Success at Eastern Region Awards of Excellence

Pāpāmoa SLSC Celebrates Outstanding Success at Eastern Region Awards of Excellence

Pāpāmoa Surf Life Saving Club is celebrating the achievements of its members following the 2025/26 Surf Life Saving New Zealand Eastern Region Awards of Excellence, held at the club on Saturday 25 July.

The annual awards recognise the outstanding commitment, service and achievements of surf lifeguards and volunteers who help save lives, develop great New Zealanders and keep beachgoers safe. Bringing together Surf Life Saving clubs from across the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty, the event highlighted the extraordinary contribution volunteers make both on and off the beach.

Pāpāmoa members featured prominently among the award winners, reflecting another exceptional year for the club.

Pāpāmoa Award Winners

bp Powercraft Contribution of the Year

• Ryan Hohneck

Instructor of the Year

• Jamie Mardon

Junior Surf Contribution of the Year

• Jenna Waite-Leonard

Aon Surf Sports Official of the Year

• Joanne Miller

Volunteer Coach of the Year

• Matthew Strange

Athlete of the Year – Masters Male

• Owen Miller

Service Awards

The club was also proud to see several long-serving members recognised for their outstanding contribution to Surf Life Saving.

Regional Service Awards

• Jamie Mardon
• Karyn Leach

Regional Distinguished Service Award

• Radleigh Cairns

These awards acknowledge years of dedication and service to Surf Life Saving, recognising individuals who consistently go above and beyond for their club, region and community.

Pāpāmoa Surf Life Saving Club Chairperson Mathew Bowling said the awards were a reflection of the incredible volunteer culture that exists within the club.

“We are incredibly proud of every one of our award recipients. These honours recognise thousands of hours of volunteer commitment, leadership and service that often happens behind the scenes. Whether it’s patrolling the beach, training lifeguards, coaching athletes, supporting junior members or helping run the club, these individuals represent everything that is great about Pāpāmoa Surf Life Saving Club.”

Hosting the Awards of Excellence was also a special opportunity for the club to showcase the strength of surf lifesaving across the region.

“It was a privilege for Pāpāmoa to host clubs from throughout the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty. The evening was a chance to celebrate the people who give so much back to their communities, and to recognise the collective impact surf lifesaving has across our region. We congratulate all winners and nominees on their achievements.”

The club’s success at the awards comes on the back of a remarkable 2025/26 season.

With more than 900 members, Pāpāmoa remains one of New Zealand’s largest and most active surf life saving clubs. During the season, 153 volunteer surf lifeguards and patrol support members contributed more than 4,500 patrol hours protecting beachgoers along the coastline.

Their efforts resulted in 521 preventative actions, 15 rescues from the water, 18 assists to safety, and six major first aid incidents managed, demonstrating the vital role volunteers play in helping keep the community safe.

The club also continued to strengthen its operational capability by qualifying 23 new surf lifeguards, four new patrol support members, and 26 new IRB crewpersons, helping ensure future generations are ready to respond when needed.

Away from patrols, Pāpāmoa maintained its strong focus on education and development. More than 1,400 primary school students participated in Surf Life Saving New Zealand’s Beach Education programme hosted at the club, while 463 young people took part in the Junior Surf programme, supported by 39 volunteer coaches.

The club also enjoyed considerable success in surf sports, finishing as the top club at Oceans ’25 Festival of Junior Lifesaving, producing national champions across multiple age groups and seeing athletes selected for both Surf Life Saving New Zealand High Performance Squads and Junior Black Fins programmes.

For Pāpāmoa Surf Life Saving Club, the achievements celebrated at the Awards of Excellence are not just individual successes, but a reflection of a club-wide commitment to service, community and excellence.

As another busy season approaches, the club remains proud of the volunteers, athletes, officials, coaches and supporters who continue to make a positive difference both on the beach and throughout the wider community.

Read the SLSNZ article with the full list of winners from across the region.