Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service’s star Jayden Murphy grabbed his first Open Ironman title on his home beach, in a huge upset on the weekend at the 2024 New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships.

The 22-year-old claimed the top spot after heading off a quartet of Australian-based Kiwis in Joe Collins from Fitzroy, Taylor Chamberlain from Taylors Mistake, Cory Taylor from Midway, and Max Beattie from Omanu.

Calm conditions for the country’s largest lifesaving sports event set the stage for some intense racing which took place from March 14 – 17 on Mount Maunganui Beach.

Mount Maunganui Main Beach. Photos: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media.

For the 10th consecutive year, the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service has won the prestigious title of Top Club at the country’s premier lifesaving sports event.

The 2024 New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships saw over 1,370 athletes participating from 47 surf lifesaving clubs.

With dominate performances on their home turf, the Mount Maunganui LS team secured the Allan Gardner Memorial Trophy with 133 points.  Gisborne’s Midway Surf Life Saving Club claimed second place with 102 points, while Omanu SLSC claimed third place with 96 points.

Athletes competing at the 2024 New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships at Mount Maunganui Main Beach. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media.

“This is New Zealand’s premier surf lifesaving event, with surf lifeguards not only coming from all around New Zealand but also from Australia, France, and the UK,” says Surf Life Saving New Zealand National Events Manager Matt Cairns.

“This year, we saw fantastic racing across all age groups, but there can only be one winner.  Mount Maunganui LS consistently proves to be a force to be reckoned with, and this year was no exception.” 

A team competing in the 2024 New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media.

Jayden’s coach, John Bryant is rapt to see Jayden’s achievement.

“Jayden’s come through the club since he was under 10,” says John. “He’s now in the open section, and won the Iron Man today, which is cool as he was racing Australians including Cory Taylor and Joe Collins, who is a professional.”

John says Jayden, who is doing a trade in cabinet making, had been looking forward to winning the race on his home beach after winning the Eastern Region title in late January.

 “He’s a typical kiwi born and bred here at the Mount,” says John.

Jayden Murphy winning his first Open Ironman title at Mount Maunganui. Photos: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media.

In May 2023, Jayden was awarded the BOP Providors Cup U19 Male of the Year prize at the Pāpāmoa and Mount Maunganui 2022/2023 season awards.

In 2021, Jayden won the ninth Mount Monster surf lifesaving endurance race on Mount Main Beach.

Joe Collins of New Plymouth’s Fitzroy SLSC won the Open Male Trophy.

Olivia Corrin secured her first ever NZ Ironwoman title with an epic battle. She won the Open Female Trophy with an impressive tally of five gold medals, in the open women's board rescue, run-swim-run, surf race, board race and iron woman.

Olivia Corrin winning her first Open Ironwoman title at the 2024 New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships at Mount Maunganui. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media.

Based on the Gold Coast in Australia, Olivia is originally from Gisborne’s Midway Surf Life Saving Club. The 2023/2024 season has been a defining one for her, as she became the first New Zealand woman to win a round at the Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Series in Australia.

“It was something I’d been working towards my whole life, and for it to come true was just an unbelievable experience.  It definitely took a good week for it to sink in.”

She says the New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships has been a key date on her calendar, especially with the Lifesaving World Championships coming up later this year which will be held in Australia.

The community hub at the base of Hopukiore - Mount Drury. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media.

“A huge goal of mine is to be selected for the Black Fins team to represent New Zealand over on the Gold Coast.  That would be an awesome opportunity," says Olivia.

Prior to the weekend’s championships she had said that if she could put together some great results over the weekend, she could hopefully look forward to racing at Worlds later in the year.

“With the Lifesaving World Championships coming up later this year in Australia, athletes were undoubtedly eager to impress, and they turned it on, treating spectators to a captivating display of skill and athleticism,” says Matt.

Athletes competing at the 2024 New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships at Mount Maunganui Main Beach. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media.

Danielle Richards from Mairangi Bay, who was returning to surf after qualifying for the Olympics in kayaking, came within a whisker of winning the open ironwoman title. She was outsprinted by Olivia, but also won silver in the open women ski, and gold in the open women ski relay.

Morgan Foster picking up two more silver medals at 48, in the open men's beach flags and beach relay.

Red Beach's Dylan Blanchard had a remarkable performance, winning gold in the under-15 2km beach run, beach sprint and Diamond Race, silver in the under-15 board race and ski race, and bronze in the under-17 beach relay and under-15 beach flags.  

The Surf Lifesaving Championships were broken up in U15, U17, U19, Open, and Masters age groups, with events including Beach Flags, Board Race, Ironman/Ironwoman, Surf Boat, Canoe Race, and Tube Rescue.

A team competing at the 2024 New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships at Mount Maunganui Main Beach. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media.

The emergence of young talent within the Mount Maunganui LS team was particularly noteworthy this year. India-Rose Scholes won the U15 Female age group with gold medals in the Diamond Race and Run Swim Run.

“It’s great to see these young guns coming through,” says Matt.

“There is some real talent coming through all clubs and that showed with some close racing and more athletes rising to the standards of the biggest names in our sport. The future of lifesaving sport looks to be in good hands.”

The community hub at the base of Hopukiore - Mount Drury - had a huge screen displaying the lifesaving action, with food trucks nearby. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media.

“We feel privileged to be able to hold the event here.  Mount Maunganui is a fantastic venue, and the Surf Life Saving community has a real connection with the area as it’s surrounded by beautiful beaches that many of our surf lifeguards patrol during the summer season,” says Matt.

The event wouldn’t have been made possible without the support of local event partners, especially Tauranga City Council and the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund.

Athletes competing at the 2024 New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships at Mount Maunganui Main Beach. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media.

“This year we were lucky enough to hold three of our major sporting events in Tauranga and both times Mount Maunganui Beach proved to be a fantastic location,” says Matt.

“Tauranga City Council were also fantastic to work alongside, and the community welcomed our athletes and volunteers with open arms.

“We must also thank all the volunteers, coaches, and families who made the event what it was.  They spent hours making sure things ran smoothly and also created an incredible atmosphere for the athletes to compete in.”   

With the New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships wrapped up for another year, attention is now turning to the bp Surf Rescue New Zealand IRB Championships which will be held in Waikouaiti, North Dunedin, from March 23 – 24.

Full Results:
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

SLSNZ would like to thank the following event partners who make the New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships possible: Tauranga City Council, Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund, NZ Uniforms, Race One Surf Craft, Sonic Surf Craft, Just Sheds, PTS Logistics, Brandt, NES Hire, and McLeod Cranes, Hiab and Transport Services.