Auckland grab early ascendancy at Surf League

Auckland take a miniscule three-point buffer into the final day of surf lifesaving's glamour event, the Lion
Foundation Surf League on Mt Maunganui beach, after an unexpected lead-out from their swimmers today.

Third last year, Auckland dominated the swim events on a wind-swept main beach to head Taranaki by the slimmest of margins, with hosts Bay of Plenty third, nine points off the pace.

Auckland and Taranaki exchanged positions at the top for much of the day before the northerners edged clear in the programme-ending Dearlove teams' relay.

Their mixed ski relay team of Travis Mitchell and Rachel Clarke got them off to a flier but the big movers were the winning surf swim teams of Michael Buck and Chris Moors and Jessica Parr and Bailey Elliot. Buck and Parr also won the mixed tube rescue.

Auckland's other wins today came in the men's board team (Kevin Morrison-Moors) and the surf canoe.
``We had a few ups and downs during the day but both those surf races and the tube rescue were big,
and probably unexpected, highlights,'' Mitchell said.

``Every point's going to count from here though because a few points is nothing, but it's nice to be in
front because, as we've found in the past, it's hard to peg points back on the second day.''

Taranaki, hunting their second title in more than a decade are still in it with plenty of scope to improve tomorrow.

IRB crew Chris Scott and Jaron Mumby were peerless on the water, with the former world
champions showing every inch of their 13 years' experience together by blitzing both IRB races.
Mumby, also Taranaki's skipper, said there were clear gains to be made after a frustrating day on the
water.

``We're right in it after what seems to have been a day on the escalator, swapping the lead back
and forth with Auckland, but we're not totally satisfied and not everything went to plan,'' Mumby said.
He was angry with two collisions in the four-man surf canoe races, both while Taranaki were leading. It cost them vital points, dropping the paddlers back to third and sixth and leading to a heated exchange with
the Bay of Plenty crew back on the sand.

``That was disppointing because we pride ourselves in the canoe being first to the cans, yet both times we were hit by crews still making their way out,'' Mumby said.

``It's the back of the field that's holding us up and it feels like we're being penalised for being
in the lead.''

Mt Maunganui-based national representative Chelsea Maples was involved in every one of
Bay of Plenty's four wins today -- the teams' relay, beach flags, beach sprint and women's board teams
with Katrina Madill.

In the under-19 surf league, defending champions Auckland and hosts Bay of Plenty top the
standings midway through the programme on 94 points apiece, with Hawke's Bay third on 89
and Gisborne fourth.

Lion Foundation Surf League team standings after day one:
Open: Auckland 92, Taranaki 88, Bay of Plenty 83, Gisborne 80, Hawke's Bay 78, Canterbury 70,
Wellington 57.
Under-19: Auckland 94, Bay of Plenty 94, Hawke's Bay 89, Gisborne 80, Canterbury 75, Wellington 69, Taranaki 64, Otago 58.