Canterbury and Tasman lifeguard award finalists announced

May 9, 2018
Canterbury and Tasman lifeguard award finalists announced

The finalists for the 2018 Surf Life Saving Canterbury-Tasman Awards of Excellence have been announced ahead of this month’s ceremony in Christchurch, where lifeguards from throughout the region are celebrated for their stellar efforts throughout the year.

Every year, regional Awards of Excellence ceremonies are held around the country to officially recognise Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) members for their hard work and dedication to surf lifesaving in New Zealand.

The Canterbury-Tasman Awards of Excellence will be held at Sixty6 in the Christchurch Casino on Saturday May 19 and include lifeguards from the Taylors Mistake, Sumner, South Brighton, New Brighton, North Beach, Waimairi, Spencer Park, Waikuku, Rarangi, Nelson, Buller, Nelson and Kotuku Surf Life Saving Clubs.

The evening will begin with the presentation of service awards, followed by the top junior and senior age group awards. Then all the champions’ trophies are presented from the Canterbury Championships held during the past season before continuing with the presentation of major sporting and lifesaving awards such as Lifeguard of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. The evening will conclude with the announcement of Club of the Year.

The winners of each category from the Canterbury-Tasman awards, are then automatically selected as finalists in the national SLSNZ Awards of Excellence, held in September, where national award winners are announced.

Stu Bryce, Regional Manager for the Southern Region says the awards are an important way to end a busy season and recognise the contribution lifeguards make to the community.

“The Awards of Excellence are a great opportunity to congratulate and celebrate the time and energy that our members have given over the 2017-18 patrol season,” he says.

“We have a lot of very talented lifeguards in Canterbury and Tasman, so it has been difficult to select these finalists. However, the finalists all deserve this recognition and we’re proud of the effort they’ve put in,” Mr Bryce added.

Canterbury-Tasman Awards of Excellence finalists:

2018 Coach of the Year
Ben Grant – Waimairi
Dave Smith - Taylors Mistake
Mark Robberds – Sumner
James Gaskell – New Brighton
Peter Stevenson – Waikuku

2018 Te Onepoto - Junior Surf Coaching
Kirsty Cullen – New Brighton
Adam Leatherland – South Brighton
Craig and Tisha Jamieson – Taylors Mistake
David Jones – Sumner
Dean Le Warne – North Beach
Mike Walker – Waimairi

2018 Rookie Lifeguard of the Year
Brieanna Cox – Taylors Mistake
Callum Sullivan-Roberts – New Brighton
Cheyne Milligan – North Beach
Tim Currey – Spencer Park
Charlie Cadillac - Sumner

2018 Instructor/Examiner of the Year
Linda Poulsen – Spencer Park
Kate Jamieson – Taylors Mistake
Caitlin Ruddle – Waimairi
Jake Koekemoer - Sumner

2018 Lifeguard of the year
Justice Shaw-Cross – Spencer Park
Patrice de Beer – Taylor’s Mistake
Fraser Smith – Waimairi
Harry Taylor – Sumner
Mikeely Milligan – North Beach

2018 Sports Person of the Year
Louis Clark – Taylors Mistake
Xyron Burns - North Beach

2018 Sports Team of the Year
Sumner – U16 Board Relay Team
Taylors Mistake – Open Men’s Taplin Team
North Beach – U19 Women’s Surf Boat Team
Waimairi - Open Women’s Canoe Team
New Brighton - Open Women’s Surf Boat
Nelson – U20 Women’s IRB Team

2018 Surf Official of the Year
Lance Cleeve - Waimairi
Tania Bailey – Waikuku

2018 Innovation of the year
Dean Le Warne – Board Fins – North Beach
Aaron Harris – Development Weekends – Waikuku
Tom Denman, Kate Suter, Blair Quane – Advance Life Guard team – Sumner

2018 Regional Guard of the year
Fraser Smith – Waimairi
Jake Simpson – Sumner
Callum Jeffery – Waimairi
Tom Webb – Waikuku
Sam Blackmore – Spencer Park

2018 Volunteer of the Year
Dean Le Warne – North Beach
Sam Baker – Spencer Park
Craig Jamieson – Taylors Mistake
Huntley Quinn – Sumner

Ends

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