Surf Lifesaving: Impressive results at surf club nationals

Paul Meuli

Over 1300 senior level athletes from 48 surf clubs around the country contested this season’s Aon Insurance 2025 Surf Lifesaving Nationals at Midway Beach in Gisborne at the weekend.

In a major change of ranking, perennial champions Mount Maunganui were beaten into third place, with Omanu (Bay of Plenty) taking out first place with 418 competition points followed by Taranaki club East End in second place on 314 points. Mount Maunganui finished with 267 points. For East End, their second placing equals the club’s previous best result which was when they also finished second back in 2023.

Of the other Taranaki clubs, Fitzroy claimed thirteenth place with 70 competition points while Opunake finished 24th on 18 points. NPOB did not attend this season’s National Championships.

Top performers for East End across individual and team events were multiple medallists Tara Shotter (11 medals), Claudia Kelly (11), Julia Padrutt (10), Freya Stolte (8), Mia Padrutt (5), Nicola Godwin (5), Bella Wansbrough (4), Lucy North (4), and Tiana Williamson (2). Picking up a single medal each were Evette Albers and Talen Ryley Hickford.

Among East End’s male competitors, the multiple medallists were Daniel Callebaut (7), Chris Callebaut (6), Max Cave (4), Zak Johnson (3), Leo Padrutt (3), Nico Jordan (2), Jack Rust (2) while Joel Meuli, Josh Thorburn, Moritz Padrutt and Harry Scott each won a medal apiece.

Under new Head Coach Zac Reid, Fitzroy improved from seventeenth last year to finish in thirteenth place this season. Outstanding again for Fitzroy was Joe Collins. 

Coming off a full season competing in the Nutrigrain Surf Ironman series in Australia, Collins collected seven of Fitzroy’s team tally of 10 medals on his own account with golds in the open men’s run/swim/run and the open men’s board race as well as another gold in the open men’s ski relay where he teamed up with Ben McCallum and Alan McVicar. 

Collins picked up silvers in the ironman race, the surf ski race, as well as the open mixed ski race where he teamed up with his cousin Emma Brimelow. To cap things off Collins combined with Zac Reid to take out second place in the open men’s board rescue. 

Another multiple medallist for Fitzroy was Charlize Duncan who won gold in the Under 17 women’s beach sprint as well as gold in the Under 17 women’s beach flags. Not to be outdone, Zac Reid claimed another silver for his second place in the open men’s surf race.

Opunake’s usual strength in the beach events was once more reflected in their medal haul with a gold to Jerram Sinclair in the Under 19 men’s beach flags. Sinclair also won silver in the under 19 men’s beach sprint. Caro Olliver was Opunake’s other medallist who won silver in the Under 19 women’s beach flags.