When: Sunday 13 December 2026
Time: 8.00am
Where: Mount Maunganui, Main Beach
Taking place at Mount Maunganui the day after Mount Monster, this is a fast-moving competition programme across sand and surf events, bringing athletes and area teams together to compete for the inaugural Tangaroa Challenge title.
ABOUT
Tangaroa Challenge is a new fast-format representative competition that brings a new kind of rivalry to lifesaving sport.
Athletes who are used to competing against each other in club colours will join forces to represent their area, taking on other area teams from around Aotearoa.
Launching in the 2026/27 season, the event brings U17 and Open teams together for a fast-moving half-day of surf and beach racing, with points building across the competition towards the overall Tangaroa Challenge title.
For athletes, it’s a new opportunity to earn representative honours, race alongside some of the best competitors from neighbouring clubs and test themselves as part of an area team.
For spectators, the fast-format approach makes Tangaroa Challenge an easy way to get amongst lifesaving sport. Rather than a championship unfolding over several days, there’ll be plenty of racing to watch in a single session and a team competition to follow from start to finish.
Who is it for?
Tangaroa Challenge is a representative event for selected U17 and Open athletes from Surf Life Saving New Zealand clubs.
Unlike our major club championships, athletes won't compete for their individual clubs. Each area will select representative teams, bringing athletes from different clubs together as teammates to take on the rest of the country.
Each team consists of eight athletes, four male and four female, who will compete across a mix of individual and team events.
The event also creates new development opportunities for coaches, team managers and surf officials.
What to expect
Tangaroa Challenge brings together a variety of lifesaving sport disciplines.
Teams will race across surf, ski, board, Iron, beach flags and beach sprint events, alongside mixed team events including the beach relay and Dearlove Relay.
Points will build throughout the competition, with each team’s best 12 scoring events contributing to its final total. That rewards teams with strength across a range of disciplines and keeps the overall regional contest in play throughout the event.
SELECTION
Tangaroa Challenge is a representative competition, so athletes won't enter individually or as a club team. Instead, each area will select its U17 and Open teams, bringing athletes from different clubs together to represent their part of the country. Areas will be determined by the boundaries Local Sport Committees operate to.
Who is eligible?
To be considered for selection, athletes must:
- be a current member of a Surf Life Saving New Zealand club within the relevant area
- hold a current Surf Lifeguard Award/or patrol support for beach events only
- meet the eligibility requirements for the relevant U17 or Open division.
*U15 members will be eligible for selection for U17 Teams.
Selected athletes will also be required to sign an Athlete Agreement and maintain the expected fitness, performance and behaviour standards.
ENTRY CIRCULAR
How are teams selected?
Each area will run its own selection process through an appointed Selection Panel.
Selectors may consider:
- recent competition performances and results
- consistency of performance
- fitness and commitment to training
- ability to contribute positively within a team
- behaviour and reliability
- communication with coaches
- willingness and ability to represent the area positively.
- Exceptional circumstances, such as injury or illness, may also be taken into account where appropriate.
Each Tangaroa Challenge team will consist of eight athletes, with four male and four female competitors.
Athletes interested in being part of the inaugural Tangaroa Challenge should look out for information from their area about Expressions of Interest, selection dates and any additional requirements.
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
Athlete EOI: https://slsnz.surveymonkey.com/r/TZCMBD6
Coach/Team Manager EOI: https://slsnz.surveymonkey.com/r/G6PTQWC
Contact: Cole Drinnan - cole.drinnan@surflifesaving.org.nz