park, Ian McCallum, Richard Coomber, Paul O'Keeffe, Mark Luff) 1, Westshore SLSC (Jude Minor, Rob Robinson, Daniel Murfitt, Eric Forster, Aidan Charman) 2.

For more information, please contact:

Lisa Smith, Media & Communications Specialist, SLSNZ
Phone 09 303 9335 or 0276 488 823
Email lisa.smith@surflifesaving.org.nz