Athletes from across the North Island will stream into Tauranga today for the first cheerleading competition to be held in the Bay.

Hosted by Tauranga's own Bay Twisters, the ‘Battle in the Bay' will see 400 cheerleaders competing against each other in feats of skill and agility.

Cheerleaders from the Bay Twisters running through a routine ahead of the Battle in the Bay competition.

After travelling to other cheerleading competitions in Auckland, Whangarei and Wellington, the Twisters finally decided it was time to have their own.

They have the best city in the North Island to host it in too, says Twisters Manager Rebecca Grigson.

'Who wouldn't want to come to the Bay of Plenty to compete?” says Rebecca.

It's also proudly non-profit, with a percentage of the door sales going back to Heart Kids NZ.

'Once we've covered our costs, we can give them a big chunk back.”

The Bay Twisters have a long association with Heart Kids, who provide lifelong support to those affected by a childhood heart condition, with several Twisters being Heart Kids themselves.

The ‘Battle in the Bay' has cheerleaders competing in the solo, duo and stunt categories, with the closing act to be Auckland's Cheer Dynamics, who recently performed at the World Championships in the USA.

From the Bay, 12-year old Twister Priya Shiriwastow will be performing a Level 14 routine with a stunt group of four others, and she can't wait for the battle.

'I'm really looking forward to seeing the other cheerleaders,” says Priya.

Formed in 2013, the Twisters began with eight members and has since swelled to 130, ranging in ages from three to eighteen.

Their growth has only echoed that of cheerleading, which is the fastest growing sport in New Zealand, says Rebecca.

'People underestimate cheerleading - they think it's all short skirts and pom-poms, but it's not. There's massive amounts of fitness involved, and these girls do a lot of strength conditioning.”

The 400 cheerleaders expected for the Battle in the Bay will be hosted by Bay Twisters at the ASB Arena in the Lion Foundation Centre, with competition starting at 11am.

Entry fee is $5 for adults and a gold coin donation for seniors and under-12s.