Surf Lifesaving Sport Season Closes Out with a Splash

April 16, 2021

Surf Lifesaving Sport Season Closes Out with a Splash

More than 300 Surf Lifeguards from across Aotearoa New Zealand took the surf by storm over the weekend for the bp Surf Rescue New Zealand Championships at Northland’s Ruakaka Beach.

This event was the last national Surf Lifesaving Sport competition in the 2020/21 season and inflatable rescue boat (IRB) crews used the opportunity to showcase incredible skill and technique amongst difficult conditions.

It was a big weekend for Taranaki’s East End Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC), who took home the bp Top Club Trophy for the first time in eight years.

The club left the competition in its wake with a whopping 111 points overall, while Sunset Beach SLSC and Waikanae SLSC tied for second with 82 points each. St Kilda SLSC pipped fellow South Island competitors Sumner SLSC for third, with 43 points.

World Champion duo Taylor Shrimpton and Abi Chapman (Sunset Beach SLSC) made a clean sweep of the Open Female division, taking out the Mass Rescue, Tube Rescue, Single rescue, Assembly rescue and Teams race. Meanwhile, Waikanae SLSC dominated the Men’s age group divisions.

Surf Lifeguards comprising 97 crews from 25 Surf Life Saving clubs across the country took part. Both male and female crews competed across several events, each requiring varying levels of technical skill and physical fitness.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) Sports Event Manager, Mark Inglis, says bp Surf Rescue New Zealand Championships were the perfect way to round off the competitive season.

“Conditions over the weekend at Ruakaka were challenging and this made for some thrilling action in the surf,” he says.

“We know that IRBs are used in countless rescues on New Zealand beaches every year. These races replicate skills needed in real-life rescue scenarios and the athletes taking part in this event are all active Surf Lifeguards.”

bp Head of Country NZ, Matt Elliott, says bp is proud to support the “iconic” national event.

“We know that a significant percentage of beach rescues involve IRBs and the bp Surf Rescue New Zealand Championships are a chance to witness, first-hand, the skill and strength involved in this important aspect of Surf Lifesaving.”

The bp Surf Rescue New Zealand Championships were the final national competition in the Surf Lifesaving Sport season calendar and follow on from the bp Surf Rescue North Island Championships and bp Surf Rescue South Island Championships held earlier in the year.

Results

Top Crew Awards:

Open Male - East End Pumba

Open Female - Sunset Beach TA

U23 Male - Waikanae Blue

U23 Female - Brighton Gold

U19 Male - Waikanae Boys

U19 Female - Waipu Cove Full Send

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For more information please contact:

Rajal Middleton

Head of Commercial & Marketing

Surf Life Saving NZ

027 457 1001

rajal.middleton@surflifesaving.org.nz