Contestants in Red Beach’s annual Pub to Club paddle
revelled in ideal water conditions when the event took place on Saturday 14 September.
It attracted a record of 71 starters who paddled down the Puhoi River to Red Beach on single and double skis, boards and in surf canoes.
Two waka crews also participated … a six-man crew along with a crew of five females and one male. Two paddlers in single wakas also covered the 16km distance down the river to Wenderholm before crossing the ocean to Red Beach.
There were three canoe crews on the water as well … the Red Nicks Masters men, the Flying Reddaz Masters women and a newly formed crew of U19 women – the Ratbags – who will soon sit the Surf Lifeguard Award exam.
Undaunted by the 7.30 am start, paddlers were sent off at 15-minute intervals according to age divisions, craft type and paddling strengths.
They were accompanied by support personnel in IRBs, pleasure craft and a jet ski, bringing the total number of people involved close to 90. The 2018 Pub to Club paddle involved 70 people.

Results:
Boards  :  Hamish Gledhill 1:51:44, Daniel Cairns 1:51:44, Natt Fitt 2:01:24, Lachie Nicholls 2:01:24
Ocean Ski – Open Men :  Vaughan Reid 1:15:00
Ski – Open Men : Kees Kramer 1:24:26, Mark Scheib 1:25:04, Sam Readman 1:25:39, Chris Moors 1:28:32
Ski – U19 Men :  Kalani Gilbertson 1:17:11, Kade Scheib 1:22:20, Justin Parkes 1:27:34, Te Maia Pihema 1:28:01, Jamie Ward 1:29:00, Jon Fortes 1:38:53, Conor McDermott 1:42:48
Ski – U16 Men : Matt Hughes 1:29:05, Sam Fortes 1:50:00, Akira Gardiner 1:50:47
Ski – U19 Women : Kate Rogers/Alexsia Bingley 1:34:51, Camille Small 1:36:44, Freya Dooley 1:39:19, Olivia Kayes 1:40:00, Ella Moratti 1:42:48
Ski – U16 Women : Ella Butler 1:34:48, Kayla/Matt Nicholls 1:45:12, Kate Fortes 1:47:00, Ashling Shand 1:50:47
Double Ski – Open Men : Mark Readman & Cam Moore 1:26:37
Double Ski – U16 Women : Peyton Bingley & Teresa Sell 2:05:44, Maja Tyne & Rose Meban 2:06:26
Canoe – Masters Women : Flying Reddaz 1:46:24
Canoe – Masters Men : Red Nicks 1:51:41
Canoe – U19 Women : Ratbags 2:10:15
Waka – 6xCrew : Women & Bob M 1:45:56
Waka – 6xCrew : Men’s crew 1:49:56
Waka – Single : Dave Young 2:10:00. Kathy Kramer 2:14:37