Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Some of the best surf athletes in the world are on show at the Mount Main Beach this week. The International Surf Challenge brings a rare visit to New Zealand of a star studded Australian team that is hot favourite to add the Surf Challenge title to its almost invincible record.

While surf sport has a reasonably high summer profile in this country surf, lifesaving competition ranks just behind cricket as the summer sport of choice across the ditch.

To celebrate 100 years of Surf Lifesaving in New Zealand, a weeklong Festival of Surf Sport has been put together to showcase some of the best surf sport athletes in the world.

An action packed NRC (Northern Regional Championship) over the long holiday weekend, which opened the Festival of Surf, provided a real challenge especially for the younger competitors.

Nothing provides more exciting action in surf sport than the surfboats.

There was plenty of carnage on display at the NRC with the big boats crashing through the waves as they raced for the buoys several hundred metres off shore.

The International Surf Challenge pits the Kiwi and Aussie national teams in head to head competition. Competition kicked off on Anniversary Monday and will continue to take centre stage at the Mount, on Wednesday and Friday.

While teams representing Japan, Great Britain and Canada are also competing, they are likely to just pick up the scraps, as the New Zealand side fight ongoing battles with the Aussies.

Australia hasn't taken the New Zealand challenge lightly and has paid the Kiwi team the respect of bringing their super stars. Ironman super stars Shannon Eckstien and Zane Holmes lead the Aussie invasion, with current women's world ironman champion Kristyl Smith also in the Australian team.

The action continues over the weekend when the New Zealand Provincial Surf League takes centre stage.

The Surf League matches up the best surf athletes in the country, who represent and wear the colours of their provinces.

It will be well worth a visit to the main beach at the Mount on Saturday and Sunday, to watch at close quarters the swim, IRB and beach events, as the regional teams strive for the prestigious Surf League trophy.

While the glamour event of any surf carnival is always the ironman races – the most action packed is usually the beach flags and sprints.

Spectators are encouraged to get up and personal with the sprinters, lining the sprint track, just metres away from the action.

Over the last couple of decades, Mount Maunganui has become the home of surf sport in the country. The Western Bay has the best beach in the country, plenty of accommodation, and consistent sunny weather day after day.

In a day and age where everything costs, all the surf events at the Mount are free to attend and watch and are well worth a visit in the next few days.

Seeya at the Beach.