Around the Clubs

Regional lifeguards started patrolling at Bay of Plenty beaches this week, joining the volunteers who will continue to ensure beaches are safe on weekends.

SLSNZ Eastern Region is also holding a Junior and IRB Carnival on Sunday at Mount Maunganui's Main Beach - this is the first opportunity for local junior athletes to flex their muscles and test their skills, while the Bay's best Senior IRB Crews battle it out alongside them.

The competition offers almost all of the events available at the 2013 Under-14 New Zealand Championships, while the IRB crews will be tested both physically and mentally as they endure back to back rounds of racing.

The event is set to attract clubs from not only the Bay of Plenty, but the Coromandel and Hawke's Bay, where the Westshore club is expected to send a strong contingent to test the water at the beach where Oceans13 is set to be held. Bring the family down and enjoy a fun and action packed day of racing.

Around the clubs

Omanu

The Mount Maunganui College pool is now open to the public seven days a week, between 10am and 3pm each day. Entry is only $3.

The Omanu Classic will be held on December 30, between 12-4pm. This event includes the prestigious Ian Porteous Memorial Ironman on its unique m-shaped course, with board, ski and swim events for under-16, under-19 and open athletes, plus a series of surf boat races for men and women. The Mount Surf Shop has come to the party and is sponsoring a surfbaord for the overall Ian Porteous Ironman winner(value $750), plus a $350 ladies watch for the first female. Mark the date in your diary and come on down for a great afternoon of non-stop surf sport action.

Voluntary patrols have started off well this season, with 130 lifeguards turning up to voluntary patrol so far at Omanu. The water is slowing warming up, although there have been a lot of holes and rips along the beach. Paid guard started this week so the beaches will have lifeguards every day until early February. This year, we have also put through about 12 new lifeguards and looking to run another lifeguard award course in early February. Anyone interested please contact the club. Our Junior surf programme (5 to 13 years) has just finished for the Christmas period and will commence again on Sunday January 13. Attendance has been strong with between 250 and 300 juniors participating every Sunday. Our Ocean and Senior surf sport team are training hard under the watchful eye of our coaching coordinator Simon Willis - Simon is back from Auckland and it's great to have him back in the club passing on his knowledge.

Two of our teenage stars, Dannielle O Connor and Ashley Cochrane, are running a holiday programme from the club, which starts up again on January 7 between 11am and 3pm. Please visit the club website www.omanubeach.co.nz for more information.

Mount Maunganui

It was a perfect summer weekend for the lifeguards at Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service, with sunny skies, little wind and a bit of swell rolling in.

Plenty of people were enjoying the conditions and the lifeguards were kept particularly busy along the coast carrying out in excess of 100 preventative actions each day. These preventatives mainly involve the lifeguards moving swimmers away from rips that develop and other potential hazards.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the appearance of Santa on Sunday for our Junior surf Christmas party, with MMLS Junior Surf coordinator Andrew Newton delighted to see the 180 juniors in the Mount program getting together and enjoying themselves. "It was a great chance for the coaches, the athletes and their families to get together before the festive break," Andrew explained. "We've got a big junior carnival this weekend and many of our juniors will be competing in that, although there will still be a junior program running at the club. Having Santa turn up on the IRB was a definite highlight for the kids, who were very impressed with his wave-riding skills!" Experienced lifeguards Leigh Sefton and Englishman Robert Sheard joked it was one of the more unusual IRB pick-ups they'd made, although they were glad Santa had left his reindeer behind for this trip.

MMLS also sent a strong contingent of athletes up the coast to Whangamata for the first round of the Sonic Series where they all performed with distinction, with special mention to Katie Wilson, George Haynes and Hamish Treanor for their efforts.

Check out the club's brand-new website at www.mountlifeguards.co.nz for all the latest news.

Papamoa

Great weather conditions, a white sandy beach and loads of sunshine have combined to allow Papamoa to have a fantastic start to the summer! We have record membership numbers and there is a happy buzz among everyone here at the moment. Every Sunday our dozens of Junior Surf members converge on the beach for a couple of hours of skill building games and fun on both sand and water which is keeping kids and parents alike smiling. We are still taking registrations for children aged between 5 and 13 years if you are keen to come along and give it a try, just contact the club if you are interested. Santa surprised us with a visit on Sunday arriving on an IRB to the delight of all the kids. Junior Surf will break now for Christmas and New Year and resumes on 6th January 2013.

Surf Sports wise we have had a great start to the season with Natalie Peat and Ben Johnston representing New Zealand in the National Youth Team at the World Lifesaving Championships in Adelaide recently. They brought home plenty of medals and Natalie has a couple of world records under her belt now as well. We are very proud of them! All our surf sports athletes have been training hard and have been having good success at the various carnivals and competitions so far. We will keep you updated throughout the season.

Papamoa volunteer lifeguards have been patrolling at weekends since Labour weekend and will continue through to the 7th April. The Regional (paid) Lifeguards have started this week and will now be patrolling every weekday until the 8th February. They have advised that there is a big swell coming through this weekend so please take care and swim between the flags to be safe. If you have any concerns please just ask any lifeguard at any time.

From all at Papamoa Surf Life Saving Club, we wish everyone a safe and happy summer on the beach and a very Merry Christmas.