Surf sports

Taylors Mistake has a long and proud record as both a competitive club and as a provider of qualified lifeguards. There have been many very talented athletes involved in the club over the years. In surf sports, Taylors Mistake members have won national and world championship titles and competed in the New Zealand Surf League Series. In the past we have particularly excelled in team events, such as the Taplin Relay, and usually perform better when there's a bit of a wave running.

The main competitions for seniors are the: Canterbury Champs; Southern Surf League; New Zealand Surf League; Northern Regional Champs; and the NZ National Champs. We also have several dedicated IRB crews that race in the IRB series and compete at the NZ IRB Nationals. The Kesteven Cup Day is an important local competition, with some tradition associated with it. As Taylors Mistake is the custodian of "K Day", we fervently aim to win the biggest race of the day: the 5-leg relay (Kesteven Cup Trophy), and the Oliver Turpin Trophy, awarded on overall club points.

We encourage our Senior Club members to help on the beach with the coaching and mentoring of younger lifeguards, in order to promote the "One Club" philosophy. "Super Saturdays", where we have training sessions for juniors, followed by intermediate and senior training sessions, also support this philosophy by encouraging the interaction of lifeguards of all ages. During the rest of the week these age groups train separately, at other beaches and venues in Christchurch. Training sessions are run by the club, and are coached by experienced older members.

Coaching courses of varying levels are offered through Canterbury Surf Life Saving, and we encourage current and potential coaches to attend these. Our elite athletes are expected to train twice a day, swimming or running in the morning, and then participating in board, ski, or ironman training in the evening. The younger members are expected to train 6-8 times per week, depending on the particular discipline(s) they are training to compete in. Ultimately, training and competing are designed around keeping our lifeguards fit and enhancing their surf skills.

Above: Liam O'Loughlin, one of Taylors' Mistakes top competitors