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SLSNZ Announces Finalists For The Otago & Southland Awards Of Excellence
The finalists for Surf Life Saving New Zealand’s (SLSNZ) Otago and Southland Awards of Excellence have been announced.
These awards not only acknowledge the incredible skills, commitment, and effort by surf lifeguards to ensure the safety of beachgoers, but also those who have educated others, managed administration, and participated in lifesaving sport throughout the 2023/2024 season.
Stu Bryce, SLSNZ Southern Regional Manager said, “It’s been a fantastic season in the deep south with plenty of sunny weather. This combined with beachgoers paying attention to our safety messages has resulted in fewer rescues compared to last season. However, this didn’t mean our surf lifeguards and clubs weren’t busy. They were involved in a number of challenging rescues and worked hard to ensure they were available to their communities when needed.”
The Otago and Southland Awards of Excellence will bring together Surf Life Saving clubs from across the South Island, including Warrington, St Kilda, St Clair, Brighton, Kaka Point, and Oreti.
Bryce said, “We’re looking forward to a night out with all the clubs and their members. There are so many great moments to celebrate and reminisce on. One event that stands out is the bp Surf Rescue New Zealand Championships which were held on Otago’s Waikouaiti Beach. With blue sky and around two feet of surf, conditions were perfect, and it was great to see so many SLSNZ members enjoying some southern hospitality in a beautiful part of the country.”
During the 2023/2024 season, Otago and Southland surf lifeguards spent over 10,900 hours on patrol, rescued 37 people, performed over 30 first aids, and carried out over 930 preventative actions.
This year’s awards ceremony will take place on Friday, 17 May at 6pm at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin.
Full list of finalists:
Surf Sports Official of the Year
| Dave Bourke | St Kilda |
| Doug Henderson | Kaka Point |
| Mark Familton | Warrington |
| Rebecca Aburn | St Clair |
| Sean Doyle | Warrington |
Event Safety Contribution of the Year
| Dave Clarke | Brighton |
| Lara Tyndall | St Clair |
| Michael Thompson | St Kilda |
| Paul Gager | Warrington |
Coach of the Year
| Isaac Davies | St Clair |
| Joel Davies | St Clair |
| Nevan Trotter | Brighton |
| Peter Gibbons | St Kilda |
| Ken McHoull | Warrington |
Surf Sports Team of the Year
| Brighton Masters IRB Team | Brighton |
| St Clair U19 Female IRB Team | St Clair |
| St Kilda Open Female IRB Team | St Kilda |
| Warrington Open Female Canoe Team | Warrington |
Junior Surf Contribution of the Year
| Isabella Aldrich & Madelene Ozanne | Warrington |
| Jon Richardson | St Clair |
| Max Skerratt | Brighton |
| Richard Panting | St Kilda |
Junior Surf Coach of the Year
| Isaac Davies | St Clair |
| Javara Clark | Brighton |
| Maaike Duncan | Warrington |
| Rosie Falcous | St Clair |
Surf Sportsperson of the Year
| Charlotte Aburn | St Clair |
| Connor Aldrich | Warrington |
| Danyon Noakes | St Kilda |
| Jamie Blair | Brighton |
bp Powercraft Contribution of the Year
| Chris Chittock | Kaka Point |
| Dave Clarke | Brighton |
| Matthew Bradley | St Clair |
| Paul Gager | Warrington |
bp Search and Rescue Contribution of the Year
| Max Corboy | St Kilda |
| Niam Chronican | St Clair |
Instructor of the Year
| Chris Haig | St Clair |
| Fiona Wilkinson | Kaka Point |
| Gabby Trotter | Brighton |
| Madelene Ozanne | Warrington |
| Madi Loudon | St Kilda |
Examiner of the Year
| Carla Murray | St Clair/Kaka Point |
bp Rescue of the Year
| Otago SAR Squad | 31 January 2024 |
| St Kilda | 15 February 2024 |
Rookie Lifeguard of the Year
| Belinda McLellan | St Clair |
| Fergus Laws | Warrington |
| Harry Boyle | Warrington |
| Steve Kahui | Brighton |
DHL U19 Lifeguard of the Year
| Liam O’Riordan Lawlor | Kaka Point |
| Matilda Dunn | Brighton |
| Sam McLellan | St Clair |
| Sophie Boyle | Warrington |
| Zoe Alibone | St Kilda |
DHL Patrol Support of the Year
| Gregor Crystal | St Kilda |
| Teena Joyce | Brighton |
DHL Surf Lifeguards of the Year
| Aedan Dinnissen | Brighton |
| Madelene Ozanne | Warrington |
| Madi Loudon | St Kilda |
| Sam McLellan | St Clair |
| Sarah Chittock | Kaka Point |
NZ Lottery Grants Board Volunteer of the Year
| Fiona Wilkinson | Kaka Point |
| Isaac Davies | St Clair |
| Jody Mowat | St Kilda |
| Maaike Duncan | Warrington |
| Mark Lane | Brighton |
Innovation Award
| Oreti SLSC | Patrol Caravan |
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