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

By all accounts, last week's Surf Lifesaving New Zealand National Championships on the Mount Main Beach were a outstanding success, with the "Mounties" winning the big prize of the Alan Gardiner Trophy for a record tenth time.

The outstanding run of Nationals success is testament to the vision of Mount Lifeguard Service a couple of decades ago, to produce the best team of surf sport athletes in the country.

Hats off to Spindles and his troops who have achieved the dream in spades.

Over the years, each SLSNZ Nationals produce a crop of stars that leave an indelible impression on the sport.

Sideline Sid was lucky enough be mates with one such star, who dominated one event in the early 1950's.

Murray Haxton, known to all as Hacko, won the individual men's surf race in three successive years, kicking off with his first title in 1952.

Murray was born in Masterton on the 16 April 1931 in Masterton.

While born in an inland town, he quickly found his lifelong love of water and was a Wairarapa Schools and (Swimming) Association swimming champion before shifting to Wellington.

An apprenticeship in the railway workshops took Hacko to the Nation's capital city.

He quickly joined the Maranui Surf Club at Lyall Bay, gaining his surf medallion in 1947.

In an era where the National Surf Lifesaving championships had a lot less events than the present day, the premier open men's title was the surf race.

Murray first annexed the title at Oakura in 1952 and then repeated the feat at Waikanae and St Clair, in 1953 and 1954.

It was nearly 50 years before Cory Hutching became the next senior surf race champion to win a three peat of titles.

One of the great rivalries of the time was between Murray and another surf legend Reg Harker.

In 1956, surf lifesaving was included in the Melbourne Olympics as a demonstration sport.

The New Zealand team, of which Murray was a member, came home with team silver and bronze medals.

Hacko had a love of competing and was in the Kiwi team that competed in a Trans Tasman test in 1967, at 36 years of age.

As well as his surf race titles, he also won National medals in R&R and the surf teams race.

Retirement from competition resulted in Murray quickly becoming a surf official and, for 16 years, was the SLSANZ Equipment Officer.

Officiating highlights included selection as a judge at the 1974 World Championships, as well as being the New Zealand delegate to the World Lifesaving Conference from 1956 to 1974.

However, there was much more to Murray Haxton that his written achievements testify to.

He was one of the first to answer to call when the Waihine floundered in Wellington Harbour in 1968 and assisted with the rescues on a surf ski, wearing no more than a rugby jersey and shorts.

Murray passed away in February 2006 and is still remembered with great fondness by the many that brushed shoulders with Hacko over the years.