The blustery winds plaguing the Bay last week calmed just in time for the second round of the Bay of Plenty surf lifesaving Spring Series at Mount Maunganui's Main Beach on Saturday.

Holiday makers and locals gathered to watch as Bay of Plenty surf lifesaving athletes braced the cold water, competing in events designed to get them in optimum shape for the summer season.

BOP Spring Series organiser Scott Bicknell duels with Sam Shergold during the ski race at the recent Winter Series. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Journalism

'They've come off a winter building up their endurance base and now it's time to sharpen the speed up a bit, in preparation for a big summer of racing,” says event director Scott Bicknell.

The Kiwi kayaking star joined the event, taking first place in the men's ironman event and both ski races, beating out New Zealand under-20 reps Sam Shergold and Sam Johnston.

Mount Maunganui's Jess Miller won the women's board race, but it was Papamoa's under-20 rep Natalie Peat who took out the women's ironman.

The Spring Series follows on from the highly successful new Winter Series which was held at Mount Maunganui and had athletes competing in a range of long-distance endurance events.

Scott says he's delighted with the number of athletes from all over the North Island who attended the Winter Series and with the quality of the racing.

He says Saturday's event gave several local athletes valuable competition before they race at the Rescue 2012 world championships in early November.

Results from the second round of the Bay of Plenty surf lifesaving Spring Series at Mount Maunganui's Main Beach on Saturday:

Men: Board race 1: Scott Cowdrey (Papamoa) 1, Andrew Newton (Mount) 2, Ben Johnston (Papamoa) 3. Board race 2: Johnston 1, Danny Hart (Papamoa) 2, Sam Shergold (Mount Maunganui) 3. Ski race 1: Scott Bicknell (Ocean Beach Kiwi) 1, Travis Mitchell (Mairangi Bay) 2, Shergold 3. Ski race 2: Bicknell 1, Mitchell 2, Ryan Preston (Mount Maunganui) 3. Ironman: Bicknell 1, Ben Cochrane (Omanu) 2, Hamish Smith (Papamoa) 3.

Women: Board race 1: Jess Miller (Mount) 1, Katie Wilson (Mount) 2, Natalie Peat (Papamoa) 3. Board race 2: Wilson 1, Miller 2, Peat 3. Ski race 1: Karina Radley (Mount) 1, Wilson 2, Peat 3. Ski race 2: Radley 1, Peat 2, Wilson 3. Ironman: Peat 1, Kathryn Stewart (Papamoa) 2, Ash Cochrane (Omanu) 3.