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Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz |
The pinnacle event of any sport in New Zealand is the National Championships.
This weekend the Main Beach at the Mount, will host the New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships, where the best surf sport athletes in the country will come together to test there skills and abilities against fellow athletes.
Not so long ago surf lifesaving was considered a recreation rather than a serious sport. All that changed when we beat the team from across the ditch for the first time (and won the World title) in the World Surf Life Saving Championships at Red Beach in Auckland in 1998.
Led by an inspirational performance from surf lifesaving legend Cory Hutchings, who took out the world individual crowns in the ironman and board races, the New Zealand team sat astride the top of the podium for the first time. The Kiwi victory was a wake-up call for the Aussies who had slept walked to victory in every previous World Championship.
The World's victory set in motion a wholesale migration across the ditch of Kiwi elite surf sport athletes to train and compete with the best. The majority headed for the balmy weather of Queensland where they could train for 12 months of the year.
Fast forward 14 years to 2012 where we again finished at the top of the World's podium – this time we dealt to the Aussies on their own beach in South Australia.
Not only will the 2013 nationals at the Mount bring together the best from throughout the country, but a all our elite athletes from across the ditch will return home to perform in front of the national selectors.
They will arrive by air and road in relative comfort, with many staying in what would have been considered luxury accommodation at earlier Nationals. Things have certainly changed since Mount Maunganui first sent a team to the Nationals at Takapuna Beach in 1934.
The following story has been adapted from a report written by Bernie Baker a life member of the club and a member of the team. Acknowledgment to the Mount Maunganui Surf Lifesaving 50th Jubilee Booklet.
'It was decided to send a team to the New Zealand championships which was a very ambitious decision as the team members had little experience (and less money) however the Mount community (population around 140) got behind the team.”
'We duly selected a team of seven, which wasn't difficult as the club only has seven active members. Tom Magee, George Barney, Norm Hooker, Con Kelliher, Gilmore Pemberton, Pat Petty and myself.”
'At the time there were only three cars and two small trucks at the Mount but we managed to borrow an old Essex from Bill Mathews the local grocer. We sent an advance part of Con Kelliher and Norm Hooker on Thursday by train with our gear, which included a tent to be erected for our arrival on Friday”.
'We set sail on Friday morning with high hopes but about half a mile from Katikati we ran a big end. Pat and myself without any mechanical knowledge decided to pull the sump off rather than push the car to Katikati.
'We found the offending culprit all right so off we march into Katikati. hoping to buy a new bearing shell. When a new part wasn't available, we decided that the next best thing would be a piece of leather so off to the saddler we went.
'Unfortunately the makeshift part lasted only as far as the Athrenree Gorge, so we journeyed on to a Waihi Garage. The night was spent wandering the town and trying to sleep in the paint shop behind the garage.”
'After unsuccessful attempts to get the car going next day, it was decided to take a Waihi Taxi to Auckland (the price was twelve pound). We duly set sail at 5pm on Saturday and arrived in Auckland just in time to catch the last ferry to Takapuna. 'Arriving after midnight and after we couldn't find the advance guard (and tent) we walked to Milford looking for the missing crew and equipment. After not finding any signs of the other team members, we walked back to Takapuna and finished what was left of the night on the clubhouse floor sans blankets.”
'On Sunday you can imagine how fit we were, but we staggered on to the Takapuna beach and participated in the days events (we had already missed two days of competition).”
'Believe it or not we didn't come last in spite of our patient still struggling to get to the buoy, when other teams had arrived back on the beach. When we did eventually arrive, our beltman Tom Magee put up a great show and restored some of our lost pride”.
It was recorded that the team arrived back at the Mount late on Monday after picking up parts for the car in Auckland and having them fitted in Waihi – How Times Have Changed.
Seeya at the Beach.