Boat crew stand with giants

THE aptly named Day of Giants was an experience to savour for Tony Davis and the Tannum Sands surf boat crew.

Stroke Jason Bedford, Robbie Williams, Brett Rowe and Phil Massingham, and sweep Davis made the journey across the ditch to contest the Day of Giants competition at Auckland's infamous west coast beach Piha on Friday. Speaking to the sweep in the shadow of the prominent Lion Rock after the competition, he said racing at Piha in the event, part of the Piha Big Wave Classic regatta, was vastly different to what his crew had ever experienced.

“The adrenalin was pumping - the surf was huge - three metre plus swells…you don't realise how big it is until you are coming down the face of the wave,” he said.

Featuring four crews from New Zealand - national title holders Titahi Bay, Paekakariki - who have been training out of Australia during the Surf Life Saving season, Mount Maunganui and Piha, and four from Australia - Tannum Sands, New South Wales' McMasters, along with Victoria's Jan Juc and Lorne, the calibre of crews racing was outstanding, and just as well, with Piha producing its typical diabolical conditions.

Tannum Sands raced in five heats, gaining three second places, a third and one fourth, which placed them in the B-final, narrowly missing out on a spot in the A-final with Jan Juc nudging ahead of them.

While his crew were disappointed on missing out on the A-final, Davis said he was pleased with how they travelled.

“The borrowed boat we were in was vastly different to the one we row at home,” he said.