300 athletes battle in Surf Life Saving New Zealand event finale

The final day of the BP Surf Rescue Championships saw over 300 athletes from around New Zealand battle it out for top honours in the national IRB [Inflatable Rescue Boat] event, held this weekend at Papamoa Beach in the Bay of Plenty.

Sunset Beach Surf Life Saving Club [Port Waikato] emerged as clear leaders early today as they managed to pull away from their nearest rivals, St Clair Surf Life Saving Club [Dunedin], to win the annual IRB event held near Tauranga.

East End Surf Life Saving Club and host-club Papamoa Surf Life Saving club finished in third equal, only one point behind the second-placed getters, with Waimarama Surf Life Saving Club [Hawkes Bay] finishing close behind them in fifth.

Event manager Scott Bicknell said: "We are stoked with how well everything went at the BP Surf Rescue Championships this weekend. We had a couple of minor issues, like the weather, but we still finished early and everyone is happy and safe, so overall, it has been a great weekend."

Teams enjoyed more settled weather today after yesterday's challenging wet and windy conditions and Bicknell said this proved why these athletes are the country's best.

"The calibre of the athletes was just fantastic and meant we had a lot of really close races which is obviously great for the sport. They all did incredibly well this weekend, so a huge congratulations to everyone who took part," he said.

"It was also good to see so many spectators and supporters out there cheering our teams on. It created a really cool vibe out there and we're already looking forward to the 2017 edition," he continued.

The races held during the two-day event mimic a variety of potential real-life rescues using the iconic orange IRBs and test competitors skills both in and out of the water. Today saw the Teams Race, Tube Rescue and Single Rescue races in variable surf conditions.

The BP Surf Rescue Championships marks the last major event for Surf Life Saving New Zealand for the current season as they prepare for the winter months.

Full results:

Assembly Rescue
U21: Opunake SLSC Hipsters (Jordan Hooper/Thomas Bell/Cory Jury) 1, Sunset Beach LS U21 (Jacob Pullen/Joshua Andrew/Jemima Ferrier) 2, St. Clair SLSC Black (Silas Kemp/Nelson Mears/Ashleigh Hurring) 3.
Senior: East End SLSC O Gee (Nick Horo/Jordan Moller/Reef Robinson) 1, Sunset Beach LS Senior A (Lewis Powell/Hogan Shrimpton/Tanisha Robertson) 2, New Plymouth Old Boys SLSC Gaz n Dex (Gareth Goodin/Dex Newland/Zoe Honeyfield) 3.
Women's: Sunset Beach LS A (Taylor Shrimpton/Robbie Shrimpton/Robert Graham) 1, Sumner SLSC Scissor Sisters (Sarah TGruscott/Megan Keats/Olivia Mason) 2, St Clair SLSC Black (Mikayla Garforth/Heather Thompson/Elle Rolfe) 3.
Premier: East End SLSC Black (Scott Nelson/Campbell Begg/Sinead Malley) 1, Paekakariki SL A (Tyler Mills/Dwight Garton/Jago Dellow) 2, Paekakariki SL X (Richard Whinham/Ben Falepau Willis/Jordan Crosbie) 3.

Mass Rescue
U21: Papamoa SLSC A (Ross Cowdrey/Jake Cowdrey/Kahleia Josephson/Flynn Grey/Samantha-jane Harding) 1, St. Clair SLSC White (Arthur Ibbotson/Angus Mackenzie/Anaia Wiparata/Lucy Duncan/Libby Clifton) 2, Waimarama SLSC Orange (Keegan Merwood/Luke Davis/Greer Whiting/Olivia Fleming/Rachel Finlayson) 3.
Senior: Sunset LS A (Lewis Powell/Hogan Shrimpton/Lola Key/Jemina Ferrier/Tanisha Robertson) 1, Westsore SLSC A (Taylor Dick/Ryan Ennor/Jessica Ennor/Tessa Black/Ashleigh Ennor) 2, Waimarama SLSC Blue (Rhys Harman/Luke Harman/Greer Whiting/Bella Herbison/Olivia Fleming) 3.
Women's: Sunset Beach LS A (Taylor Shrimpton/Robbie Shrimpton/.Robert Graham/Lola Key/Gaby Marshall) 1, Sumner SLSC Shakas (Kate Suter/Toni Cranko/Jade Jeffery/Callum O' Brien/Henry Lawson) 2, East End SLSC Babalons (Mckenzie Moller/Billie Alty/Ella /Rideout/Sinead Malley/Reebekaa Robinson) 3.
Premier: East End SLSC Black (Scott Nelson/Campbell Begg/Sinead Malley/Ella Rideout/Andrew Cronin) 1, Waimarama SLSC Black (Michael Harman/Ben Cross/Olivia Ward/Carolyne Nel/Bertie Bassett-Foss) 2, Sunset Beach LS Prem (Shane Edwards/Mark Edwards/Robert Graham/Gaby Marshall/Lola Key ) 3.

Teams Race: Papamoa SLSC A (Thomas Berthelsen/Kirby Wheeler/Liam Smith/Chad Wheeler/Jamie Vuglar) 1, Waimarama SLSC Black (Michael Harman/Rhys Harman/Ben Corss/Luke Harman/Olivia Ward) 2, Sunset Beach LS A (Lewis Powell/Shane Edwards/Hogan Shrimpton/Mark Edwards/Robert Graham) 3.

Tube Rescue:
U21: St Clair SLSC White (Arthur Ibbotson/Angus Mackenzie/James Coombes) 1, Waikanae SLSC (Connor Mitchell/Oliver Shivan/Holly Hope) 2, Sunset Beach LS U21A (Jacob Pullen/Joshua Andrew/Jemima Ferrier) 3.
Senior: Papamoa SLSC A (Nicholas Coulter/Yannis Kokkosis/Flynn Grey) 1, Westshore SLSC A (Taylor Dick/Ryan Ennor/Jessica Ennor) 2, Waimarama SLSC Blue (Rhys Harman/Luke Harman/Bertie Foss-Bassett) 3.
Women's: Sunset Beach LS A (Taylor Shrimpton/Robbie Shrimpton/Shane Edwards) 1, St. Clair SLSC Black (Mikayla Garforth/Heather Thompson/James Coombes) 2, Papamoa SLSC A (Jane Griffiths/Amie Vuglar/Yannie Kokkosis) 3.
Premier: Waimarama SLSCV Black (Michael Harman/Ben Cross/Bertie Bassett-Foss) 1, United North Piha LS (Leif Neilson/Miles Regal/Tamsin Reilly) 2, Sunset Beach LS Prem (Shane Edwards/Mark Edwards/Tanisha Robertson) 3.

Single Rescue:
U21: Sunset Beach LS U21A (Jacob Pullen/Joshua Andrew/Jemima Ferrier) 1, St. Clair SLSC White (Arthur Ibbotson/Angus Mackenzie/Anaia Wiparata) 2, Opunake SLSC Hipters (Jordan Hooper/Thomas Bell/Cory Jury) 3.
Senior: Waimarama SLSC Blue (Rhys Harman/Luke Harman/Bella Herbison) 1, Papamoa SLSC Grunty (Yannis Kokkosis/Mitchel Brady/Kaylie Hansen) 2, Sunset Beach LS A (Lewis Powell/Hogan Shrimpton/Tanisha Robertson) 3.
Women's: St. Clair SLSC White (Briar Taylor/Maysha Ahrens/Libby Clifton) 1, Sunset Beach LC A (Taylor Shrimpton/Robbie Shrimpton/Robert Graham) 2, East End SLSC Babalons (Mckenzie Moller/Billie Alty/Ella Rideout) 3.
Premier: East End SLSC Black (Scott Nelson/Campbell Begg/Sinead Malley) 1, Papamoa SLSC B (Kirby Wheeler/Chad Wheeler/Kahleia Josephson) 2, Waimarama SLSC Black (Michael Harman/Ben Cross/Olivia Ward) 3.

Overall Points: Sunset Beach LS 39, East End SLSC 22, Papamoa SLSC 22, St Clair SLSC 21, Waimarama SLSC 20, Westshore SLSC 6, Sumner SLSC 6, Opunake SLSC 6, Paekakariki SL 4, Waikanae SLSC 3, United North Piha LS 3, New Plymouth Old Boys SLSC 1.

Trophies:
Housiaux Trophy for Premier Assembly, East End SLSC Black (Scott Nelson/Campbell Begg/Sinead Malley)
The West Coast Trophy for Premier Mass Rescue, East End SLSC Black (Scott Nelson/Campbell Begg/Sinead Malley/Ella Rideout/Andrew Cronin)
Dave Hicky Cup for Top U21 Team, St. Clair SLSC White (Arthur Ibbotson/Angus Mackenzie/Anaia Wiparata)
Opunake Trophy for Top Senior Team, Sunset Beach LS A (Sunset Beach LS A (Lewis Powell/Hogan Shrimpton/Tanisha Robertson)
Foxeng Trophy for Top Women's Team, Sunset Beach LS A (Taylor Shrimpton/Robbie Shrimpton/Robert Graham)
Arancia Trophy for Top Premier Team, East End SLSC Black (Scott Nelson/Campbell Begg/Sinead Malley)
The Canon for Open Teams Race, Papamoa SLSC A (Thomas Berthelsen/Kirby Wheeler/Liam Smith/Chad Wheeler/Jamie Vuglar)
Don Wright Cup for the Premier Single Rescue, East End SLSC Black (Scott Nelson/Campbell Begg/Sinead Malley)
Arancia Cup for Top South Island Team, St. Clair SLSC
BP Club Trophy for Top New Zealand Club, Sunset Beach LS