First round of Surf Boat Series doubles as selection event

Around 36 crews and 188 competitors are set to descend on Lyall Bay this weekend for the first round of the New Zealand Surf Boat Series.

The first surf boat event for the season also doubles 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. SLSNZ will also select one Men's development crew and Women's Development crew. The crews will be finalised on January 2, 2016 following Round Two of the Surf Boat Series in Whangamata.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand Sport Manager Mike Lord says this weekend's event will show who has put in the hard work and training over the winter months to maintain their fitness for the series.

Saturday will host three rounds of the long course events ahead of the semi-finals and final.

"Look for some strong performances from the Titahi Bay, Red Beach and Orewa Open Men's crews who finished strongly at the New Zealand Championships last season," he says.

On Sunday morning, crews will take part in a marathon event beginning at 9.30am.

The event will start in front of the Lyall Bay clubhouse. Crews will row out of Lyall Bay and west along Wellington's south coast to Island Bay, around the island and back to Lyall Bay, with a short run up the beach to the finish.

"The North Beach Open Men's crew will be the ones to look out for here as they took out the win last year and they will be looking to defend that title," says Mr Lord.

For more information about the Wellington Super Surf Boat event, please click here.

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