An embattled surf life saving club has secured United States surfing great Kelly Slater to speak at a fundraiser at an exclusive golf club in north Auckland.

The event will be held at Te Arai Links’ Ocean Restaurant on March 8 to raise money for the Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service.

The surf club has been without its clubrooms since February 2023, after heavy rain during the fatal Auckland Anniversary floods caused a large slip to smash through the building.

With the support of Surf Life Saving NZ, the club funded $1.9 million to fix the slip on Kaipara District Council land but was left with a shortfall of $120,000 to get the clubrooms up and running.

Volunteer lifeguard Lisa Young said she and fellow lifeguards were discussing ways to raise money for the club, when she had a brainwave to hold an exclusive long lunch.

Slater - regarded as the greatest competitive surfer of all time - was top of the list for guest speakers.

Young contacted the 11-times world champion - he is both the youngest and oldest surfer to hold the title - through Instagram and was shocked he replied positively to her proposal.

“I was like screaming. We were excited that we might be able to pull it off.”

Young said she focused on the fact 53-year-old Slater is known to play golf at Tara Iti, a top-class golf course near Mangawhai.

In 2019, Slater made a surprise visit to Mangawhai Heads after playing at Tara Iti, answering questions from members of Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service before putting on a display in small waves.

Kelly Slater visited Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service in 2019, answering the questions of eager children and parents. Photo / Tony Baker

“He’s been to our surf club before and got a bit of a relationship with our club. I asked him if we could time it for the next time he was here,” Young said.

The Ocean Restaurant at Te Arai Links also quickly got on board, agreeing to hold the unique long lunch instead of its usual dinner service.

Dave Wood, a stress mitigation specialist for health and elite performance, also got involved, not only to talk alongside Slater but donating one of his Integrated Training workshops as a prize, Young said.

The talks will share insights on the mindset behind success, how to stay at the top in high-performance environments, all while staying grounded.

Other sponsors include New Zealand skincare brand Emma Lewisham, and Kiwi surf and skate shop Backdoor.

Kelly Slater takes the time to sign a framed surfing fin for young Vivienne Buckle during a 2019 visit to Mangawhai. Photo / Ella Buckle

The ticket prices of $1350 reflect the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for just 100 guests, with one mystery table getting the chance to dine with Slater, Young said.

The price also shows the large need of Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service, not only to raise money for its clubrooms but to get the service running smoothly again, she said.

“Hopefully this gives the club a big kick start to getting back into the clubrooms and going again.”

Half of the tickets have already sold, with Young expecting some high-profile guests.

The volunteer lifeguard and nurse said the way people have supported the event has been “super cool”.

Tickets for the Long Lunch with Kelly Slater and Dave Wood are available from Trybooking.com.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.