We are thrilled to announce this year's winners for the SLSNZ Canterbury Awards of Excellence!
CANTERBURY
Awards of Excellence
WINNERS
Introduction
Canterbury's Local Awards of Excellence programme
recognises the contribution of our amazing members
from the grass roots of Surf Life Saving during the
019/2020 season. Nominations are judged against the
criteria outlined for each award by a local Honours and
Awards, Sport or Lifesaving Committee.
The winners of some categories of the local awards of
excellence will automatically become finalists for the
prestigious SLSNZ National Awards of Excellence
to be held later in 2020.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we were unable to host this
year's awards in person. However we are thrilled to
announce this year's winners.
Congratulations to all of our winners! What you do
makes a positive difference to your club, your
community, and Surf Life Saving.
Contents
HONOURS AWARDS
Regional Service Awards
Distinguished Regional Service Awards
SURF SPORTS AWARDS
CANTERBURY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Top Junior Club
Top Senior Club
K-DAY AWARDS
F.D. Kesteven Cup Winner
Black and White Trophy
Oliver Turpin Trophy
The Giants Eye Trophy
SOUTHERN REGION POOL RESCUE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Top Junior Club
Top Senior Club
SOUTHERN REGION POOL RESCUE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Overall Top Club
SOUTHERN REGIONAL JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Overall Top Club
SOUTHERN REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Overall Top Club
TOP SURF SPORTS AWARDS
Top U14 Competitor
Top U14 Pool Competitor
Top U16 Competitor
Top U16 Pool Competitor
Top U19 Competitor
Top U19 Pool Competitor
Top Open Competitor
Top Open Pool Competitor
SURF SPORTS AWARDS
Surf Official of the Year
The Shanks Family Event Guard of the Year
Coach of the Year
The Leon "Flash" Peters Team of the Year (Large Craft)
SURF SPORTS AWARDS
The Allen Lee Top Canterbury Team of the Year
Te Onepoto Award for Junior Surf - Service
Te Onepoto Award for Junior Surf - Coaching
Sports Person of the Year
Outstanding Contribution to Surf Life Saving
in Canterbury
GENERAL AWARDS
Innovation of the Year
Volunteer of the Year
LIFESAVING AWARDS
Advanced Lifeguard Attendees
Rookie Lifeguard of the Year
Rescue of the Year
V.S.E Trophy Regional Lifeguard of the Year
Beach Education Instructor of the Year
Instructor of the Year
Lifeguard of the Year
Volunteer of the Year
Patrol Club of the Year
Club of the Year
Honours
Awards
Regional
Service Awards
The Service Awards acknowledge members who have
given outstanding service to Surf Life Saving
over a period of years.
BRENDON FERGUSON
RARANGI SLSC
MARY SEELAN
NELSON SLSC
MIKE LITTEN
WAIMAIRI SLSC
NEIL WATTS
RARANGI SLSC
Distinguished
Regional Service Awards
Distinguished Service Awards recognise those who have
continued to give outstanding service.
ANTHONY NUNNICK, TAYLORS MISTAKE SLSC
CRAIG JAMIESON, TAYLORS MISTAKE SLSC
Surf
Sports
Awards
Canterbury
Champsionships
The Canterbury Championships is a key event for all
Senior Surf Lifesaving members to test their skills and
fitness before the Christmas break.
TOP JUNIOR CLUB
SOUTH BRIGHTON SLSC
TOP SENIOR CLUB
SUMNER SLSC
Kesteven Cup
Day Awards
F.D KESTEVEN CUP WINNER
Ironman Taplin Relay consisting of a 400m run, swim,
board, ski, run sprint finish.
SOUTH BRIGHTON A
BLACK AND WHITE TROPHY
4 person swim relay.
SUMNER SLSC
Kesteven Cup
Day Awards
OLIVER TURPIN TROPHY
The top 6 person team
SOUTH BRIGHTON SLSC
GIANTS EYE TROPHY
The overall top club
SOUTH BRIGHTON SLSC
Southern Region
Pool Rescue Championships
TOP JUNIOR CLUB
WAIMAIRI SLSC
TOP SENIOR CLUB
SUMNER SLSC
OVERALL TOP CLUB
WAIMAIRI SLSC
Southern Regional
Junior Champsionships
This event sees junior athletes from all across the South
Island, from U8 through to U14 competing for South
Island Junior Champion titles.
OVERALL TOP CLUB
SOUTH BRIGHTON SLSC
Southern Regional
Champsionships
The Southern Regional Championships showcases the
best athletes in the Southern Region.
OVERALL TOP CLUB
TAYLORS MISTAKE SLSC
Top Surf
Sports Awards
TOP U14 COMPETITOR
TOP U14 POOL COMPETITOR
TOP U16 COMPETITOR
TOP U16 POOL COMPETITOR
TOP U19 COMPETITOR
TOP U19 POOL COMPETITOR
Matthew Hickman
South Brighton SLSC
Natasha Macgibbon
Sumner SLSC
Mihiroa Pauling
Waimairi SLSC
Hugo Wrathall
Waimairi SLSC
Louis Clark
Taylors Mistake SLSC
Louis Clark
Taylors Mistake SLSC
Top Surf
Sports Awards
TOP OPEN COMPETITOR
TOP OPEN POOL
COMPETITOR
Jarvis Hansen
Taylors Mistake SLSC
Alex Yee
South Brighton SLSC
Surf Official
of the Year
Lance Cleeve officiated at multiple Junior and Senior events both
locally and regionally this past season. He also completed his
Facilitators course award, allowing him to qualify more Surf Officials in
the region to help with our surf sports events. We thank Lance for the
hours he put into the Surf Officials space and look forward to continue
to work with him moving forward.
Winner
LANCE CLEEVE, WAIMAIRI SLSC
The Shanks Family
Event Guard of the Year
Zavian Fletcher event guarded at numerous local events as well as
at the Southern Regional Championships and Oceans ’20. He
spent many hours this past season with New Brighton’s junior
lifeguards showing them new skills and helping them gain more
experience both crewing and driving. Zavian was also a mentor
at the IRB development weekend last October. For most of the
season’s local and regional events Zavian set apex courses
before racing, then event guarded as a driver.
Winner
ZAVIAN FLETCHER, NEW BRIGHTON SLSC
Coach of
the Year
Dave has been club coach at Taylors Mistake for three years and was
one of the coaches of the successful Southern Challenge in February.
Taylors Mistake won top club at Southern Regionals and finished as
the top South Island club at TSB Nationals in Gisborne.
Winner
DAVE SMITH, TAYLORS MISTAKE SLSC
The Leon "Flash"
Peters Team of the Year
The crew won gold at TSB Nationals in both the long
and short course events and were unbeaten in local
carnivals and at the Canterbury Champs.
Winner
WAIMAIRI OPEN WOMEN’S CANOE CREW
CAITLIN RUDDLE, MADDIE DAWE,
KIM HENDRIE, CARLY KEYS
The Allen Lee Top
Canterbury Team of the Year
Steven and Zac won gold in the open men’s double ski in a hot
field at the TSB Nationals in Gisborne, as well as also winning
Canterbury Championships Open Men’s Double Ski. Zac was
named in the 2020 New Zealand Black Fins Open Squad.
Winner
SOUTH BRIGHTON OPEN MEN’S DOUBLE SKI
STEVEN DRABBLE, ZAC QUICKENDEN
Te Onepoto Award
for Junior Surf - Service
Dean led the club’s impressive presence at the Canterbury Champs
with 42 competitors and South Island champs with 26 - the club
winning 21 medals across the two events. With an average of over
120 juniors every Sunday morning and close to 200 enrolled, Dean
has built a great team around him to assist with coaching which has
allowed him to deliver a programme that works for all kids,
regardless of their ability.
Winner
DEAN LE WARNE, NORTH BEACH SLSC
SERVICE
Te Onepoto Award
for Junior Surf - Coaching
South Brighton won top club at the Canterbury and South
Island Junior Championships with six from Danielle’s squad of
26 junior athletes (U11-14) finishing in the top three age group
overall athletes at both events. Two of these athletes
winning a gold and bronze at Oceans.
Winner
DANIELLE CURRIE, SOUTH BRIGHTON SLSC
COACHING
Sports Person
of the Year
Louis was named in the NZ Junior Black Fins team and
represented NZ at the 2019 International Surf Rescue Challenge
at North Beach in Durban, South Africa. He enjoyed success in
the tube rescue, surf race, mixed surf teams and
ocean lifesaver rescue.
Louis won one gold and two bronze at the New Zealand Pool
Rescue Championships, and gold in the U19 board rescue and
silver in the U19 tube rescue at the TSB Nationals in Gisborne. He
was a dominant figure in the Southern Region Pool Champs
and won 11 titles at the Southern Region Championships in
Dunedin, including the open mens, U19 surf race
and run swim run titles.
Winner
LOUIS CLARK
TAYLORS MISTAKE SLSC
Outstanding Contribution
to Surf Life Saving
in Canterbury
Over the past season, Steven has been very busy in the surf
sports space. From being involved in revamping the Canterbury
Development Squad for athletes in the region to further themselves
as a more holistic athlete rather than just turning up to train, to
being one of the main contributors in creating the Southern
Challenge which also won Innovation of the Year.
Steven has also had a successful season as a competitor himself,
collecting three medals at the recent TSB Nationals in Gisborne,
including a gold in the open men’s double ski, which him and his
partner (Zac Quickenden) won Canterbury/Tasman team of the
year. Steven also placed second in the open men’s single ski,
and second in the open men’s ski relay alongside
Zac Quickenden and Alex Fort.
Steven also collected a variety of medals at Southern Region
Championships and Canterbury Championships. As a region, we
thank Steven’s efforts in Surf Sports within the region and the
opportunities he has helped create for other athletes also
coming through the surf sport pathway.
Winner
STEVEN DRABBLE
SOUTH BRIGHTON SLSC
General
Awards
Innovation
of the Year
The Southern Challenge was created by South Brighton’s
Steven Drabble and Jessica Rodrigues and sees club members
from within the region drafted into four teams that
compete in a World’s-style format competition.
By drafting the teams of 12 (six men and women) the coaches,
managers and athletes worked with those from other clubs
they may have known little about.
After its successful debut the Southern Challenge is now
included in this summer’s calendar as a main event with plans
to expand its size and to allow competitors from outside
the region the chance to compete.
Winner
SOUTHERN CHALLENGE
Volunteer
of the Year
It is almost impossible to briefly sum up Mike’s contribution to surf
as he is active at a club, regional and national level across a range
of topics but in particular health and safety. He’s been on the
Taylors Mistake committee for 15 years and is the club’s vice
president and continues to lifeguard in a patrol support role. At a
regional level he facilitates instructors training and patrol captains
courses. Mike’s involvement in surf sport events has seen him as an
event referee, event guard and official. It’s fair to say Mike’s
influence within surf can be seen from the junior to senior
levels, and from club through to national activities.
He’s an impressive bloke.
Winner
MIKE SMITH
TAYLORS MISTAKE SLSC
Lifesaving
Awards
Advanced
Lifeguard Attendees
FOR THE 2019/2020 SEASON
Brittany Spencer, Nelson SLSC
Asher Lambert, Kotuku SLSC
Luke Smith, Taylors Mistake SLSC
Kate Suter, Sumner SLSC – Instructor
Chris Harrison, Sumner SLSC - Instructor
Toni Cranko, Sumner SLSC – Mentor
Tom Denman, Sumner SLSC - Mentor
Rookie
Lifeguard of the Year
Noah completed 37 hours of patrol at Sumner Beach assisting in
preventative actions and rescues. He completed all the components
of the Rookie Award and was selected to compete in the Rookie
Competition. He also took part in the Junior Surf programme as a
regular competitor and strong swimmer. Noah has a positive
attitude with strong leadership qualities as seen when he performed
the role of Patrol Captain in training scenarios.
Winner
NOAH FANENE, SUMNER SLSC
Rescue
of the Year
SPENCER PARK SLSC/WAIMAIRI SLSC
22.03.2020
Full Story
As told by Justice Cross, Spencer Park SLSC
It was a beautiful sunny day in Christchurch with good surf and there
was a lot of people on the beach and in the water. I was out surfing
with my family friends approx. 200m north of Waimairi Surf Club
in Christchurch. Unfortunately, one of my friends came off their
surfboard and broke and dislocated their ankle. I was next to her
when this happened and immediately got help from other
people in our group and called 111.
My mum and I both have medical training and were able
to look after the patient until the ambulance arrived. I spent
about 90 minutes with the patient and assisted ambulance staff
relocating the ankle and getting her extricated off the beach and
into the ambulance. A club member from Waimairi (I do not
know his name) did come with a medical kit etc but this wasn't
needed - and other surf life saving staff offered assistance
however the situation was under control.
I was in my surf lifeguard wetsuit as my mum was borrowing
my plain wetsuit as she did not have her own wetsuit to use. I had
just dropped the spinal board back to Waimairi Surf Club and was
coming down the stairs when a member of the public ran up to me
and informed there was a mother and son struggling out in the
break with their hands up. She was able to recognise I was a
lifeguard due to the writing on my wetsuit.
Continues onto next page
The surf club was not open upstairs however there must have been
some people using gear from the club and the gear shed door was
open. I yelled at a young boy (Nathan Walker) who was returning
his boogie board that there was hands up and I needed help. This
was at approx. 1130 hrs. He went upstairs to get a tube and I
had found one in the gear shed. We immediately went out and
performed two tube rescues.
As I am not a club member at Waimairi and there was no one
in obvious club gear on the beach, I wasn't able to inform anyone
else as I didn't know anyone however I was confident that the
young boy I had found could swim. The young club member
(Nathan Walker) retrieved the mother and I retrieved the son.
When I got to the boy, he was bobbing up and down in the
water and was getting smashed by the waves. He was taking on a
lot of water and was in visible distress. The mother was approx. a
further 30m out to sea. By this stage, other clubbies on the
beach must have realised what was happening. There was someone
who came out on a board and other swimmers with tubes who
came to assist. They took the boy off my hands as he was a bigger
boy and needed more than one person to assist him and he was
also very tired. I swam back to shore ahead of the people assisting
this boy and spoke to ambulance staff who had seen what
was happening and were waiting for us on the beach.
Once I had told them what I found when I rescued the boy,
I proceeded back to my group of friends to finish sorting the other
situation. The two people who were rescued were left in care of the
club members and ambulance staff. I believe the young boy may
have been taken to hospital. I did apologise to the young boy
(Nathan Walker) for yelling at him in urgency but he was awesome
in this situation. He didn't ask any questions and there was no delay
in his actions. He just came out and did the job with me and
handled it exceptionally well. It makes me proud as a more senior
member of SLS to see our junior clubbies and lifeguards coming
through and acting in such a professional way. This was just a
matter of right place, right time.
JUSTICE CROSS, SPENCER PARK SLSC
V.S.E Trophy for
Regional Lifeguard of the Year
Jake has shown superb leadership in some demanding and
challenging situations this season, from multiple rescues to
leading missing person searches. He has been a vital part of
the Regional lifeguard leadership team, and this season
brought some extra knowledge to the district from
his season with the RNLI.
Winner
JAKE SIMPSON, SUMNER SLSC
Beach Education
Instructor of the Year
Jade is one of the most experienced Beach Educators in the
country, having taught in Canterbury and around the South
Island. Jade has exceptional student management skills which
create a safe environment for learning, skill development and
fun for the students. She has shown initiative, passion and is
engaged in the development of the programme and
our beach ed team.
Winner
JADE JEFFERY, SUMNER SLSC
Instructor
of the Year
Kirsty trains all the new lifeguards and rookies at New Brighton and
organises the event guards for local and regional sporting events.
This season her training saw one IRB driver, nine crewmen and 15
surf lifeguards all receive their qualifications. She was heavily
involved in the IRB development weekend and Wahine on Water,
helps with Junior Surf, is a club committee member, club ECOS
member and is an active volunteer lifeguard.
Winner
KIRSTY CULLEN, NEW BRIGHTON SLSC
Lifeguard
of the Year
Luke is a respected patrol captain at Taylors Mistake SLSC. He
has great mana, leadership and poise when on patrol, and as well
as completing nearly 38 hours of volunteer patrol he also assisted
the club in other roles. He is Taylors Mistakes only active guard
who has passed the Advance Lifeguard Award and during the
summer was head lifeguard for the regional lifeguard programme
as well as a Beach Education instructor in Christchurch.
Luke was a key part in the club’s Rescue of the year award
nomination for an off-duty rescue of a suspected spinal injury on
Monday 9th March 2020 and was also involved in numerous
other rescues such as the search at Sumner SLSC.
Luke performed with credit at local, regional and national Surf Life
Saving competition events and was named the men’s open top
competitor at the Southern Region Championships in 2020.
Winner
LUKE SMITH
TAYLORS MISTAKE SLSC
Patrol Club
of the Year
WAIKUKU BEACH SLSC
Club
of the Year
SUMNER SLSC
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