Papamoa win first NRC crown

by Jamie Troughton | 1st February 2010

Two years ago, Brad Wilson's brilliant final board leg helped seal Papamoa's first-ever open win in the Northern Regional surf lifesaving championship taplin race.

Yesterday, the 24-year-old was again in the thick of things as Papamoa grabbed an infinitely bigger chunk of history.

When a hostile sea and shocking onshore conditions forced organisers to abandon the last three hours of competition, Papamoa had become just the second Bay of Plenty club to win the overall NRC title in 40 years.

They were six points clear of keen rivals Mount Maunganui, with Wilson's open surf race win and third in the board race going a long way to chasing the title down.

"It's fair to say the surf went my way and I was pretty fortunate but Papamoa's definitely a force to be reckoned with now," Wilson said. "We've got so much young talent coming through and it's just great to be a part of."

- Read more in today's Bay of Plenty Times