Bay lifeguards have wrapped up one of their strongest seasons yet, triumphing in a classic transtasman showdown.

The Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service competed at the Australian Surf Lifesaving Pool Rescue Championships in Adelaide from August 8 to 10.

The group battled some of Australasia’s best lifesavers and across three days, claimed 19 medals collectively: 14 gold, four silver and one bronze.

Coach John Bryant said it was one of the “strongest performances” the club had ever produced.

“To get over there, front up against them and win was pretty damn special. I couldn’t be happier.”

Bryant said it was a tough competition to be “chucked” into, but the team had a relaxed attitude and weren’t stressed.

“If we want to be the best in the world in surf lifesaving, then I think it’s important that clubs expose these kids to international racing.”

As a member of the NZ Black Fins squad, Pippa Nicol won gold in the open women’s 200m obstacles.

In the 200m Super Lifesaver, she won gold in a record-breaking 2:22.22 – setting Australian and New Zealand records.

She finished with gold in the Open Women’s 100m Rescue Medley.

Pippa Nicol won gold in the 200m open women's super lifesaver in a record-breaking 2:22.22 – setting Australian and New Zealand records. Photo / Supplied

Nicol, 20, has been involved with surf lifesaving since she was “a little nipper” at under-5s.

“To come away with a New Zealand and Australian record was pretty surreal because that NZ record had stood for eight years.”

The 200m super lifesaver requires 75m of freestyle swimming, then diving down 3m to pick up a mannequin sunk at the bottom of the pool.

Competitors carry the mannequin while swimming 25m to a turning wall, after touching the wall they put their fins on, grab their rescue tube and swim another 50m down with the tube and fins, clip up another mannequin and tow it back 50m.

“I just focused on what was in front of me, the skills in front of me, and left it all out there.”

Nicol broke the record by a second and a half and won five golds.

“To be in such a field of depth and skills and expertise, it just makes you a better athlete and pushes you to be better and stronger.”

She said Australians were known to be better and Kiwis often put them on a pedestal when competing internationally.

“Going over there and being like, ‘No, I am as good if not better, and I can compete against Australia’, was starting to show in the performances of this group.”

Daniel Shanahan (right) won gold in the open men’s 100m manikin carry with fins on the final day. Photo / Supplied

Daniel Shanahan placed fifth in the open men’s event and added to the medal tally with the 100m Manikin Tow with fins and tube rescue.

Shanahan said it was an “awesome feeling” to come away with the results they did because the team wasn’t expecting it.

“I think it was sort of a testament to the training and preparation we’d done for it.”

He said his best race was the 100m Manikin Tow with fins, where he won gold.

“Going into the race, I knew it was going to be quite short, so I had to go 100% from the start.”

He swam 50m underwater, picked up the mannequin at halfway and drove his legs as hard as he could on the way back.

“I went up 50.01. I wanted to go under the 50-second barrier but was 0.01 off. So maybe next time.”

Shanahan won one gold, one silver, and placed fourth and fifth in other events.

“If we wanted to be competitive, we had to be at our best, and that’s what we did.”

Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Team:

Pippa Nicol, Daniel Shanahan, Matthew Wagstaff, Talitha McEwan, Madeline Van Vliet, Charlotte Devoy, Amelia McEwan, Addison Lichtwark and coach John (Spindles) Bryant.

Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.