Pool swimmers Carina Doyle and Adam Simpson are Otago's best prospects to win titles at the New Zealand surf life-saving championships over the next three days.
The championships were switched to Mount Maunganui two weeks ago after the Christchurch earthquake, but there are still 1200 lifeguards attending.
It is a significant weekend because it marks the centenary of the surf life-saving championships in New Zealand.
The switch from Christchurch to Mount Maunganui has affected southern entries for the event, with Kaka Point, Oreti and St Kilda no longer sending teams.
Hamish McCulloch, the only Brighton competitor, is competing in the men's under-16 grade.
Sisters Carla and Stephanie Laughton, who won the open women's tube rescue title at Ohope last year, have pulled out because of the shift of venue.
There are just 18 competitors from Otago attending the championships, and 17 of them come from the St Clair club.
Doyle and Simpson are expected to stand on the podium in the surf-race and the run-swim-run events.
Another medal prospect is Hannah Cullen (St Clair) in the women's under-19 events.
Joe Kemp (St Clair), who won a gold medal in men's premier events last year, is injured and has withdrawn from the championships.
Mick Hastie, who shifted to Perth last month, is travelling from Australia to compete in the event.
World champion beach flagger Melissa Howard (Australia) will join partner Paul Cracroft-Wilson (Fitzroy).
They won the world title in Egypt last year.
The pair train together at Queensland's Kurrawa club, which is also the adopted home of top New Zealand women sprinters Chelsea Maples and Chanel Hickman.
Maples, who won the world beach-sprint title in Egypt, will compete for Mount Maunganui, while Hickman looms as a major threat to Howard in the flags.
