The New Zealand surf lifesaving team is closing in on their first world lifesaving title in 14 years after a remarkable day on Glenelg Beach in Adelaide yesterday.

Against all odds and in the face of a withering Australian assault, the Kiwi team built on the 81-point lead they'd amassed after two days of pool competition.

They collected two more gold medals - both male and female board rescue teams won - and will go into the final day today with a seemingly impregnable 97-point lead.

New Zealand vice captain Kevin Morrison admits the world title may now be New Zealand's to lose. "We'd be lying if we said we weren't thinking about it but our whole motto for the entire campaign has just been to think about the performance rather the result," Morrison said.  "We try and get all the little things right and just let the result take care of itself.  So far, the result is definitely taking care of itself."

Morrison and Max Beattie came up with the biggest play of the day yesterday by winning the board rescue, heading off the star-studded Australian team of ironman champions Shannon Eckstein and Hugh Dougherty. "Max just had the swim of his life," Morrison said. "I couldn't believe I was away first and my heart was in my mouth all the way out, then it was just hell-for-leather coming home."

Eckstein had earlier started the hosts' charge by heading home Olympic kayaker Steve Ferguson in the ski race, while his teammate Kristyl Smith won the board race in front of Kiwis Nikki Cox and Devon Halligan. But Cox and Halligan turned straight around and beat Smith and Rebecca Creedy in the board rescue, with the New Zealand sprinters kept the pressure at the end of the day with a series of podium places.

It was the sixth gold medal by the Kiwi women after collecting five in the pool; team captain Andy McMillan joked the pressure was on his male charges. "The girls have been carrying this team a fair bit and the boys wanted to get a gold and they were stoked with that one," McMillan, who made today’s surf race final, said. We really just wanted to come out firing. We did really well in the pool and we just wanted to keep that momentum and keep attacking.  We've got so much strength on the beach and we've done all the work - we just need to believe in it. Today we've just got empty whatever we've got left in the tank and not let our foot off the throttle."

Dougherty admits the Australian team has a tough task ahead of them but they haven't given up yet. "You don't want to lose to anyone but New Zealand and us have been pretty close for a while and they've been trying to knock us off so it would be nice to get up and beat them," he said.

New Zealand's last title in the championships was in 1998 when Cory Hutchings and Trent Bray spear-headed victory in Auckland.

New Zealand Team

Max Beattie, Omanu

Nikki Cox, Westshore

Paul Cracroft-Wilson, Fitzroy

Steven Ferguson, Piha

Devon Halligan, Midway

Chanel Hickman, Mairangi Bay

Natasha Hind, Lyall Bay

Steven Kent, Titahi Bay

Samantha Lee,  Lyall Bay

Andy McMillan, St Clair

Kevin Morrison, Mairangi Bay

Laura Quilter, Wainui

New Zealand Under 20 Team

Chris Dawson, Midway

Carina Doyle, St Clair

Toby Harris, Wainui

Emily Hodges, Piha

Ben Johnston, Papamoa

Danielle McKenzie, Mairangi Bay

Dannielle O'Connor, Omanu

Natalie Peat, Papamoa

Ben Quilter, Wainui

Karina Radley, Mount Maunganui

Sam Shergold, Mount Maunganui

Cory Taylor, Midway

Visit http://sport.surflifesaving.org.nz/ for more information.

Natasha Hind tore apart the record books as her New Zealand team continued their rampage at day two of the Rescue 2012 world lifesaving championships in Adelaide yesterday.

After two days in the pool, New Zealand head to Glenelg Beach in second place overall, 63 points behind Italy on the points table but with a vital 81-point lead over fourth-placed Australia. The Kiwis continued to draw away from their trans-Tasman rivals, with Olympian Hind a key figure in their performance yesterday.

The 23-year-old won two gold medals, erasing 2secs off the world record in the 200m super lifesaver and shattering the New Zealand record by almost 10secs.  Her 2min 24.55sec time was good enough to beat Australian Miranda Bell's 2.26.59, with Bell having set the world record last year.

"After the Olympics and when I was setting some goals for here, I did have that 200m super lifesaver record in the back of my mind," Hind said.  "I knew it was achievable so I set about doing everything I could to get over here in the best possible shape."

She also claimed gold in the 50m manikin carry, breaking the national record in the process, recording 36.31secs.  Crucially, in both wins, New Zealand's second swimmers were close behind; Laura Quilter picked up bronze in the 50m carry and Sam Lee, after three golds on the first day, was fourth in the 200m super lifesaver.

Hind has been hunting a performance like this since the London Olympics. "After the Olympics, I went traveling and came back with two months to get in shape.  Those were probably the hardest two months of training I've ever done but I had breakfast with my parents a couple of days ago and was in a really good frame of mind.  I said to Dad that I couldn't have done any more. I was picked for the pool and I'm just really happy I could deliver for the team."

New Zealand team captain Andy McMillan and fellow Olympic relay swimmer Steve Kent had another grueling day, shouldering the majority of the load for the Kiwi men. Kent was a brave fourth in the 200m super lifesaver and won the B-final of the 100m manikin carry, while McMillan won the B-final of the 200m super lifesaver and was eighth in the A-final of the 50m manikin carry. The pair linked with Max Beattie and Steve Ferguson to finish fifth in the 4x50m medley relay.

The pressure will now come on the New Zealand beach specialists, with Australia's ranks including world ironman champions Shannon Eckstein and Kristyl Smith.  Australia have trailed New Zealand at the last two world championships out of the pool, only to turn it around on the beach and romp home.

"Every point is going to count, that’s for sure," said Australian coach Danny Short. "But it’s not over till it’s over. We knew we would be chasing the Kiwis after the pool events. They came here with a talented Olympic class team but I’m proud of the way our guys fought."

The New Zealand under-20 team trails their Australian rivals after the pool component, meanwhile, despite brilliant performances from Papamoa's Natalie Peat and Midway's Chris Dawson.

Peat won the 200m super lifesaver in a slick time of 2.30.73, heading home teammate Carina Doyle (St Clair), with Australian Rachelle King third.

Dawson grabbed gold in the 100m manikin carry, then anchored the 4x50m medley relay team featuring an all-Gisborne lineup with Cory Taylor, Toby Harris and Ben Quilter.

Points:

Open: Italy 418, New Zealand 355, Germany 314, Australia 274, France 257, Netherlands 255, China 161, Canada 144, Belgium 143, Spain 123.

Under-20: Australia 490, New Zealand 450, Spain 433, Canada 295, Japan 268, Hong Kong 159, USA 104, Ireland 68, Iran 44, Sri Lanka 40.

New Zealand Team

Max Beattie

Omanu

Nikki Cox

Westshore

Paul Cracroft-Wilson

Fitzroy

Steven Ferguson

Piha

Devon Halligan

Midway

Chanel Hickman

Mairangi Bay

Natasha Hind

Lyall Bay

Steven Kent

Titahi Bay

Samantha Lee

Lyall Bay

Andy McMillan

St Clair

Kevin Morrison

Mairangi Bay

Laura Quilter

Wainui

New Zealand Under 20 Team

Chris Dawson

Midway

Carina Doyle

St Clair

Toby Harris

Wainui

Emily Hodges

Piha

Ben Johnston

Papamoa

Danielle McKenzie

Mairangi Bay

Dannielle O'Connor

Omanu

Natalie Peat

Papamoa

Ben Quilter

Wainui

Karina Radley

Mount Maunganui

Sam Shergold

Mount Maunganui

Cory Taylor

Midway

Visit http://sport.surflifesaving.org.nz/ for more information.

Three gold medals to Wellington swimmer Samantha Lee has New Zealand in a commanding position after the first full day of competition at the Rescue 2012 Lifesaving World Championships in Adelaide.

The 20-year-old broke three world records on a magnificent day for the Kiwis, which saw them finish 45 points clear of arch-rivals and defending champions Australia.

New Zealand relied heavily on London Olympic swimmers Natasha Hind, Andy McMillan and Steve Kent, though it was Lee who stole the limelight with wins in the 100m rescue medley, the 200m obstacle race and the 4 x 50m obstacle relay.  She twice broke the world record in the rescue medley, lowering her mark to 1min 11.23secs, although the most satisfying moment came when teaming with Hind, Devon Halligan and Laura Quilter in the relay final.

"I didn't realise until we got our medals just how far in front we were," Lee said, as she digested their 1.50.39 time, 4secs in front of the Netherlands.  "I'm stoked to get the individual world record but there's nothing like breaking a world record as a team.  You just can't ask for anything more."

New Zealand's 207-point total could have been even greater but for a disqualification in the women's 4 x 25m manikin carry, the second-to-last event of the day.   

New Zealand will be aiming for a big lead on the final day of pool competition, with Australia's much-vaunted ocean athletes expected to tear into their work during the final two days on Glenelg Beach this weekend.

"When the competition gets to the beach, I'm in charge of sunscreen application and hopefully I would've earned my rest by then!" Lee said.  "I've just got to get through one more day and I'm pretty pumped for it. It will be a pretty early night tonight with another long day tomorrow."

Hind grabbed silver behind Lee in both the 200m obstacles and the rescue medley, while Kent and McMillan came agonisingly close to another magnificent double in the men's 200m obstacles, both going under Italian Federico Pinotti's 2009 world record of 1.54.97. However, China's Feng Shi went even better, clocking 1.53.44, while McMillan (1.54.54) and Kent (1.54.63) had to settle for the minor medals.

McMillan, Kent, Max Beattie and Steve Ferguson also picked up bronze in the 4 x 50m obstacles relay, although coach Scott Bartlett was warning his charges not to get ahead of themselves.

"We had a really good day in the pool today but we need to back that up again tomorrow," Bartlett said. "We'll need a big lead over Australia going onto the beach if we're going to give the world title a decent nudge."

The New Zealand under-20 team also had an outstanding day, with Papamoa's Natalie Peat picking up a gold in the 200m obstacles race and adding silver and a bronze, while Chris Dawson (Midway) also grabbed gold in the 200m obstacles. However, the Australian under-20 team came storming home after a slow start and have built a handy lead going into the second day.

The Surf Life Saving National Appeal week is coming up from December 2-8. Please encourage your viewers/listeners/readers to get behind our appeal and make a donation.

Please put this date in your diary:

What:  Surf Life Saving National Appeal

When:  December 2-8

Why: It’s Surf Life Saving’s national appeal week. We are an essential charity and need the public’s support to raise money to help lifeguards save more lives on New Zealand’s beaches this summer.

National Jandal Day was first launched in December 2007 and this year it has been expanded into a wider ‘Appeal Week’ of which Jandal Day is a part. The week concludes with Coca Cola Christmas in the Park to which Surf Life Saving is the recipient charity.

How:  Wear your jandals and give your support by:

Donating to our street collectors
Make an online donation at www.surflifesaving.org.nz
Texting SURF to 4483 to make an instant $3 donation 
Register online and become a fundraiser
Donate at any State Insurance store nationwide
Include the following message in your diary notices….

“Summer’s here and that means beach time! Here at {insert name} we want you to keep safe at the beach and so we’re proud to support the Surf Life Saving National Appeal. You can be a lifesaver too! Text SURF to 4483 to make a $3 donation or go www. surflifesaving.org.nz and make an online donation.”

Stay safe this summer and always swim between the flags.

Feel free to contact your local Surf Life Saving Club for more information. You can find contact details at http://www.surflifesaving.org.nz/Article.aspx?ID=14058

Ever wondered just what it takes to drag a wet body out of the water to safety? The Lifesaving World Championships is where you’ll see the best in the world compete at doing just that.

Recue 2012, or the Lifesaving World Championships, includes competitors from around 40 nations competing in 10 separate disciplines like simulated emergency rescues, beach sprints, surf boats and Ironman.

Each event is based on skills used during a real rescue and is a sport that essentially trains Surf Life Saving athletes to save lives according to Surf Life Saving New Zealand CEO, Paul Dalton.

“Sprinting across the sand, carrying a 70kg manikin and racing in a surf ski, are all comparable to a real life saving situation and showcase the key skills that are needed to be a lifeguard,” said Mr Dalton.

Rescue 2012 is being held in Adelaide, South Australia, from November 7-18 with events being held across three venues including Glenelg and Christies beaches and the state-of-the-art South Australian State Aquatic and Leisure Centre.

New Zealand has two teams competing- the open NZ Team (which includes Olympians Steve Kent, Steven Ferguson, Andrew McMillan and Natasha Hind) and the Under 20’s who will compete in the inaugural Under 20 World Championships to be held at Rescue 2012. There are six females and six females in each team.

To celebrate Rescue 2012 and Team NZ, Surf Life Saving New Zealand partner Sonic NZ has generously provided a unique (signed) board which is being auctioned on Trade Me to raise money for Surf Life Saving.

Visit http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=524925449 for more information about the auction or follow the team at www.facebook.com/slsnzhp or http://sport.surflifesaving.org.nz/rescue2012.

New Zealand Team

Max Beattie                     Omanu

Nikki Cox                         Westshore

Paul Cracroft-Wilson     Fitzroy

Steven Ferguson           Piha

Devon Halligan             Midway

Chanel Hickman           Mairangi Bay

Natasha Hind                Lyall Bay

Steven Kent                  Titahi Bay

Samantha Lee             Lyall Bay

Andy McMillan             St Clair

Kevin Morrison            Mairangi Bay

Laura Quilter               Wainui

New Zealand Under 20 Team

Chris Dawson             Midway

Carina Doyle               St Clair

Toby Harris                  Wainui

Emily Hodges             Piha

Ben Johnston             Papamoa

Danielle McKenzie   Mairangi Bay

Dannielle O'Connor  Omanu

Natalie Peat               Papamoa

Ben Quilter                Wainui

Karina Radley          Mount Maunganui

Sam Shergold          Mount Maunganui

Cory Taylor              Midway

Visit http://sport.surflifesaving.org.nz/ for more information.

Additional Information: World Champs for Dummies

There are a range of reasons why the Lifesaving World Championships (Rescue 2012) is the blockbuster event for lifeguards around the world. With between four and six thousand competitors expected to take part this year, it is the largest international lifesaving sport competition in the world.

Recue 2012 includes five separate competitions - World National Team Championships, World Interclub Championships, World Masters Championships, World Surf Boat Championships, and World Inflatable Rescue Boat Championships.

Athletes can compete in ten separate disciplines - swimming, simulated emergency rescue, Ironman / Ironwoman, surf-ski, board, beach sprints, beach flags, surf boats and IRB.

The Lifesaving World Championships are held every two years and attract competitors from over 40 nations. New Zealand has won the event once in 1998. Over the last three biannual events New Zealand has continued to close the gap with the world champion Australian team, losing by a heart breaking margin two years ago.

The New Zealand Team depart New Zealand on November 2 and return on November 12. More than half of the team will stay on and complete for their clubs at the Club World Championships.

The New Zealand Under 20 Team departs New Zealand on November 4 and will return on November 12.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand has been recognized for its efforts in teaching kids how to stay safe on the beach.

Its Beach Ed Programme has been crowned the winner of the ‘Education’ category at the 2012 Sealord New Zealand Water Safety Awards.

The country’s champions of water safety were announced at a ceremony at the Wellington Town Hall on Wednesday October 16. The award was picked up by Surf Life Saving New Zealand General Manager Programmes & Services, Brett Sullivan.

Beach Ed is well on its way to being delivered to one million primary and intermediate Kiwi school kids having been in operation since 1990. Supported by Water Safety New Zealand, Beach Ed helps kids to learn about surf and beach safety. They then put that learning into practice in a managed environment.

On average 50,000 students, their parents and teachers attend BeachEd every year. It is not intended as a “one size fits all” programme, rather it has been developed for a range of age groups and curriculum levels. BeachEd is delivered nationally through Surf Life Saving New Zealand’s trained lifeguards.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand Lifesaving Services and Education Manager Andy Kent says the award was a great honour.

In 2008, Beach Ed went through a comprehensive review where student learning was assessed both before and after attending a Beach Ed day. The outcome was excellent proving that Beach Ed works, he says. “Students not only enjoy their day at the beach but they take away and retain key water safety information. Many schools now include Beach Ed as a regular recurring part of their water safety education programmes,” he says.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand CEO Paul Dalton says Beach Ed is based on an evidential need. “Beach Ed addresses a high risk area in drowning death and injury. Nearly one quarter of all drowning happens at the beach and this has to be reduced.”

Water Safety New Zealand Chief Executive Matt Claridge says this year’s winners are true champions of water safety. “The awards are a great opportunity to acknowledge those organisations and individuals who excel in their commitment to water safety. We’re very proud of our winners, who have made an enormous contribution to making Kiwis safer in the water this year,” he says.

Today Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) launched their summer patrol season with an innovative new website that makes finding the right beach easy.

Find a Beach is a live interactive website that features up-to-the-minute information including weather, swells, hazards and even a rating system for activities such as swimming, fishing, or if a beach is family friendly.

For those who don’t like to get caught short, the website has information about what facilities are available – like toilets and changing rooms. The site also includes an interactive element where people can add comments and upload photos onto the site. SLSNZ is currently running a beach photo competition on its Facebook page and hopes launching the website will encourage an even greater number of entries.

The Find a Beach website has been developed with support from State Insurance based on information gathered by SLSNZ through its Coastal Public Safety Programme. The audit provided safety and risk assessments on over 100 beaches and has allowed SLSNZ to better plan and allocate resources to reduce drowning on New Zealand’s beaches.

State Insurance has a strong commitment to promoting water safety in New Zealand under its award winning With you in the Water sponsorship programme. Mary-Jane Daly, Executive General Manager of State says partnering with Surf Life Saving New Zealand on the Find a Beach website was another way for State to help reduce risks in our community by highlighting the ever present dangers at our beaches.

Surf Life Saving chief executive Paul Dalton said launching the website alongside the commencement of the season’s beach patrol is a deliberate move and adds another dimension to the provision of lifeguards on the beach.

“It’s all about protecting our community in the water. The safety of people on the beach is our core business and lifeguards patrolling the beach is an integral part of that. The ability for people to locate beaches that are currently patrolled and find detailed, up-to-date information about that beach adds to the service we provide and we’re thrilled State were able to support this initiative,” he added.

Surf Lifeguards will be out in force from Saturday. Traditionally weekend patrols begin at Labour Weekend and continue through to Easter for most areas of the North Island. In other parts of the country, patrols will begin during the next month as the warmer weather arrives.

Visit www.findabeach.co.nz for more information.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand’s first national event for the season kicks off this weekend with the single largest pool event in the country, The State New Zealand Pool Championships.

The national champs for pool rescue events, features events ranging from manikin carries and obstacles to line throw and rescue medleys.

Now in its 10th year, the competition has gone from strength to strength and has the reputation of close exciting racing. This year records are expected to be broken especially by some of the competing Olympians.

Athletes from the Australian Worlds team will be here to compete against New Zealand Worlds athletes in a last minute meet before they go head-to-head at the World Life Saving Championships next month in Adelaide.

The event features both young and old with the largest age group of competitors being under 16, though to Masters competitors and even senior citizens with this year’s oldest competitor aged 74.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand is excited to see the continual growth and interest in the Pool Championships at both a National and Regional level.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand Event Manager Scott Roberts says the pool champs is a good, fun event with a great dynamic which is why people continue to come each year. “It’s the first national event of the season and it’s a perfect way to kick it off,” he says.

The State New Zealand Pool Championships is being held at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre in Kilbirnie from October 5-7.

The competition kicks off at lunchtime on Friday with the Under 11 Men’s 50m Swim with Fins.

Visit sport.surflifesaving.org.nz/nzpoolchamps for more information and results.

Additional Information: Pool Champs for Dummies

There are a range of reasons why the State New Zealand Pool Champs is a unique and exciting event.

All the events are based around rescue capability and are specific to saving people’s lives- what Surf Life Saving New Zealand is all about.

Not only is it the one event that is held in a controlled environment, it also the one competition that is purely swimming based.

The different events help competitors train for a surf environment. Diving underwater to pick up bricks off the bottom of the pool and rescuing manikins that weigh around 70kgs is comparable to ducking under a wave and diving under to rescue someone.

Some of the most popular events to watch are the line throw which involves one person throwing a rope to a patient who is positioned 12.5 meters from the pool edge, it is a very fast and exciting race to watch.

The Super Lifesaving event is another popular one with different components including swimming with fins, carrying a rescue tube and a rescue off the bottom of the pool.

The competition attracts huge crowds every year because of its unique and fun environment. It has a different vibe to competing at the beach. Competitors can hear the music and the crowds from the pool, unlike being out on the water at the beach. A draw card is that whole clubs can compete together and cheer each other on.

There are two types of records to be broken at the event:

The Championship Records – there are likely to be many of these broken across the board in all age groups.

National New Zealand Records – are the best of the best – these are only won in OPEN events.

Points of Interest

Oldest competitor: Paekakariki Surf Life Saving Club member Ronald Valentine, who turns 75 at the end of October, is this year’s oldest competitor. He has been a member of the club since 1954 and he is a committee member. He is participating in the Masters 50 meter swim with fins event.

A Family affair: Brothers Andy and Olympic athlete Steve Kent are competing alongside their cousins Danny and Martyn McDowell. They all belong to the Titahi Bay Surf Life Saving Club. Steve Kent represented New Zealand at the London Olympics and is part of the New Zealand team taking on the Aussies at the World Championships in Adelaide next month. Together they are competing in the Open Men’s 4x25m Manikin Relay, the Open Men’s 4x50m Medley Relay and the Open Men’s 4x50m Obstacle Relay. They are also competing separately in various individual events.

Lone Oreti competitor- Simon Cook, 23, is the only competitor taking part from the most Southern club, Oreti. He has entered the Open Men’s 200 meter swim with obstacles, the 50 meter swim with fins and 100 meter manikin tow.

Potential record breakers: Officials are expecting national records to be broken at this year’s competition. We might see this happen from Steve Kent in the Open Men’s 100m Rescue Medley. Lyall Bay’s Samantha Lee and Natasha Hind, who are also in the New Zealand Worlds team, could also break records. Samantha for the Open Women’s 100m Rescue Medley and the Open Women’s 200m with obstacles and Natasha for the Open Woman’s 200m Super lifesaver.