After a year of challenges on the beaches and in the funding environment, there is much to celebrate in the Surf Life Saving arena. The best of which will be showcased at the 2023-24 Toyota Financial Services Awards of Excellence on Saturday 17 August.

The annual awards evening will see lifeguards transplanted from their usual coastal habitats to the Auckland War Memorial Museum in Auckland, putting the spotlight on a year of heroics and recognising member achievements at the highest level.

Surf Life Saving Northern Region General Manager Zac Franich says the night is a much-awaited opportunity to showcase the tremendous work of clubs and individuals, celebrate the achievements of the year, and honour the exceptional contributions of the surf lifesaving community.

“The Toyota Financial Services Awards of Excellence are an important reminder of the importance of Surf Life Saving to the country and the great debt we all owe to our lifeguards. We have so much to be celebrating this year, including our first full sports season since Covid-19, and whilst one night isn’t enough to celebrate all our lifeguards have achieved, we are all thrilled at the opportunity to take a moment to recognise greatness before setting our sights on the year ahead,” he says.

“Once again lifeguards put in a colossal amount of work this season to make sure the public were safe and well educated on our coastlines, putting in more than 58,000 volunteer hours, equating to almost 34 hours average for each active member – nearly a full working week for some. These individuals were also called upon to partake in the 70 after-hours Search and Rescue operations this season.

Alongside the above, there are countless members facilitating lifeguard training, coaching and running the clubs that keep the operations ticking. The night will be a great opportunity to let them know how grateful we are.”

Across the seasons, Northern Region lifeguards saved a total of 283 lives with an additional 486 assisted to safety. 22,242 preventative actions were taken, allowing 173,236 beachgoers to return safely home. Guards attended to 97 major first-aids and 705 minor first-aids, with 91 searches.

Journalist and television presenter Mike McRoberts is the MC for the awards night and will announce the recipients for major regional awards including Lifeguard of the Year, Club of the Year, Rescue of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year.

In the sporting arena, the Supreme Sport Award, Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, and Team of the Year awards will recognise sporting achievements at the very highest level.

Tribute will also be made to individuals with a long-standing commitment to the movement through Service, Distinguished Service Awards and Life Memberships awards.

Surf Life Saving Northern Region is the largest of the Surf Life Saving regions in New Zealand, covering Auckland to the Far North, and as far south as Raglan. This season, 18 clubs within the region patrolled across 25 beach locations.

The finalists are:

Rescue of the Year

• Bethells Beach
• Kariaotahi & Sunset Beach
• Waipū Cove

Lifeguard of the Year

• Kyran Gillespie, Baylys Beach
• Guy Hornblow, Kariaotahi
• Cory Harvey, Raglan

U19 Lifeguard of the Year

• Charlotte Harvey, Bethells Beach
• Bella McCormick, Omaha
• Olivia Moroney-Pearson, Raglan

Rookie of the Year

• Finn Jordan, Ōrewa
• Theo Hall, United North Piha
• Taylor Manning, Waipū Cove

Volunteer of the Year

• Sam Walters, Mairangi Bay
• David Galuszka, Raglan
• Victoria Mulrennan, United North Piha

Duty Officer of the Year

• Tara Coe, Kariaotahi
• Jono Reshef, Mairangi Bay

Patrol Support of the Year

• Brianna Maddox, Bethells
• Vicki Cunningham, Ōrewa
• Anna Barrett, Waipū Cove

Instructor of the Year

• Cory Harvey, Raglan
• Natalie Wilson, United North Piha
• Kath Manning, Waipū Cove

Examiner of the Year

• Jackie Grant, Mairangi Bay
• Faron Turner, Ōrewa
• Natalie Wilson, United North Piha

Outstanding Contribution to Jr Surf

• Damien Strickett, Bethells Beach
• Travis Browne, Raglan
• Fiona Gower, Sunset Beach

Outstanding Contribution to Powercraft

• Dylan Thorpe, Bethells
• Hayden Campbell, Ōrewa
• Natalie Wilson, United North Piha

Sport Awards:

Sports Team of the Year

• Piha Piranhas, Piha
• Abi Chapman & Taylor Edwards, Sunset Beach

Open Sportsman of the Year

• Fergus Eadie, Mairangi Bay
• Louis Clark, Mairangi Bay
• James Scott, Ōrewa

Coach of the Year

• Tom Lowe, Mairangi Bay
• Shane Edwards, Sunset Beach

Junior Coach of the Year

• Leesa Andrewes, Baylys Beach
• Carwyn Thomas, United North Piha

U19 Sportswoman of the Year

• Michaela Pocock, Mairangi Bay
• Zoe Crawford, Mairangi Bay
• Olivia Tukia, Piha

U19 Sportsman of the Year

• Jasper Cornish, Red Beach
• Kaiha Gilbertson, Red Beach
• Laine Creighton, Red Beach

U17 Sportswoman of the Year

• Elizabeth Brennan, Mairangi Bay
• Anikia Pihema, Red Beach
• Zoe Pedersen, Red Beach

U17 Sportsman of the Year

• Ryder Heath, Mairangi Bay
• Dylan Pearce, Ōrewa
• Issac Gear, Piha

U15 Sportsman of the Year

• Callum Barr, Ōrewa
• Dylan Blanchard, Red Beach

U14 Sportswoman of the year

• Zara Hayward, Mairangi Bay
• Kayla Alarcon, Muriwai Beach
• Ava Kelleher, Ōrewa

U14 Sportsman of the year

• Caleb Maunder, Mairangi Bay
• Cooper Hagstrom, Muriwai Beach
• Parker Radford, Ōrewa

Surf Official of the Year

• Benny Larsen, Ōrewa
• Michelle Newton, Red Beach

Developing Surf Official of the Year

• Karen Buchan, Mairangi Bay
• Anna Pashley, Omaha Beach
• Kylie Cooper, Ōrewa

Outstanding Contribution to Event Lifeguarding

• Sam Walters, Mairangi Bay
• Finn Jennings, Muriwai
• Caleb Archer, Red Beach

Awards to be announced on the night:

• Club of the Year
• Search and Rescue Squad of the Year
• Supreme Sport Award
• Open Sportswoman of the Year
• U15 Sportswoman of the Year
• Beach Education Instructor of the Year
• Paid Lifeguard of the Year
• Paid Lifeguard Outstanding First Season
• Pool Championship Club of the Year
• Northern Region IRB Championship
• Junior Competition Club of the Year
• Masters Competition Club of the Year
• Senior Competition Club of the Year

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