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Surf boats head out at from Mt Maunganui beach - Source: ONE Sport
Papamoa stunned their rivals at the Northern Regional surf lifesaving championships in Mount Maunganui with an upset win on a tumultous final day on Sunday.
The Bay of Plenty club was on 68 points, six ahead of the host Mount Maunganui club, when torrential rain and torrid surf forced organisers to abandon the last three hours of competition.
It was Papamoa's first victory in the 40-year history of the event, which attacted record numbers of nearly 1000 competitors for the two-day carnival.
Key to their success was their emerging depth in the under-16 ranks, where Daniel Kayes, Natalie Peat, Hayden Halse and Kodi Harman dominated, a strong canoe presence as well as the performance of Brad Wilson in the open division, who won the surf race and was third in the board race.
His brother, Papamoa coach Kurt Wilson, paid tribute to the club's investment in youth with one of the strongest junior programmes in the country.
"It was really trying conditions and the club did really well," Wilson said. "The strength of our Ocean Athletes (under-14) programme is really showing through into the under-16 and under-19 age groups which is testament to the long vision and planning by a lot of people in the club over many years."
Despite the near-cyclonic last-day conditions, most of the individual open events were completed, with Mount Maunganui board specialist Andrew Newton also springing a major upset with a win in the feature ironman race.
"The waves were heavy and I guess that a little bit of local knowledge comes into it as well," Newton said. "I honestly do the ironman for fun and I was surprised to come home strongly on the final board leg."
Lyall Bay swimmer Chantelle Cowlrick won the women's surf race from Orewa's Rachel Clarke and New Plymouth Old Boys' Ayla Dunlop-Barrett, while Clarke also followed home Midway's Leesa Barton in the ski race.
Westshore's New Zealand representative Nikki Cox dominated the ironwoman race, winning from Mairangi Bay's Bailey Elliott, while Mount Maunganui's Chelsea Maples won the beach sprint...
Veteran beach flags champion Morgan Foster (South Brighton) claimed another title, heading off great rival Paul Cracroft-Wilson (Fitzroy) while Foster's South Brighton teammate Ben Ryan, the current national champion, won the beach sprint.
Gisborne's Midway club was third on 42 points followed by Orewa on 32 points.
Competitors were using the event to build up for the Lion Foundation surf league at Mount Maunganui in two weeks, one of the last selection events for the national team heading to the world championships in Egypt later this year.
