It's not all about pompoms and short skirts. Instead it's the better version of the American classic ‘Bring it On' with all the spirit, spunk, sass, and killer routines you could ever need.

The Battle in the Bay event, run by Bay Twisters, started three years ago, bringing cheerleading teams from all over the country to perform and show off their dazzling skills.

Bay Twisters chairperson and Battle in the Bay event organiser Rebecca Grigson says it has been a privilege to watch the event and sport grow in the Bay of Plenty.

Bay Twisters started out with just eight athletes and now they have around 115 cheerleaders from ages 3-20.

'There's been more interest in cheerleading than ever before, with it now being a recognised sport,” says Rebecca.

'It's so nice for us to be able to have an event like this in our community and not just in bigger cities like Auckland. Next year if the competition grows any bigger we will have to look at doing a two-day competition.”

This year's Battle in the Bay will see more than 700 athletes attend, many performing at high qualifying levels, showing off a range of elaborate jumps, tumbles, and stunts.

'There's some really amazing teams this year, including a team that went to the worlds and represented New Zealand in Florida and were placed. There's also a lot more boys in the teams, which in the past hasn't really happened, so it's nice to see them coming through into the sport.”

Battle in the Bay will be held on August 4 from 8am-7.15pm at the ASB Arena on 81 Truman Lane.

Tickets cost $10 for adults, $5 for children 5-years-old and up, and free for children under five years.