Cycling event a keeper for Ōrewa

Around 375 cyclists took part in the inaugural Ōrewa Bike Cruise, held on March 25 on the Te Ara Tahuna cycle and walkway and surrounds.

It featured a relaxed family friendly ride on an 11.5km, starting and ending in Western Reserve. Dressing up for the occasion was encouraged.

Three pit stops along the way provided refreshments, music and entertainment. Riders enjoyed a sausage sizzle at Maygrove Lake among flowering waterlilies and weeping willows. The pit stop at Milllwater Parkway had free ice cream, and there were bags of lollies and scroggin at Pohutukawa Reserve in Red Beach. Clowns, Ukulele Union and the Harcourts mascot Homie the Gnomie entertained the riders as they passed the pit stops.

It was definitely not a race with all participants taking it at their own pace –the first rider was back at Western Reserve in just 35 minutes (courtesy of an e-bike) and the last returned after 2.5 meandering, enjoyable hours.

The event was organised by Destination Ōrewa Beach. Its operations manager, Hellen Wilkins, says overall it was a great

Basketball builds from bottom up

Good numbers in Hibiscus Coast Basketball Club’s Junior Jammerz and interclub sessions are encouraging for the growth of the sport locally.

Junior Jammerz is for players aged U7 and U9 – promoted as “designed for little hands and big hearts”.

The programme, held at the Stanmore Bay Pool & Leisure Centre on Sundays, is designed so the young players can always have a ball in their hands, having fun as they develop and build their confidence and skills.

Junior Jammerz head coach, David Goldfinch, says currently there are around

60-70 taking part in two sessions, but numbers are expected to grow in terms 2 and 3, to around 100.

“They bring their friends to play, and family enjoy socialising on the sidelines, grabbing a coffee or going to the gym.”

Director of basketball, Dan Bungard, says since last year there has been a focus on grass roots level basketball like interclub and Junior Jammerz and there has been a fantastic response.

“It is helping us grow the club, by growing and widening the base of players,” he says. While there are still more boys than girls event and will be repeated. taking up the sport, the club has a Girls Academy and encourages girls to play.

“As always with something new, there will be things adjusted or added to make next year’s event even better,” she says.

NZ cricketer Martin Guptill, just back from playing in Australia’s Big Bash for the Melbourne Renegades, was the honoured guest at Hibiscus Coast Cricket’s junior prizegiving held at Silverdale School hall on Sunday, March 26. He handed out trophies, signed bats and talked with the young cricketers.

Junior players get basketballs in their hands from day one.

A total of 90 young Coast Basketball players are heading to Tauranga over Easter for a rep tournament.

The club has options for basketball players of all levels of ability. Info: www. hibiscuscoast.basketball/