The club will host the interbranch championships over the weekend of December 8 and 9 this year.

While many clubs will be able to slow down over the winter months, there’ll be no such rest at Black Head with the club already looking at the logistics of hosting the carnival and beginning beach preparations.

As the 2011-2012 season came to a close last week, Surf Life Saving NSW confirmed Black Head as the venue for the 2012-13 titles, which will attract hundreds of competitors representing the country and metropolitan branches which make up the 129 surf clubs along the NSW coastline, from Fingal in the north to Pambula in the south.

Club secretary Mike Bartlett described the titles as a major sporting event for the district with up to 600 competitors and officials expected to take part.

“They will be the best competitors from each branch an they are all vying to make the New South Wales team,” Mr Bartlett said.

“The club is very excited about being named as hosts.”

It’s the first time the club has staged the championships, which were last held in the Lower North Coast surf region when hosted by Cape Hawke Surf Life Saving Club in 2009.

Each of the 11 regional branches within Surf Life Saving NSW will send a representative team to the interbranch championships, ensuring one of the highest standards of competition during the surf sports season.

Mr Bartlett said the titles were good news for the local economy.

“The locals should be happy as there will be lots of visitors to the area with competitors, coaches, trainers and spectators.”

He said the club had already begun planning the catering for competitors and officials and had begun talks with council to prepare the beach.

While Mother Nature will have a major bearing on the beach, Mr Bartlett said it would be ideal for the titles to be held on a wide area of flat sand, particularly for the sprints and other beach events.

The interbranch is unique in format, with a maximum of 52 athletes from each branch, comprised of three male and female competitors in the under 12, under 13, under 14, under 15, under 17, under 19 and open age groups, plus male and female surf boat crews.

Typically, each branch has entered two water specialists in each category, along with a specialist beach competitor.

The opening day comprises mainly individual competition, while day two features teams events and all boat events.

The current interbranch champions, Sydney Northern Beaches, will be looking to retain the title again this year.