Dynamic IRB duo join elite club
Jaron Mumby and Chris Scott dedicated their lives to surf lifesaving.
Now, they are part of the fabric of the sport in New Zealand.
Mumby and Scott were two of nine members added to the New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Sports Hall of Fame at the weekend - the first group to be inducted since 2007.
Mumby said while the Hall of Fame was never something the pair thought about, it was humbling to be inducted into it.
Competition for the Opunake club, the pair took out 20 gold medals at the national IRB championships from 1997 to 2010, represented New Zealand in the Tri Nations in 2001 and 2003, winning gold in the latter, won three national Surf League titles with Taranaki and eight top club titles in IRBs.
Mumby said their prowess in IRBs stemmed from that of the club as a whole.
‘‘It was something that the club was really good at. It was something we got exposed to and was something we wanted to carry on.
‘‘We just took it and never really looked back.’’
Between 1999 and 2004, Mumby said the duo were pretty much unbeaten at a national level, and were rewarded for their strong performances over that time with a call up to the New Zealand squad.
‘‘We actually made the New Zealand squad before we got picked for the Taranaki squad.’’
The duo took a break from the sport, before making their return for the Fitzroy club and now continue to help out around the club.
Despite the accolades, Mumby said it was the other side of being involved with surf lifesaving that he would remember once he walked away from it.
‘‘When you’re a part of surf lifesaving you get the opportunity to be a life guard.
‘‘The most memorable moments for me will be the rescues myself and Chris were involved in. Those are something I’ll remember forever.’’
Mumby said for anyone wanted to reach the same levels as he and Scott did, the first step is joining a club.
‘‘There are two strings of surf lifesaving and they kind of overlap. The skills you learn training to be a life guard make you a better competitor. If you’re a good life guard, you’ll going to be a good competitior.’’
Mumby and Scott were two of four former Taranaki competitors inducted to 2016 Hall of Fame class, with Callum Taylor, who competed for New Plymouth Old Boys, and Sherryl George, of East End, also among the nine new names.
Other taranaki award winners on the night were Fitzroy’s Russell Phillips who was awarded a service medal, while East End’s Robert Pitcairn and Opunake’s John Williams were given their 50-Year badges.