Celebrating Regional Lifesaving Excellence

Pāpāmoa Surf Life Saving Club is proud to reflect on another outstanding season, marked by regional honours across lifesaving, surf sport, and service at the 2024-25 Eastern Region Awards of Excellence, hosted at our club on Saturday 26 July 2025.

Ryan Hohneck was awarded the prestigious DHL Surf Lifeguard of the Year for the Bay of Plenty, reflecting his unwavering commitment to surf safety and club values.

“It’s an incredible feeling and I am honoured,” says Ryan. “I do this for the love of the surf movement and really have to thank Pāpāmoa SLSC for the support. While we don’t do this for the recognition, it is nice to have received this award, and I look forward to carrying on the good work.”

Ryan’s Patrol Captain role is core to maintaining the club’s standard of proactive beach safety, ensuring no one drowns between the flags, and fostering an enjoyable, team-oriented patrol experience.

“Our bread and butter is to ensure no one drowns between the flags,” he says. “Being proactive lifeguards through keeping ourselves and the public safe through preventative actions. It’s important to ensure everyone comes to the beach to have fun and goes home safe.”

Sandra Boubee, member of the Pāpāmoa Lifeguard Committee, described what Ryan brings to the club culture:

“Ryan is the kind of lifeguard who brings people together,” says Sandra. “He’s approachable, calm, and supportive – someone everyone feels comfortable around. Whether mentoring rookies, chatting with parents, or backing his fellow lifeguards, Ryan’s warmth and humility shine through. His presence strengthens our club’s culture and community, making him not only a skilled lifeguard but a truly respected and well‑loved member.”

Under Lifeguard Committee Chairperson Marama Mateparae, the club earned the title Bay of Plenty Patrol Club of the Year. Marama points out that the award is based on stats, rather than subjective opinion.

“It really is down to our people,” says Marama. “Points are awarded to clubs based on criteria including membership growth, numbers of refreshed lifeguards and IRB drivers, accumulated patrol hours, and achieving two patrol audits with 100% compliance. It truly reflects the hard mahi of our people stepping up.”  

Initiatives that drove this success include:

• Pre-season club refresher days, which reconnect teams, revisit key skills, and build camaraderie.
• Expansion of the instructor team, so refresher training is embedded across all patrols.
• A robust IRB programme, led by Ryan Hohneck and Shaun Smith, enhancing club capability and instructor development.
• A thriving Rookies programme, feeding off a strong junior surf base and high coach and parental involvement.
• A growing Junior Surf programme, with a deliberate effort to encourage parents into active roles. Many parents step up as lifeguards and go on to regularly patrol through the season, boosting recruitment, retention, and club capability.

Reflecting on the strength behind all achievements, Marama said:

“He Tangata, He Tangata, He Tangata - it’s the people who are the strength of our club. Never underestimate how much everyone's contribution makes, regardless of how small it may seem. We are a family club, we want everyone to feel welcome, valued, and purposeful. From those training in winter, fixing engines, turning up for patrol, making coffee - it's the people who make our club the amazing place it is.”

Looking ahead to the 2025–26 season, Marama’s ambition is clear:

“More of the same, please!” She adds: “Our focus over recent years has been on preventative actions - talking with beachgoers about not swimming in rips, discouraging unsafe use of pool toys, and removing hazards like smouldering logs after a beach bonfire. Those everyday conversations help keep our beach safer.”

Pāpāmoa SLSC also had a standout season in surf sport, with multiple members taking top honours in the Bay of Plenty region. Our sport success across a range of awards - from coaching and officiating to elite performance - highlights Pāpāmoa’s commitment to building strong pathways and supporting people at all levels of surf sport. At the same time building our club culture and shared values of Fun, Respect, Encouragement, Excellence, and Commitment.

BAY OF PLENTY LIFESAVING AWARD WINNERS

• DHL Surf Lifeguard of the Year: Ryan Hohneck
• bp Powercraft Contribution of the Year: Ryan Hohneck
• Paid Lifeguard of the Year: Ross Cowdrey
• Bay of Plenty Patrol Club of the Year: Pāpāmoa SLSC

BAY OF PLENTY LIFESAVING SPORT WINNERS

• Volunteer Coach of the Year: Matthew Strange
• Emerging Surf Sports Official of the Year: Stephanie Mardon
• Aon Surf Sports Official of the Year: Joanne Miller
• Aon Surf Sports Team of the Year: U17 Male Line Throw: Lockie Cairns & Oliver Pepers
• Coaches Commitment Award: Oliver Pepers
• Athletes of the Year: Naomi Davoren, Owen Miller, Tristan Lim-Yock

REGIONAL SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT

• Radleigh Cairns

REGIONAL DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS

• Poppy Crouch
• Robynne Cabusao

A full list of the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel award winners can be found here: Surf Lifesaving NZ - Winners of the Coromandel and BOP Awards of Excellence