Mairangi Bay Surf Life Saving Club members took out eleven awards at the 2020 Surf Life Saving Northern Region (SLSNR) Toyota Financial Services Awards of Excellence.
World surf-ski champion Danielle McKenzie from Mairangi Bay Surf Life Saving Club was once again recognised as Sportswoman of the Year, her fifth time receiving the award for dominating sports podiums nationally and internationally. Joining her as Sportsman of the Year was fellow Mairangi Bay club member Paul Van Achterberg who claimed nine podium finishes this season.
In the new award categories this year, Rod Salt from Mairangi Bay was the first recipient of the new Junior Coach of the Year award for his commitment to training junior surf sport participants.
Other Mairangi Bay Club winners were Alex Campbell; Blair Lees; Sophia Tuck; Zoe Crawford and Kris Boyd. Recognition of service awards went to Tony Sands; Mike Brown and Michael Buck.
Mairangi Bay Club also won the Cath and Eddie Millar Cup and the Northern Region Senior Competition Club of the Year:
Surf Life Saving Kariaotahi received top recognition at the 2020 Surf Life Saving Northern Region (SLSNR) Toyota Financial Services Awards of Excellence.
The club won a full suite of prizes at the annual awards evening, which was held online last night (Tuesday 8 September), claiming the title of Yamaha 2020 Club of the Year, Toyota Financial Services Best Patrolled Beach of the Year, CSE Genesis Innovation of the Year and Toyota Financial Services Rescue of the Year.
As Rescue of the Year recipients, the club was formally recognised for a daring multi-agency rescue they performed last May at the Port Waikato Bar. Members from the Kariaotahi Emergency Call Out Squad (KECOS) worked with other emergency services to rescue a family of three half a mile out to sea.
Lifeguards Nick Hornblow and Bradley Walters braved the dark night, launching an Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) to retrieve the swimmers using light from a Westpac Rescue Helicopter spotlight to guide them through the rough water conditions. In just four minutes the swimmers were found, taken onboard and returned to shore safely.
Individuals, teams and clubs from across the region also received acknowledgement for outstanding results in lifesaving, sports and volunteering for the previous season. SLSNR CEO Matt Williams says the scope of the awards distributed shed light on the evolution of the lifesaving movement.
“There are many facets of the movement where individuals are excelling, so it’s fantastic that volunteers can get the right recognition at our regional awards. I’d like to say thank you and congratulations to all award winners and the club members whose efforts never go unnoticed. A special thanks is also due to our very generous sponsors who make our awards night possible.”
In the lifesaving category, the Surf Lifeguard of the Year award was granted to Piha Surf Life Saving Club Rhys Lloyd who demonstrated leadership within several clubs throughout the season, gaining his advanced lifeguard award in both New Zealand and Australia.
Two very deserving recipients were also recognised as Volunteer of the Year at the awards. Faron Turner from Orewa Surf Life Saving Club and Joanne Hobson from Sunset Beach Surf Life Saving Club shared the prize for representing the pinnacle of lifesaving volunteering in the movement, ensuring that 300 new lifeguards joined the movements ranks and living and breathing the surf lifesaving “in it for life” motto.
In the 2019-20 season, SLSNR lifeguards:
- performed 212 rescues and 375 assists, carried out 1,064 first aid treatments, 107 searches and made 27,411 safety interventions involving 101,863 people
- trained 224 new lifeguards to join the movement and 30 new patrol support staff
- held 14 sporting competition events, engaging 3,396 members across the movement. This season 70% of rookies transitioned into senior events
- helped educate more than 9,578 school-aged children in beach safety
2020 SURF LIFE SAVING NORTHERN REGION TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE - WINNERS
Lifesaving Awards
- Instructor of the Year: Alex Campbell – Mairangi Bay
- Examiner of the Year: Benny Larsen - Orewa
- Event Lifeguard of the Year: Blair Lees – Mairangi Bay
- Outstanding Contribution to Power Craft: Pete Kramer – Red Beach
- Rookie Lifeguard of the Year: Sophia Tuck - Mairangi Bay
- U19 Surf Lifeguard of the Year: Caylee Cooke - Kariaotahi
- Surf Lifeguard of the Year: Rhys Lloyd - Piha
- Patrol Support of the Year: Grace Crimmins – United North Piha
Sport Awards
- U14 Sportswoman of the Year: Amelia Bray – Orewa
- U14 Sportsman of the Year: Kailen Brackebush - Orewa
- U16 Sportswoman of the Year: Zoe Crawford – Mairangi Bay
- U16 Sportsman of the Year: Akira Gardiner – Red Beach
- U19 Sportswoman of the Year: Lucy Makaea – Piha
- U19 Sportsman of the Year: Levi Ata – Piha
- Sportswoman of the Year: Danielle McKenzie – Mairangi Bay
- Sportsman of the Year: Paul Van Achterbergh – Mairangi Bay
- Surf Coach of the Year: Shane Edwards – Sunset Beach
- Developing Surf Official of the Year: Kris Boyd – Mairangi Bay
- Surf Official of the Year: Mike Brown – Mairangi Bay
- Outstanding Contribution to Junior Surf: Sheena Hodge – Bethells Beach
- Junior Coach of the Year (New award category): Rod Salt – Mairangi Bay
- Competition Team of the Year: Sunset Womans Open IRB Crew Taylor Shrimpton & Abi Chapman
- Northern Region Junior Surf Championships: Red Beach Surf Life Saving Club
- Northern Region Pool Championships: Orewa Surf Life Saving Club
- Northern Region Championships: Red Beach Surf Life Saving Club
- Northern Region Junior Competition Club of the Year: Orewa Surf Life Saving Club
- Northern Region Masters Competition Club of the Year: Red Beach Surf Life Saving Club
- Northern Region Senior Competition Club of the Year: Mairangi Bay Surf Life Saving Club
- Cath and Eddie Millar Cup: Mairangi Bay Surf Life Saving Club
Regional Awards
- Volunteer of the Year: Faron Turner – Orewa and Joanne Hobson – Sunset Beach
- Rescue of the Year: Surf Life Saving Kariaotahi
- Club of the Year: Surf Life Saving Kariaotahi
Other Awards
- Best Patrolled Beach: Surf Life Saving Kariaotahi
- Communications Innovation of the Year sponsored by CSE Genesis: Surf Life Saving Kariaotahi (Rick & Bradley)
Service Awards
Richard Rogers – Red Beach
Ian Cairns – Red Beach
Tony Sands – Mairangi Bay
Nicole Lafferty – Orewa
Craig Gledhill – Red Beach
Mike Brown – Mairangi Bay
Mark Senior - Sunset
Cameron Lockie – Orewa
Natasha Lawrence – Kariaotahi
Guy Hornblow – Kariaotahi
Deborah Collings – Omaha
Pia Harpour – Bethells
Sue Brewster – Bethells
Talia Comp – Bethells
Jimmy Kendrick - Bethells
Lynn Maxlow – Bethells
Paul Francois – Bethells
Distinguished Service Awards
Debra Cairns – Red Beach
Trevor Keinzley – Orewa
Benny Larsen – Orewa
Michael Buck – Mairangi Bay
Life Memberships
Faron Turner – Orewa
Joanne Hobson – Sunset Beach
Henry Backhouse-Smith - Bethells
