Clubs Geared Up for the 2022 bp Surf Rescue South Island Championships

South Island Surf Life Saving Clubs are getting geared up and ready to go for the 2022 bp Surf Rescue South Island Championships which is being held tomorrow at Waikouaiti Beach. 

31 crews from 8 clubs will take part in this year’s championship which includes several events, requiring varying levels of technical skill and physical fitness. 

Luke Smith, Surf Life Saving NZ Southern Region Sport Manager is stoked the event can take place in light of the current Covid restrictions, “It’s cool that the clubs can get to gather and compete at the championships this year. It’s been a mammoth effort for all those involved to ensure the event can go ahead safely under the current Covid conditions. The SLSNZ team and the Clubs have put in a huge amount of work to make this happen.”   

“We’re looking forward to seeing the teams give it their all and are expecting some fierce competition tomorrow,” Luke adds. 

The bp Surf Rescue South Island Championships has a proud history of being one filled with hard, fast, and action-packed racing. The third-largest Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) racing competition on the Surf Life Saving calendar, crews from throughout the country will line up to showcase their surf skills, fitness and experience amongst their peers. 

With surf and weather conditions constantly changing, the competition has proved to be one of the most exciting competitions on the Surf Life Saving calendar. 

bp Head of Country NZ Matt Elliott says, “IRBs are at the most used type of equipment in rescues (42%1) and events like this are critical for honing lifeguards’ rescue skills, such as speed, patient pick up and teamwork, to ensure the best response for incidents. bp is proud to support Surf Life Saving New Zealand and important events like these. We wish all the competitors the best for tomorrow’s bp Surf Rescue South Island Championships.”