Competitors line up for a men's board race at the national surf life saving championships at New Brighton Beach, Christchurch. Photo: RNZ / Anna Sargent
More than 1000 surf life savers will be putting themselves to the test in Christchurch over the next few days.
After another tough summer of serious rescues - 12,000 so far - lifeguards are taking the chance to celebrate their skills at their national championships event.
For surf lifeguards, the TSB nationals are their pinnacle sports event, and test skills used to save lives.
Competitors and spectators filled New Brighton Beach on Thursday morning for the first races in the championships.
Surf Life Saving's chief operations manager Chris Emmett has been competing at the surf life saving nationals for 22 years. Photo: RNZ / Anna Sargent
Danny Morrison started the competition with a splash.
"I won my age group for the ski race, which was cool," he said.
"This morning was a lot of fun in the waves and good camaraderie in the beach.
"The forecast for the whole weekend is looking nice and we're hoping the sun will come out on Saturday and Sunday for the main event and we'll have some great conditions to race in."
This summer, surf lifeguards have carried out thousands of rescues where people were in serious trouble, and no one has died in patrolled areas.
However, the number of surf lifeguards has continued to drop since Covid-19 - particularly in smaller rural areas.
Former Black Fern Helen Mahon-Stroud has been involved with surf life saving since the early 1980s, both as a competitor and as a lifeguard. Photo: RNZ / Anna Sargent
Morrison said surf lifeguards had an important role.
"Everybody on the beach here is a lifeguard ... [we] put the flags out on the beach and look after swimmers. The drowning stats in New Zealand aren't great so we all play a really important role in society. The nationals is really just a celebration of all we do," he said.
Surf Life Saving southern region manager Stu Bryce said the organisers were thrilled to bring back the nationals event after two years of Covid-related cancellations.
He said lifeguards were competing for gold, silver and bronze medals - and many events had a rescue focus, which helped to hone skills.
"The big thing about it is keeping their skills up, getting them involved and keeping them engaged, so there's people here who train all winter to be fit for summer which makes them fitter lifeguards from a point of competing, but also makes them fitter lifeguards from the lifeguarding side," he said.
Danny Morrison won his age group for the ski race at the surf life saving nationals in Christchurch. Photo: RNZ / Anna Sargent
Chris Emmett, the chief operations manager of Surf Life Saving, has been competing at the nationals for 22 years.
"I enjoyed the ski race this morning and the big waves, which always makes it interesting for everyone. It's good to see everyone, this is what we're all about, just talking to our friends and having a good time," he said.
Surf life saving can run in the family, and former Black Fern Helen Mahon-Stroud is a good example.
"I've been involved probably from the early '80s as a competitor and lifeguard, now my three kids have all been involved in surf life saving, so we're down to support them in their events over the weekend as well," she said.
ChristchurchNZ said the national event was expected to attract at least 1,500 visitors to Christchurch, and to generate at least $1.5 million in visitor spending across the four days.