Outstanding Competition At Oceans ’21 Despite “Super Sunday” Cancellation

Organisers are praising the “fantastic spirit” and performance of more than 850 competitors at this year’s Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) Oceans ’21 event in Mt Maunganui, despite Covid-19 level changes forcing a cancellation of the final day.

The annual 4-day event celebrates the joy and excitement of Junior Surf, with competitors aged 10 – 14 testing their mettle in events designed to emulate real-life lifesaving scenarios.

SLSNZ Sports Event Manager, Mark Inglis, says despite the cancellation of day 4 (sometimes referred to as “Super Sunday), the first three days of Oceans ’21 were “fantastic”.

“It was frustrating having to cancel day 4, but I don’t want that to detract from the fact that these kids did an incredible job of demonstrating their skills in what were – for the first two days – fairly tricky conditions,” he says.

The finals for four key events were unable to go ahead due to Sunday’s cancellation. These included the Surf Race, Board Race, Diamond (board & swim) and Grand Cameron.

Lucas Smith, a competitor representing Christchurch’s South Brighton Surf Life Saving Club, wrote in an open letter to event organisers that Oceans ’21 was an “amazing” experience despite being cut short.

“I was going to spend Sunday morning after competing in the Cameron Race going around and finding and thanking as many officials as I could for making the competition as great as it has been,” he says.

“I’m sorry for everyone who has missed out on a final on Sunday; I know how disappointed they will be – I made it to the final for the Board Relay (my goal was to make it to a final) and I would’ve been gutted if I had woken up to the news it had been cancelled…but I’m pretty sure everyone would like to thank every single person who has been involved with the running of Oceans ‘21.”

Inglis says the competitors’ performance was a “credit to their training,” and that the young people rose to the occasion in the face of big surf early in the competition.

“The carnival spirit was amazing and it was wonderful to see hundreds of kids from around the country come together and celebrate the excitement of Surf Lifesaving.”

RESULTS

Run Swim Run

U14 Male. Mason King, Orewa 1, Jack McSweeney, Omanu 2, Asher Hales, East End 3.

U14 Female. Chloe Kapene, Waikanae 1, Monique Bartlett, Omanu 2, Niamh Manning, Mt Maunganui 3.

U13 Male. Josh O'Sullivan, Red Beach 1, Chris Callebaut, Fitzroy 2, Jack Handford, Orewa 3.

U13 Female. Misha Petherbridge, Orewa 1, Ella Sutton, Midway 2, Georgia Davoren, Papamoa 3.

U12 Male. Finn Freemantle, Whangamata 1, Brooklyn Taylor, East End 2, Finn Crawford, Omanu 3.

U12 Female. Lola Lowry, Mt Maunganui 1, Erika Orbell, Orewa 2, Olivia Verryt, Omanu 3.

U11 Male. Henri Miller, Lyall Bay 1, Thomas Mill, Waimarama 2, Nico Jordan, East End 3.

U11 Female. Coco Wren, Whakatane 1, Addison Dawson, Mt Maunganui 2, Sophia Maltai-Spence, Papamoa 3.

Board Relay

U14 Male. Mt Maunganui (Vinnie Baggott/Henry Scholes/Marley Igasan) 1, Omanu (Jack McSweeney/Braith Swanberg/Josh Verryt) 2, Whangamata (Benjamin Riordan/Isaac Ancell/Jono Allen) 3.

U14 Female. Fitzroy (Freya Stolte/Mia Padrutt/Chelsea Gartner) 1, Omanu (Monique Bartlett/Mikaela Ketu/Mackenzie Crawford) 2, Midway (Ella Sutton/Jacqueline Kennedy/Emily Petro) 3.

U12 Male. Whangamata (Finn Freemantle/Max Riordan/Will Robinson) 1, Papamoa (Max Stevenson (walker)/Ty Kelly/Sean Leach) 2, Titahi Bay (Ryan Hemsley/Travis Carnegie/Elias Marshall) 3.

U12 Female. Waimarama (Lilly Hammond/Sophie Tasker/Lucy Kinnear) 1, Mt Maunganui (Jazz Baggott/Lola Lowry/Harvey-Jayne Pahuru) 2, Whakatane (Isla Webster/Savannah MacEy/Lily Hipkiss) 3.

Board Rescue

U14 Male. Omanu (Charlie Shivnan/Oli Hansen) 1, Mairangi Bay (Lucas Forbes/Ryder Heath) 2, Omanu (Leo Keaney/Jack McSweeney) 3.

U14 Female. Whangamata (Anika Cowley/Alyssa Tapper) 1, South Brighton (Skye Trist/Matilda Nolan) 2, Papamoa (Jessica Pilbrow/Chloe Keer-Keer) 3.

Tube Rescue

U14 Male. Muriwai (Ethan McKolskey/Mathew Mihaljevich) 1, Omanu (Jack McSweeney/Leo Keaney) 2, Orewa (Elliot McKimmey/Mason King) 3.

U14 Female. Whangamata (Alyssa Tapper/Izzy Milne) 1, Papamoa (Jessica Pilbrow/Arianna Roberts-Lochray) 2, Waihi Beach LGS (Jenna Pooley/Rosie Morley) 3.

Beach Flags

U14 Male. Jackson Whitaker, Omaha Beach 1, Luke Morton, Omanu 2, Thomas Mahoney, Titahi Bay 3.

U14 Female. Indy Gibson, Pukehina 1, Beatrice Knapton, Whakatane 2, Chloe Keer-Keer, Papamoa 3.

U13 Male. Benjamin Cutler, Waimairi 1, Carl Tresfield, Sumner 2, Jacob Story, Piha 3.

U13 Female. Emilia Goldsmith, Pauanui 1, Lucy Angland, Waimarama 2, Eva Jeffries, Papamoa 3.

U12 Male. Ryan Hemsley, Titahi Bay 1, Aviv Savins, Papamoa 2, Luke Gillbanks, Papamoa 3.

U12 Female. Mia Hendren, Orewa 1, Charlize Duncan, Fitzroy 2, Darcy O'Sullivan, NPOB 3.

U11 Male. Henri Miller, Lyall Bay 1, Ty Kelly, Papamoa 2, Cooper Cardey, Red Beach 3.

U11 Female. Piper Igasan, Mt Maunganui 1, Trista Cowley, Whangamata 2, Lilla Hain, Midway 3.

Beach Sprint

U14 Male. Marley Igasan, Mt Maunganui 1, Thomas Mahoney, Titahi Bay 2, Jackson Whitaker, Omaha Beach 3.

U14 Female. Chloe Kapene, Waikanae 1, Monique Bartlett, Omanu 2, Indy Gibson, Pukehina 2=.

U13 Male. Benjamin Cutler, Waimairi 1, Fynn Collins, Papamoa 2, Finn Jones, Whakatane 3, Will Perrett, Opunake 3=.

U13 Female. Asha James, Omanu 1, Emilia Goldsmith, Pauanui 2, Lily Anderson, Whakatane 3.

U12 Male. Thijs Clements, Mt Maunganui 1, Ryan Hemsley, Titahi Bay 2, Aviv Savins, Papamoa 3.

U12 Female. Charlize Duncan, Fitzroy 1, Alice Geary, South Brighton 2, Georgie Beaufoy, Waikanae 3.

U11 Male. Jean Claude Goodman, Opunake 1, Henri Miller, Lyall Bay 2, Ty Kelly, Papamoa 3.

U11 Female. Lilla Hain, Midway 1, Piper Igasan, Mt Maunganui 2, Sobhan Cameron, Omanu 3.

Beach Relay

U14 Mixed. Mt Maunganui (Marley Igasan/Isaac Schuler/Ella-Marie Pahuru/Ariel Hoebers) 1, Omanu (Rico Nixon/Luke Morton/Monique Bartlett/Isabella Jones) 2, Pukehina (Oscar Gibson/Finley Gibson/Indy Gibson/Zara O'Leary) 3.

U13 Mixed. Fitzroy (Nathan Whitehead/Chris Callebaut/Alexis Elemam/Chelsea Gartner) 1, Mt Maunganui (Elliot Drewe/Isaac Johnstone/Paige Rickard/Tetsani Thompson) 2, Whakatane (Finn Jones/Derek Esterhuizen/Lily Anderson/Kayla Follows) 3.

U12 Mixed. Red Beach (Tyler Anderson/Dylan Blanchard/Mckayla Fuentes/Bianca Person) 1, Mt Maunganui (Thijs Clements/Ryleigh McEwan/Lola Lowry/Jazz Baggott) 2, NPOB (Kohen Hareb-Hine/Freddie Chambers/Darcy O'Sullivan/Pearl Shearer) 3.

U11 Mixed. Omanu (Jim Bartle-Mcdonnell/Sol Osbourne/Sobhan Cameron/Holly James) 1, Papamoa (Ty Kelly/Dylan Jessop/Sophia Maltai-Spence/Charlotte Silvester) 2, Mt Maunganui (Luke McIvor/Jacob Bostock/India-Rose Scholes/Molly Mayston) 3.

2km Relay

Mixed. Mt Maunganui (George Wyllie/Isaac Johnstone/Sophie Garrett/Paige Rickard) 1, Mt Maunganui (Tama Hawkins/Nicholas Reeder/Tetsani Thompson/Ella-Marie Pahuru) 2, Papamoa (Zachary Cairns/Fergus McHardy/Eva Jeffries/Eden Hunt) 3.

EVENT INFORMATION

Age groups:

• U11
• U12
• U13
• U14

Individual events:

• Sprint
• Flags
• Run Swim Run
• Surf Race
• Diamond Race (swim, board and run)
• Board Race

Team events:

• Beach Relay
• 2km Beach Relay
• Board Relay
• Grand Cameron Relay (6 person run, swim, board paddle event)
• Tube Rescue and Board Rescue

Competing clubs:

• Bethells Beach SLSP
• Brighton SLSC
• East End SLSC
• Fitzroy SLSC
• Foxton SLSC
• Lyall Bay SLSC
• Mairangi Bay SLSC
• Mangawhai Heads SLSC
• Maranui SLSC
• Midway SLSC
• Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service
• Muriwai VLS
• New Brighton SLSC
• New Plymouth Old Boys SLSC
• North Beach SLSC
• Ocean Beach Kiwi SLSC
• Omaha Beach SLSC
• Omanu SLSC
• Opunake SLSC
• Orewa SLSC
• Otaki SLSC
• Paekakariki Surf Lifeguards
• Papamoa SLSC
• Pauanui SLSC
• Piha SLSC
• Pukehina Surf Rescue
• Red Beach SLSC
• Ruakaka SLSP
• South Brighton SLSC
• Spencer Park SLSC
• St Clair SLSC
• St Kilda SLSC
• Sumner SLSC
• Taylors Mistake SLSC
• Titahi Bay SLSC
• Waihi Beach LS
• Waikanae SLSC
• Waikuku Beach SLSC
• Waimairi SLSC
• Waimarama SLSC
• Wainui SLSC
• Westshore SLSC
• Whakatane SLSC
• Whangamata SLSC
• Whiritoa LS
• Worser Bay LSC

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