Coach Cory
Former world surf lifesaving Ironman champion Cory Hutchings is back in the Bay mentoring youngsters at Omanu Surf Club.
Words Karl Puschmann
When UNO arrives at the Omanu Surf Club to interview Cory Hutchings, the former world surf lifesaving Ironman champion is out on the water. It’s a glorious day, with the sun shining brightly on the gentle surf. Out paddling alongside Cory is a handful of kids, all learning the lifesaving ropes from one of New Zealand’s very best.
I wander down to the beach with the club’s general manager Scott Bartlett, to wait for Cory to come ashore at the end of his class. He’s going to sneak in a quick chat before he takes the next class of kids out into the water.
“He's looking after our Ocean Athletes programme, which is for kids under 14. Then he runs our seniors and helps with our masters,” Scott tells me. “As lead sports coordinator, Cory’s job is to coordinate the athletes and the lifeguards going forward. He makes sure they're fit and healthy and keeps them tracking towards any goals they wish to achieve. Whether it be becoming fitter lifeguards, or going down the pathway of competition.”
Having started surf lifesaving at age five and now with a long list of championships under his belt, including multiple wins in the World Surf Lifesaving Ironman Competition and the New Zealand Ironman Competition, you couldn’t hope for a better trainer than Cory. He joined the club in September and has quickly settled in.
“We were really excited because we knew how beneficial his skill set would be for the community,” Scott says. “He's going great. The kids love him. He's a big kid himself. From a technical point of view, he's doing a lot with our lifeguard space as well. So they're going to be fitter and faster on the beach this year. I would say Cory is probably one of the best in New Zealand at doing it.”
Just then there’s a rush of motion as the kids run past us and head towards the clubrooms, all carrying their surf or paddle boards. The lesson’s over and Cory walks over with a big grin. The lesson went well and he’s loving spending the morning in the water.
“The ocean’s my glue. I get anxious if I'm not on the water for an hour a day,” he explains. “It's a big part of my life and has been since I was born. As long as I can remember, I've been at the beach. It’s not even to do with racing. It’s just in my DNA.”
While the club were able to lure him up from his hometown of Gisborne, it’s more of a return for Cory than an initiation.
“I lived in the Mount back in the early 2000s for about three or four years so I know the place,” he says. “I raced here a lot over my career. So I have a lot of friends here and it's familiar to me.”
As the club’s core business is lifeguarding, that’s the main part of his focus. He’s been coaching for 15 years and is passionate about teaching kids ocean skills and giving them the right training to become better lifeguards. He describes himself as “a hands-on coach”, getting down on the beach and into the water with the kids during his sessions.
Of course, being a former world champion he’s also keeping an eye out for any competitive promise he spots amongst his students.
“If there's a kid that really wants to go on and succeed, train hard and reach some pretty big goals, then our club has a pathway for that child. I think that's important because we do get caught up sometimes on pure participation. It's nice that we can provide both, and that there is an elite pathway as well. It's the balance between the two.”
He encourages parents to bring their kids down to the club to try out a class, saying learning lifeguarding builds confidence and gets them fit and healthy.
“Once they start to get the hang of it you see their confidence grow. They change in front of your eyes,” he smiles. “They start making new friends, connect with different groups, and make those connections around the ocean.”
Which is the other big thing for him. He wants kids to get that same buzz from the ocean that he does.
“You can escape into the ocean. It’s like a spiritual place. There are moments that you have in the ocean that are pretty special. Nothing to do with sport, but just sitting out there. It's a pretty awesome place to be.”
He gestures out to the blue sea that’s lapping up at the sand and says, “Especially in this environment. It's no secret how beautiful this place is. The vibe of this place stimulates me. That's what was exciting about coming here.”