New Zealand Surf Life Saving Championships

WHAKATANE DISTRICT COUNCIL WELCOMES SURF LIFE SAVERS

On behalf of the Whakatane District Council I would like to warmly welcome you to the Whakatane District to compete in the New Zealand Surf Life Saving Championships to be held at Ohope beach. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for good and fair racing conditions.

It’s been 37 years since the Whakatane Surf Life Saving Club has hosted the nationals and it has been a logistical challenge for the organisers to cater for the 1500 athletes and all their supporters. Congratulations to the organising committee for making this happen!

The championships are only a few weeks away and while most are thinking about their training and the competition others maybe thinking what other things can we do while in the sunny Bay of Plenty (just so you know Whakatane has the most sunshine hours of any centre in the North Island!)

There are just too many things to do to list in this newsletter so it may be a good idea to troll through this website. Just to wet your appetite here are a few things you might consider: visit White Island, Swim with the Dolphins, go rafting, walk the Whirinaki, visit Tarawera falls, go fishing…

I look forward to seeing you all competing at Ohope beach and hope that all the training you have done pays off!

Regards,

Mike van der Boom

Events Manager

Whakatane District Council

 PARK AND RIDE

Leave your car at Bluett park (next to the Ohope Chartered Club) or Rex Morpeth Park in Whakatane and catch a bus to the Surf Club. Parking is limited so please make use of this service.

Whakatane Surf Life Saving Club - Ohope Beach - the venue for the 2008 New Zealand Surf Life Saving Championships.

The Championships will be held at Ohope beach on March 14, 15 and 16 . This is only the second time in the history of the event that the NZ Championships have been held at Ohope.

“Our members like going to other venues to compete,” said Surf Life Saving New Zealand Sport Manager Mark Weatherall.  “Looking for a 2008 venue in the Bay of Plenty Whakatane stacked up as meeting all the criteria.”

The last Nationals held at Ohope Beach were in 1972 and according to records written by Surf Life Saving New Zealand Life Member Bob Rogers they went down as “one of the best organised championships carnivals.”

According to those records Olympian Ian Ferguson was the undoubted individual star finishing the three day competiton with three titles and a second placing while Taranaki’s Fitzroy Surf Life Saving Club won the Alan Gardner Trophy superseding strong favourite Muriwai Club.

Thirty six years on the 2008 NZ Championships are set to be just as successful. “Spectators will be in for a treat in 16 months time in Ohope,” said Weatherall.  “More than a 1000 Lifeguards will compete in everything from the ironman to surf boat racing, ski races, beach sprints and swimming races will be happening at the nationals, when the beach is set up there will be four arenas stretched over a kilometre and a half of beach.”