The sun shone on Ōhope as Masters athletes kick off 2026 Aon New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships

Nearly 1,400 surf lifesaving athletes representing 46 clubs across Aotearoa arrived on the beach in Ōhope today, kicking off four exciting days of competition at the 2026 Aon New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships. Competitors of all ages are represented across a range of events - from canoes and surf boats to beach sprinters, surf swimmers and board paddlers. 

By the end of day one, the leaderboard club rankings were Omanu SLSC on 82 points, Mairangi Bay SLSC on 80 points, and East End SLSC on 70 points, and it is shaping up to be a closely fought battle. The first medal of the whole event was awarded for the under-15 male 2km beach run to local competitor Harper Thompson from Whakatane SLSC, which was an exciting moment for the event's host club. 

Masters athletes occupied the majority of the day one programme, racing in age groups from starting at 30-34 and going up to 75+, and they exemplify the Surf Life Saving slogan, “in it for life.” 

This year, the 75+ Masters group had just one competitor – former Club President of Lyall Bay SLSC, current patron of Opotiki SLSC, and Surf Life Saving New Zealand Life Member Carol Quirk. Carol has participated in well over 50 national championships and was the first-ever female president of a surf lifesaving club in New Zealand. 

“I first started surf lifesaving in 1968 at Paekakariki when I was 18 years old, before moving over to Lyall Bay”, said Carol. Before 1976 Lyall Bay was only a men's club and the women's only club was Wellington Ladies, so when they merged, I joined. I've only skipped a few national champs over the years, and I do feel like Ōhope is the best beach to be at. You can see right down the beach from one end to the next, the weather is fantastic, and there's an event hub with a good buzz.”

“Today, I've competed in the surf race, the board race, the beach sprint and beach flags. In the good old days, when I started, there were only five events for women. They were the rescue and resuscitation, the belt race, the March Past, and the surf race, and that was it!”

Surf Life Saving New Zealand board chair Kelvyn Eglinton says the Masters competition shows the strength of the surf lifesaving whanau, and is a way to continue building a community of service.

He says; “There are people here who joined as nippers came to their first nationals when they were 14 or 15 years of age and have come to every single one since. Being able to continue in our sport means they do keep coming back to put on the red and yellow, to coach the kids, and to run our clubs. 

“And there are people like Carol Quirk, who actually organised our first ever Masters competition at the national championships in the mid-1990s. She was on the organising committee, and arranged for the juniors to have the chance to do the officiating. Since then, it has become a much more integrated part of our sport programme.” 

The next three days of racing look set to bring more sunshine and great conditions at Ōhope beach, with four of the six event arenas starting races bright and early at 8.00am.