Children aged seven to 13 will be converging on Waihi Beach this weekend for one of the first Surf Life Saving New Zealand sport carnivals of the 2019/2020 season.

The Bay of Plenty Junior Championships, featuring 350 keen young watersmart Kiwis, will be held on Sunday, December 15 at Waihi Beach Surf Life Saving Club.

The event has attracted registrations from children throughout the North Island who will compete in a range of Surf Life Saving sports events, like beach sprints, flag runs, swims, board paddling, and team relay events.

'It should be an exciting competition, and we've got good weather conditions forecast with a 1 metre swell, so our athletes should have a fun but testing day,” says Surf Life Saving New Zealand's Eastern Region Sport Manager Mark Inglis.

The events grow the young athletes' experience and skill levels in and around the water, and are an exciting way to engage them in learning about surf lifesaving.

The older juniors can also work with their clubs toward becoming our next group of volunteer Surf Lifeguards, he says.

'It's a festive time of year and our junior events always have a great atmosphere, as our athletes get to test their skills against other young athletes.

'Come on down to Waihi Beach Surf Life Saving Club and watch the future champions of our sport racing, while they also hone their skills to hopefully become surf lifeguards too."

More information about the Bay of Plenty Junior Championships can be found on the Surf Life Saving New Zealand website: https://www.surflifesaving.org.nz/calendar/2019/december/2019-bay-of-plenty-junior-championships

And in the event flyer: https://www.surflifesaving.org.nz/media/988460/2019-bay-of-plenty-junior-championships-event-flyer.pdf