By Charlotte Tonkin
A lifesaving team from Wellington and three from Australia are in Turkey preparing for a unique event to mark the Gallipoli landings centenary.
The Anzacs are teaching the Turks the sport so that come April 25, 2015, the three nations can compete in the spirit of friendship.
Ninety five years on from the battlefields of Gallipoli, the war was on the water.
Wellington's Lyall bay Surf Life Saving Club has 100 years of experience but it wasn't enough - with just weeks of training, the Turks won.
“I'm sure people will get interested. I have been a flat water rower for like five years, I’m now seriously considering quitting it and doing surf boat full time,” says Turkish Surf Boat Captain, Kutlu Haliloglu.
Around 60 surf life savers from New Zealand and Australia are in Turkey to introduce the sport and share their culture.
To mark the centenary of the Gallipoli landing, 100 surf boats will race 100km down the Dardanelles to a beach near Anzac Cove in 2015.
All three countries will be involved.
“The surf boat race was kind of an, 'Oh god, how are we going to do this?' One hundred boats, 100km, it all sounded terrific but now it's going to happen. It's going to happen because the Turks now want it,” says event organiser Paul Murphy.
Although the country is steeped in centuries of history, Turkey embraces innovation and parts of the western world.
But when it came to the uniforms there were misgivings.
“We refused to wear it for the first week, our bums got cut up so we learned it from the hard way,” says Mr Haliloglu.
Turkey's coastline is littered with private beaches, which are patrolled by paid lifeguards. It costs about NZ$33 to use them.
Public areas aren't patrolled and locals often take the risk. In the past eight days, two people have drowned on the stretch of beach.
Six people have been rescued by the visiting life savers.
“She was there, got in trouble, put her hand up, two men went in and they also got into trouble so I went in and brought them back - three people very happy,” says Australian surf lifesaver, Paul Cooper.
Neighbouring villagers have been so impressed they have asked Mr Murphy to help them set up their own life saving club.
The only thing fiercer than the competition in the water is the friendships forged between the three countries.
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