Chris Moors made a strong statement in front of New Zealand
selectors at the Eastern Regional surf lifesaving championships in
Mount Maunganui today.
The Red Beach 26-year-old overcame a slow start in his ski race
to win the surf race and board race, amid lake-like conditions on
the east coast beach.
He then teamed up with clubmate AJ Maney to win the board
rescue, and to top things off, comfortably won his ironman heat
late in the day.
"Training's starting to come together, although it was a bit up
and down there for a while in Australia," Moors, who is based on
the Gold Coast with the Kurrawa club, said. "I had a few flat
patches but the last two or three weeks leading up to this have
felt really good. I'm feeling fit and that helps in flat
conditions. Once you get out front, it's hard to be
caught."
Moors is the reigning national ironman champion and he will also
try and defend his ERC ironman crown tomorrow.
But the satisfying part of his day was the calibre of athletes
he beat - heading home national champion Andrew Newton (Mount
Maunganui) in the board race and easing past New Zealand stalwart
Glenn Anderson in the surf race.
National selectors will pick a team later in the season to
compete in the world championships in Adelaide in November, with
Moors hoping his consistency is starting to get him noticed.
Kayaker Steve Ferguson (Piha) grabbed the ski race title,
holding off Scott Bicknell (Ocean Beach Kiwi) and Mairangi Bay's
Kevin Morrison, while veteran Morgan Foster took down arch-rival
Paul Cracroft-Wilson in the beach flags.
There were five different winners in open women's events, with
Nikki Cox (Westshore) winning the board race and Mount Maunganui's
French champion Emmanuelle Bescheron winning the surf race.
Mairangi Bay's Rachel Dodwell won the ski race, ahead of Cox and
Teneale Hatton (Orewa), while Danielle McKenzie and Madison Boon
won the board rescue.
McKenzie also finished second in the board, continuing her fine
form in the Sonic surf race series this summer.
National champion Chanel Hickman (Mairangi Bay) comfortably took
out the flags, ahead of Kendall Elliott (Mt Maunganui) and Katie
Watts (Fitzroy).
Short course finals were held in the surf boat arena, with
Mairangi Bay easing home in the women's division and Piha
triumphing in the men.
Piha's boat dominance helped them to second on the overall club
points tally with 27, level with Papamoa and just one behind hosts
Mount Maunganui and Papamoa on 27. Mairangi Bay are on 25,
with Red Beach on 21.
Red Beach surf lifesaver Chris Moors
heads to victory in the surf race at the Eastern Regional
championships in Mount Maunganui today. /Photo by Jamie
Troughton/Dscribe Journalism
Results from the first day of the Eastern Regional surf
lifesaving championships in Mount Maunganui today:
Open men:
Board: Chris Moors (Red Beach) 1, Andrew Newton (Mt
Maunganui) 2, Alistair Maney (Red Beach) 3. Board Rescue:
Alistair Maney/Chris Moors (Red Beach) 1, Dylan French/Jared
Pouwhare (Red Beach) 2, Adrien Lambolez/Andrew Newton (Mt
Maunganui) 3. Surf race: Chris Moors (Red Beach) 1, Glenn
Anderson (NPOB) 2, Michael Janes (Midway) 3. Ski: Steven
Ferguson (Piha) 1, Scott Bicknell (Ocean Beach Kiwi) 2, Kevin
Morrison (Mairangi Bay) 3. Beach Flags: Morgan Foster
(South Brighton) 1, Paul Cracroft-Wilson (Fitzroy) 2, Jamison
Gibson-Park (Wainui) 3. Surf Boat - Short Course: Piha Equipe
1, Orewa 2, Piha Boomers 3.
Open women:
Board: Nikki Cox (Westshore) 1, Danielle McKenzie
(Mairangi Bay) 2, Aimee Berridge (Mt Maunganui) 3. Board Rescue:
Danielle McKenzie/Madison Boon (Mairangi Bay) 1, Larissa
Cowlrick/Nikki Cox (Westshore) 2, Aimee Berridge/Katrina Madill (Mt
Maunganui) 3. Surf Race: Emmanuelle Bescheron (Mt Maunganui) 1,
Madison Boon (Mairangi Bay) 2, Natalie Peat (Papamoa) 3.
Ski: Rachael Dodwell (Mairangi Bay) 1, Nikki Cox
(Westshore) 2, Teneale Hatton (Orewa) 3. Beach Flags: Chanel
Hickman (Mairangi Bay) 1, Kendall Elliott (Mt Maunganui) 2, Katie
Watts (Fitzroy) 3. Surf Boat - Short Course: Mairangi Bay
Majic 1, Muriwai Chickas 2, Orewa B 3.
Under 23 Men:
Boat Race - Short Course: Piha Pistols 1, Piha Pirates 2,
Sunset Beach 3.
Under 21 Women:
Boat Race - Short Course: Bethells Beach 1, Piha Coladas
2, Muriwai Black 3.
Under 19 Men:
Board: Dylan Pahina (Midway) 1, Sam Shergold (Mt
Maunganui) 2, Ryan Cox (Lyall Bay) 3. Board Rescue: Ben
Nelson/Mitchell (NPOB) 1, Dylan Pahina/Cory Taylor (Midway) 2, Sam
Shergold/Cameron Witney (Mt Maunganui) 3.
Surf Race: Chris Dawson (Midway) 1, Ryan Cox (Lyall Bay)
2, Jake Allen (Paekakariki) 3. Ski: Zachary Quickenden (South
Brighton) 1, Jack Wilson (Orewa) 2, Cory Taylor (Midway) 3. Beach
Flags: Kodi Harman (Papamoa) 1, Toby Harris (Wainui) 2, Seth
Forbes (Paekakariki) 3. Surf Boat - Short Course: Waihi 1,
Piha Chargers 2, Red Beach Roosters 3.
Under 19 Women:
Board: Daniel McKenzie (Mairangi Bay) 1, Katie Moodie
(Westshore) 2, Kathryn Stewart (Papamoa) 3. Board Rescue:
Natalie Peat/Kathryn Stewart (Papamoa) 1, Ashley
Cochrane/Dannielle O'Connor (Omanu) 2, Emily Campbell/Cara Ryan (Mt
Maunganui) 3. Surf Race: Britta Carroll (Waikanae) 1, Natalie
Peat (Papamoa) 2, Nicole Rosewarne (Orewa) 3. Ski: Aimee
Fisher (Ocean Beach Kiwi) 1, Danielle Currie (South Brighton) 2,
Karina Radley (Mt Maunganui) 3.
Beach Flags: Casey Stevens (NPOB) 1, Alice Dimond (Sumner)
2, Briar Wilkie (Midway) 3.
Under 16 Men:
Board: Ben Johnston (Papamoa) 1, Daniel Hart (Papamoa) 2,
Ben Cochrane (Omanu) 3. Board Rescue: Daniel Hart/Ben
Johnston (Papamoa) 1, Mason Bryant/Scott Cowdrey (Papamoa) 2,
Matthew Hyde/Brad Wiley (Mt Maunganui) 3. Surf Race: Kurtis
Imrie (Paekakariki) 1, Ciaran Ryan (Lyall Bay) 2, Perry Farrell (Mt
Maunganui) 3. Ski: Ben Cochrane (Omanu) 1, Taris Harker
(Papamoa) 2, Fraser Loughlin (Piha) 3. Beach Flags: Sam
McNicol (Ocean Beach Kiwi) 1, Cameron Hayes (Mt Maunganui) 2, Adam
Parker (Orewa) 3.
Under 16 Women:
Board: Jasmine Smith (Wainui) 1, Jessica Miller (Mt
Maunganui) 2, Adriana Bird (Mt Maunganui) 3. Board Rescue: Jessica
Miller/Katherine Wilson (Mt Maunganui) 1, Georgia Burke/Britney
Ford (Midway) 2, Briar McLeely/Madeline Readman (Red Beach) 3. Surf
Race: Jessica Miller (Mt Maunganui) 1, Kelsi Boocock (Red Beach) 2,
Georgia Harris (Wainui) 3. Ski: Rebecca Cole (Fitzroy) 1, Kim
Thompson (Waikanae) 2, Briar McLeely (Red Beach) 3. Beach Flags:
Emily Hodges (Piha) 1, Jessica Geraghty (Paekakariki) 2,
Madison Kidd (Whangamata) 3.
