Kia ora Surf Life Saving whānau,

It appears Autumn has well and truly arrived, with temperatures dropping and brisk winds making themselves known!  However, that hasn’t meant things have slowed down.  There are still a few more weeks of patrols to go, and national sporting events are well underway.  

It was fantastic to see so many Junior members taking part in Oceans ’24 in Mount Maunganui.  The weather threw a few curveballs their way, but there were still plenty of smiles and fantastic racing, which you can read more about below.

In this month’s Member News, you’ll also find some great media stories, including an interview with a surfer who was rescued by surf lifeguards after a devastating accident, information on Outward Bound scholarships, and details on Six60’s performance at Piha SLSC.

Happy reading and ka kite anō.

TVNZ Sunday Airs Story on Surf Lifesaving

TVNZ’s current affairs programme Sunday aired a story on Surf Life Saving in New Zealand, focusing on a number of clubs who are facing some serious challenges.  It was great for these issues to get some coverage and all the surf lifeguards involved should be proud of how they represented their clubs and communities. Click here to watch the full story.

Spotlight on Foxton Volunteer Surf Lifeguards

The Horowhenua Chronicle did a photo-article looking at volunteer surf lifeguards from Foxton SLSC.  Photographer Jacob Brookie spent a day on patrol, using vintage cameras to document it.  Along with some great safety messaging, the photos give a great behind the scenes look.  Click here to read more.

Maketu Local Carries out Rescue Four Days After Becoming Surf Lifeguard

Surf lifeguards can't predict when their next rescue will be, but they are always ready. Clay Simpson from Maketu SLSC found this out as his skills were called on just four days after qualifying as a surf lifeguard!  This made a fantastic story for our SLSNZ News page as Clay recounted how it all unfolded, click here to read more.

Seven Sharp Calls on Surf Lifeguards for Beach Etiquette 

TVNZ’s Seven Sharp did a story on beach etiquette and sought advice from one of United North Piha Lifeguard Service’s surf lifeguards.  It’s a great watch as it’s not only informative, but highly entertaining and will no doubt put a smile on your face.  Click here to watch the story.

Surfing Incident Highlights Crucial Role of Surf Lifeguards

One of the most powerful ways to tell our story is through people who have been rescued.  Earlier this year, SLSNZ spoke with Michael Lefebvre whose life changed after what should have been a routine surf ended in disaster.  To hear how surf lifeguards came to his aid, click here. 

Whiritoa Volunteer Acknowledged For Incredible Service 

Congratulations to Vicki Skill from Whiritoa Lifeguard Service for winning the 2023 WSARA Community Unsung Hero Award!  She’s a deserving winner as she brought the club back to life when it was on the verge of complete collapse.  Well done, Vicki.  We know how much work you’ve put in to help protect your community who are grateful for everything you’ve done.  Click here to read more.

Help Support a Former Clubbies Road to Recovery

Earlier this year, former clubbie Matt Scott suffered a serious spinal injury while surfing at Northland’s Mangawhai Heads.  Along with other surfers, surf lifeguards from Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service rushed to rescue him and he’s now recovering in Middlemore Hospital.  Matt’s family are unsure of what his future holds but they know it’s going to be a long road to recovery.  A Givealittle page has been set up to raise funds for him.  If you would like to support it, click here.

Piha SLSC to Host Six60

Six60 will be heading back to their roots over the next few months, playing in intimate venues including Piha SLSC!  They’ll be showcasing their big hits in acoustic and unplugged versions for fans which will then make up their upcoming album, Best Of The Grassroots Tour.  They’ll be playing at Piha SLSC on Sunday 14 April.  To find out more click here and head to tickmaster.co.nz for tickets.

Oceans ’24 a Resounding Success

Despite a wet and windy start, Oceans ’24 was a resounding success!  Over 700 junior members from 44 Surf Life Saving clubs competed in a range of events with everyone giving it all.  A big thank you to everyone who helped out and made the trip to Mount Maunganui.  And well done to all of those who participated.  We hope you went home with your heads held high!  For a full wrap and all the results, click here.

Piha Piranhas Make History Across the Tasman

The New Zealand U23 Female Crew made history across the Tasman at the Australian Surf Rowers League (ASRL).  The crew, also known as the Piha Piranhas from Auckland’s west coast, won the U23 Female division, becoming the first female New Zealand team to ever win an ASRL gold medal!  Well done to everyone involved as it takes hours of training, dedication, and skill to pull off such an incredible achievement, click here​​​​​​​ to read more.

Surf Lifeguards Descend on Tauranga for New Zealand Championships

Surf athletes from around the country will be heading to Mount Maunganui this week for the 2024 New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships.  With over 1,370 athletes from 47 Surf Life Saving clubs, it’s going to be an action-packed four days of competition.  To read more click here and for event merchandise click here.  Good luck to everyone involved!

Trans-Tasman Surf Boat Challenge

Congratulations to the four New Zealand crews who competed in this year’s Trans-Tasman Surf Boat Challenge!  While the Aussies managed to successfully defend the title at Lorne, Victoria, the Kiwis put up a good fight with some tight racing.  The U23 Women’s team won their first test and the Open Women’s Crew won their second test.  Well done to everyone involved and a big thank you to Code Sport for supporting the crews with their team wear.  Click here for full results.

Outward Bound Scholarship Opportunity

Outward Bound is an adventure-based experience located in Anakiwa, Marlborough Sounds.  It uses the outdoors to challenge participants mentally and physically with a mission to being “better people, better communities, better world”.  This year Outward Bound is offering a number of scholarships to SLSNZ members.  Click here to check out the dates and if interested make sure you apply for one of these fantastic opportunities.

Stay Tuned for National Lifeguard School Details

Exciting news is on the way!  Details for this Year’s National Lifeguard School will be released shortly.  The school represents the pinnacle of training for the country’s fastest, fittest, and most committed surf lifeguards with all candidates receiving SLSNZ’s highest surf lifeguard qualification – the Advanced Lifeguard Award.  We can’t wait to provide you with more details about the 2024 school, so stay tuned!

Rowing for Life

Ian Hamilton and his dedicated team are undertaking a massive challenge – rowing the entire East Coast of New Zealand, a distance of 3000km, over five months.  This epic journey is dedicated to raising funds for four New Zealand charities, and SLSNZ is one of them!  Check out the rowing schedule on their page to see when they will be in your area and pop down to your local beach to cheer them on.  Click here for more.

Success for Cartel and Surf Life Saving Clubs

This year we welcomed Cartel Media back to beaches across the country. You might've seen their advertising billboards on display at your club over the summer and we're stoked to announce that this initiative helped raise a total of $105,500! These funds went to the clubs who chose to advertise as part of our partnership – good work everyone and thanks Cartel Media for your support.

Surf Lifeguards Enjoy a Chippier Summer Thanks to Griffin’s Snacks Eta Brand

Griffin’s Snacks Eta Brand is one of our newest partners and did a fantastic job supporting us through the summer!  As well as raising money they also like to make sure that we are enjoying a ‘Chippier Summer’ by sharing Eta Ripples with regional offices nationwide. Thank you to everyone that sent us pics of tucking in to your bag of Eta Ripples during your training session break, as you scoped the beaches on patrol and even from a jet ski at the MRC – we had fun seeing all of the different ways you were enjoying them.

Linesmen in action at Muriwai in 1964.