UPDATED 9AM MONDAY: After a busy extended summer performing more than 5500 hours of volunteer patrol, Mount Maunganui Surf Life Saving Club is Club of the Year.

Glenn Bradley, Danielle Shepherd, Paul Treanor and John Bryant collect the Mount Club of the Year trophy. Photos: Lisa Honeybone.

The best surf lifeguards, who patrol the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel areas, were honoured at the 2013 BOP/Coromandel Awards of Excellence on Saturday.

Around 150 people attended the service at Trinity Wharf in Tauranga with a special performance by Surf Life Saving New Zealand ambassador, lifeguard and singer-songwriter Jamie McDell.

One of the night's top awards ‘Club of the Year' was awarded to Mount Maunganui Surf Life Saving Club.

The award recognises the overall contribution a club makes across all aspects of lifesaving, sport and everyday club culture.

Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service general manager Glenn Bradley says winning the prestigious award is great recognition of the club's achievements this year.

'It's fantastic for the club.

'There was always going to be pretty tight competition for the Club of the Year. It's a really prestigious award and there's a bunch of strong clubs in the area so we are delighted to ultimately come out on top.”

Glenn says highlights of the 2013 year include the increase in volunteer hours and winning the Alan Gardner Trophy at the State New Zealand surf lifesaving championships in March.

'It's been a really good season for us overall both in the life guarding aspects and the surf sports aspects of the club.

'This year we've performed over 5800 volunteer hours of patrol. That's up about 17 per cent on last year.

'On the surf sports side it's been just a fantastic year for us as well and probably culminated with the club winning the Alan Gardner Trophy at the 2013 state nationals which is the trophy for the top club of the year at the national championships.”

Glenn puts the club's achievements down to a team of passionate and committed volunteer lifeguards.

According to finalised patrol statistics for the 2012/13 surf lifesaving season show Mount Maunganui was the third busiest last season performing 49 rescues from July 2012 to June 2013.

Under-19 Sportswoman of the Year Natalie Peat.

When it comes to individual sports and sports teams Papamoa reigned supreme taking most of the individual titles along with Sports Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, which went to Kurt Wilson and Official of the Year with Ross Merritt.

Papamoa's top competitor Natalie Peat scooped three top awards with International Sportsperson of the Year and Open Sportswoman of the Year and Under-19 Sportswoman of the Year.

Teammate and top sprinter Kodi Harman took out the Open Sportsman of the Year while follow Papamoa lifesaver Ben Johnston won Under-19 Sportsman of the Year.

In the junior classes Papamoa young guns Mitch Crowdrey won Under-14 Sportsman of the Year while Mason Bryant took out Under-16 Sportsman of the Year.

Mount Maunganui's Libby Bradly won both the Under-16 and Under 14 Sportswoman of the Year awards.

Another top award of the evening ‘Lifeguard of the Year' was awarded to James Bray from Whangamata Surf Life Saving Club.

Surf Life Saving Eastern Region Manager Christ Emmett says James has given up countless hours to reach this level of nomination for Lifeguard of the Year and truly deserves the recognition.

'The way all lifeguards look up to James speaks volumes about him.

'He is the go-to guy for nearly all club matters and he leads the lifeguards in an inspirational manner. He uses his knowledge and skill to train those below him and encourages them to further pass on their own knowledge.

'James not only leads at a lifeguard to lifeguard level but also as an examiner where he has brought to examiners through the probationary examiner program this season. His contribution has been immense and remarkable.”

Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Mike Tames, also from Whangamata SLSC.

Chris says Mike tirelessly promotes a positive image for Surf Life Saving locally, regionally and nationally.

'Whether it is at a grassroots level or working with local media to promote stories or increase patrol standards. Regionally, through his excellent patrol auditing which he was solely responsible for in the area, or nationally through his work fronting the review of the Regional Lifeguard Service.”

Coach of the Year Kurt Wilson.

Rescue of the Year was awarded to Whakatane Surf Life Saving Club for a recue which took place on January 6 involving lifeguards Barry Cutfield and Chantal Lillas.

The rescue took place during high seas caused by the tail end of a cyclone after two people were reported stranded on the rocks at Whakatane Heads.

Barry and Chantal headed out around the heads in the IRB noticing a pattern in the waves where the sets weren't as large where Chantal was able to reach the rocks and assess the people.

Chantal was forced to run over 30 meters of slippery and jagged rocks to get away from the surge of waves. She was able to assess the people and contact Coastguard and police while Barry waited for a second IRB to return.

A call was made for a helicopter to winch the people off the rocks. In the meantime Chantal kept the stranded patients warm and comfortable with the resources she had available to her.

'The actions of all of the winners are the expression of our values, and it's the best of those values we celebrate with our awards,” says Chris.

Surf Life Saving Clubs in the BOP/Coromandel area includes Hot Water Beach, Tairua, Pauanui, Onemana, Whangamata, Whiritoa, Waihi Beach, Mt Maunganui, Omanu, Papamoa, Maketu, Pukehina, Whakatane and Opotiki.

For more information visit www.surflifesaving.org.nz

Awards of Excellence 2013 winners are:

Club of the Year: Mount Maunganui

Lifeguard of the Year: James Bray - Whangamata

Volunteer of the Year: Mike Tames - Whangamata

Rescue of the Year: Whakatane

Innovation of the Year: Mount Maunganui

Patrol Club of the Year: Whiritoa
Instructor of the Year: Ross Cowdrey - Papamoa

U14 Sportsman of the Year: Mitch Cowdrey - Papamoa
U14 Sportswoman of the Year: Libby Bradley – Mt Maunganui
U16 Sportsman of the Year: Mason Bryant - Papamoa
U16 Sportswoman of the Year: Libby Bradley – Mt Maunganui

U19 Sportsman of the Year: Ben Johnston - Papamoa
U19 Sportswoman of the Year: Natalie Peat - Papamoa
Open Sportsman of the Year: Kodi Harman - Papamoa
Open Sportswomen of the Year: Natalie Peat - Papamoa
International Sportsperson of the Year: Natalie Peat - Papamoa

Sports Team of the Year: 4 x 25m Mannequin Relay Team - Papamoa
Coach of the Year: Kurt Wilson - Papamoa
Official of the Year: Ross Merritt - Papamoa