The Aussies 2014 - OnBeach Newspaper Issue 1

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IRON WILL Grant Kenny’s golden return

BOATIES MAKING WOOPI Woolgoolga wins Masters Gold

COURTNEY HANCOCK Fit, fast and Furious

#Aussies2014 • Wednesday April 2, 2014

WOOLGOOLGA ROWERS MAKING WOOPI NOT too many people know how to pronounce Woolgoolga, let alone where it is, but the rowers from the NSW North Coast town put their club on the map by winning gold and silver in the Masters competition yesterday.

There was jubilation for the small contingent from the town affectionately known as Woopi as the Mudcrabs crew powered home to win the 160 years final in a thrilling finish ahead of St Kilda and Cape Hawke.

Sweep Craig Schweikert said it was a deserved result for his crew of Adam Rees, John Portsmouth, Brian Sedivy and Mick Lane who have worked hard for the past three years and won the bronze medal at last year’s Aussies Masters.

“The most crucial part of our development has been racing in the North Coast Surf Boat Series,” Schweikert said.

“We’ve won the 160 years division of the series three years in a row.”

The most crucial part of our development has been racing in the North Coast Surf Boat Series.

Craig Schweikert GO ANNA: Northcliffe’s Anna Ballara paddles her way to gold medal number 50.

ANNA MAKES IT FABULOUS 50 AT the end of her Ironwoman race at the 2014 Australian Surf Life Saving Masters Championship, Northcliffe’s Anna Ballara sat on the sand and said “I hate this.”

She looked like the race had been the hardest thing she had ever done and that she would never do it again.

But anyone who knows Ballara wouldn’t be fooled – she is a racer and there are 50 gold medals that prove it.

Beating North Burleigh’s Elin Ashfield Hedstrom across the finish line after a grinding 45-49 years final gave Ballara her 50th gold medal in all competition, with the vast bulk of them coming in Masters competition.

“It had no idea until the other day how many I had won, I would have guessed about 30,” she said.

“My daughter (Francesca, 8) asked me

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how many I had so we got them out and counted them.”

That count added up to 47 gold medals.

Number 48 came early today in the board race, while her 49th gold was won in the single ski race.

It then took plenty of patience to get number 50, as Ashfield Hedstrom took a good early lead in the ski leg of the Ironwoman, and held the advantage close to the beach in the board leg before Ballara drew level in the break.

The pair went stroke for stroke in the swim but Ballara’s determination won out in the end as she got to her feet first and won the sprint up the beach.

And waiting to congratulate “Mighty Mum” was Francesca who made the trip to Perth to cheer on her hero.

Ballara added gold number 51 yesterday, teaming with Margaret Kyle and Christine Dennis to win the 150 years board relay from Noosa Heads and Fremantle.

Noosa turned the tables in the Taplin relay and ski relay, where Georgina Lynch, Julie Fidler and Alison Fisk took the gold medals.

Woolgoolga’s Long Strokers crew added to its collection of minor medals when beaten by South Curl Curl in yesterday’s final .

South Curl Curl also struck gold in the 220 years final.

The day’s most thrilling finish came in the men’s 180 years, where City of Perth rode a wave home to edge out Tallebudgera and North Cronulla.

In the 180 years women’s final it was all Avalon Beach, with the Antiques crew (below) winning gold and the Zuluz in second place, while Cape Hawke finished third.

Wednesday 2 April, 2014

MURPHY’S LAW: City of Perth’s sprint queen Gabrielle Murphy and these five fish out of water, Courtney Hancock, Shannon Eckstein, Trevor Hendy, Naomi Flood and Kendrick Louis show off their beach flags skills after yesterday’s press conference.

FIT HANCOCK’S FAST AND FURIOUS TITLE DEFENCE COURTNEY Hancock has arrived in Perth for this week’s Australian Surf Life Saving Championships ready and raring to mount a successful defence of her third National Ironwoman championship.

The 25-year-old from Northcliffe on the Gold Coast took one look at the flat, yet tricky conditions at Scarborough yesterday and declared the her three words for the week were: “Fit, fast and furious.”

The Championships have attracted more than 5000 competitors to Western Australia for the 99th year of surf sports since the first Championships were conducted at Bondi in 1915.

The week’s competition will culminate in finals Sunday with all eyes on the Ironman and Ironwoman, with Hancock primed to defend the Ironwoman and her Northcliffe club mate Shannon Eckstein out to equal Trevor Hendy’s record of six National crowns.

“If you’ve done the work then you should reap the rewards and there will be no excuses; I knew a month ago that I had to get back and

do the work – I wasn’t going to come here and have to rely on a wave to get me through,” said Hancock, who won her first Australian Ironwoman title in 2011 and her second last year at North Kirra.

You are going to have to be quick off the beach in these conditions and leave nothing to chance. Courtney Hancock “After winning the Series I knew there was no time to rest or to waste because the other girls will be going all out to win the Aussies too.

“You are going to have to be quick off the beach in these conditions and leave nothing to chance – I remember the last two years being in the hottest semi-finals and you have to make sure you make the final.”

Only two other competitors in this year’s field, Kristyl Smith (2005 and 2009) and Rebecca Creedy (2012) have won the coveted

title, first won by South Maroubra’s Samantha O’Brien in 1992.

The 48th running of the Australian Ironman championship will again focus on five-time winner Shannon Eckstein who will be out to equal Hendy’s record of six National crowns.

“If they said I had to be at a certain beach on a certain day and they are having the Australian Championship I’d be there – it’s the pinnacle of our sport – it’s what we patrol our beaches for and it’s what we train for,” said Eckstein, who was joined by Hendy and young Kendrick Louis from the emerging Newport club – the number one club in NSW at yesterday’s press conference.

“I have looked up to Trevor all my life and I remember jumping on my bike and riding from my home at Mermaid Beach to watch Trevor in action – to equal his record would be very special.”

Eckstein will also spearhead the powerful Northcliffe teams as they chase their eighth consecutive Taplin Relay title since 2007 and Eckstein has been in every team.

NORTHCLIFFE POISED TO DEFEND MASTERS NORTHCLIFFE is poised to defend their Australian Surf Life Saving Masters Championships after a ding-dong battle emerged on day two of the titles at Scarborough Beach today.

With eight events still remaining just 10 points separate the top four clubs with Northcliffe on top on 180 points, just three clear of Noosa Heads (177), Queenscliff (171) and City of Perth (170).

After day one it was Queenscliff, on the back of their outstanding Masters beach sprint team that held a narrow lead but first Noosa and then Northcliffe traded blows in the water events – Noosa’s girls outstanding and Northcliffe’s men chiming in to claim the lead.

Noosa’s golden girls dominated the 130

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and 150 years teams and relays with gold to girls Alison Pegg, Alison Olander and Julie Stanton winning the 130 years Taplin, ski and board relays with Pegg and Olander linking with Gina Lynch in the surf teams.

Northcliffe dominated the 150 years area with Stephen Fry, Craig Greenwood and Paul Blackbeard winning the surf teams; Paul Davis, Gavin Hill and Doug Iredale the board relay and Blackbeard, Hill and Iredale the Taplin.

Tomorrow will see the eight board riding events – and Noosa and Queenscliff don’t have an entrant while Northcliffe have six competitors, including “Super Mum” Anna Ballara who won her 50th gold medal in the Ironwoman on Monday and National Champion Tiarne Smith.

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WATERMAN: Newcastle’s Alan Metcalf looking over the surf at Scarborough.

FLAGGED: Mona Vale’s Kaye Chaffer outstretches Kristyn Monnock (North Entrance) to win gold in the 40-44 years flags.

SPIRITED TEAM: Queenscliff beach sprinting legend and prostate cancer sufferer Paul Hammond, with wife Sukie, has been the inspiration behind the club’s performances at this year’s Aussies.

DADDY’S GIRLS: Maroochydore ski legend Kirk Jarrott and his fan club.

PADDLEPOPS: These two masters of the ski area show their style at Scarborough.

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BRIDE OF THE FLEET: Our photographer couldn’t resist this shot of a Japanese couple posing in the boat area on their wedding day. “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie.

Wednesday 2 April, 2014

HOW’S THIS HARV? Could be the question Shellharbour paddler Kerry Terretta’s is asking our host photographer Harvie Allison as she faces the finish of the Masters Ironwoman.

TATT’S A WIN: To Mudjimba in the 170 years beach relay

KISS AND TELL: These Maroubra boys, from left-to-right, Greg Smith, Steve Delorenzo and Rohan Skea who won the 170 years surf teams, will have plenty of explaining to do when they get back to the Seals Club.

MAKING HIS MARK: Port Fairy paddler Mark Plant is entitled to this claim. The club’s first ever National title in a water event. Mark is also the club’s development officer and leading by example.

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LEAN TWO: Matt Lemon made the most of a midweek leave pass to claim his first Masters gold medal in the 35-39 years board race ahead of Currumbin’s Michael Chan.

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KENNY STILL HAS THE GOLDEN TOUCH GRANT Kenny may be showing a few signs of rust resulting from a lifetime in the surf but the most famous of all Ironmen showed this week he still has the golden touch.

Kenny was hobbled by a calf injury but summoned many of his old skills to win the 50-54 years Ironman gold medal at the Australian Surf Life Saving Masters Championships.

The four-time Australian open champion and 1984 Olympic Games kayaking bronze medallist powered away to a good lead in

The running sections today were very painful and I even felt it when I had to jump onto my ski at the start. Grant Kenny the opening ski leg, and managed to hold that margin in the board and swim legs despite his own legs not working as well as they once did.

By the end his margin was comfortable enough that he could walk across the finish line ahead of Gavin Hill (Northcliffe) and Glen Lawrence (Byron Bay).

The 50-year-old tore his right calf muscle while training with his son Jett at Alexandra Headland on the Sunshine Coast last week and thought he may miss the Australian Championships despite having worked hard to improve his general fitness in the past six months.

“We had just swum back to the beach and when I got up to run the calf went on me,” Kenny said.

“The boys had to carry me out of the water, I couldn’t move.

“Now my other calf is bothering me too because I’ve been favouring the injured leg.

“The running sections today were very painful and I even felt it when I had to jump onto my ski at the start.”

Earlier Kenny was upset in the final of the 50-54 years single ski race, beaten to the line on the final wave by winner Shaun Rice (Trigg Island) and silver medallist Tony Vieceli (Manly).

Rice, a former South African surf lifesaving representative who moved from Durban to Perth a decade ago, said the victory was made even more special because it came against a legend of the sport.

Kenny’s carnival brought more success yesterday when he teamed with Jeff Lemarseny to win the 45-49 years double ski final and he and Lemarseny joined Alan Rogers to take 150 years ski relay gold.

His ironman determination was to the fore even in his final Masters event when he swam for Noosa in the 130 years Taplin relay, putting in a big effort to get close to the lead and then running in obvious agony to secure the silver medal. Maroochydore’s Dale Massie, Kirk Jarrott and Wade Lee won gold in the exciting event.

MOSEL LEADS THE TRIGG CHALLENGE TRIGG Island has a strong contingent at this year’s Aussies, led by the likes of Andrew Mosel who has started his week-long campaign on a golden note.

Mosel won four gold medals during the two days of the Masters competition, yesterday adding 110 years Taplin relay gold to his firstday wins in the 30-34 years surf race, board race and Ironman.

Trigg overcame a tough challenge from Freshwater in the Taplin, with the gold medal secured only by a powerhouse swim by former Aussies open surf race and belt race champion Deane Pieters (above).

The Perth club had established an early lead thanks to the ski paddling of Adam Bloomfield but Freshwater was brought right into contention by the board leg of Kurt Hanson, who took his team from fourth place to the lead after catching Mosel in the shore break.

That meant the race came down to a showdown between Pieters and Freshwater veteran John de Mestre, turning back the clock many years to when they often raced on Sydney’s Northern Beaches when Pieters was wearing the sky blue of Manly.

The West Australian was too powerful off the beach and quickly established a lead de Mestre was unable to overcome. Redhead placed third.

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Wednesday 2 April, 2014

NEW MEASURES TO OPTIMISE COMPETITION SAFETY IMPROVING EVENT SAFETY

SURF Life Saving Australia’s President Graham Ford and CEO Greg Nance hosted a briefing and Q&A session for members on the first day of The Aussies 2014 competition.

The briefing was an opportunity for a representative from each club competing at The Aussies 2014 to hear an update about the new safety measures being introduced across the sport of lifesaving which have been approved by the SLSA board.

The President of Surf Life Saving Australia, Graham Ford, said that consultation with the Surf Life Saving community and members “is an important part of introducing new safety

measures and I am always happy to answer any questions members might have directly.”

Surf Life Saving Australia CEO Greg Nance outlined the organisation approach to risk management which aims to increase safety and reduce risk at The Aussies 2014, and other surf sports competition and lifesaving practices throughout Australia. This will be shown on the Telstra Big Screen throughout the week and more information is available at sls.com.au “While you can never eliminate risk in this sport, SLSA takes a very proactive approach to minimising incidents in competition and general lifesaving.

“There are a number of safety firsts at this year’s event including extra safety briefings, overhaul of staff management systems, more streamlined command and control structures to assess risk and clear area delegation to suspend competition by area or as a whole,” Mr Nance said.

For more information please visit Surf Life Saving Australia’s website safety section sls.com.au/safety

MAKING WAVES AMONG the other big winners on day one of the Masters was South Australia’s Di Wallace-Ward who collected three gold, one silver and one bronze in the 50-54 years age group for Brighton. Back in 1986, racing as Di Wallace and wearing in the black Seacliff cap, the powerful paddler won her first Aussies gold in the open women’s board race at Moana. And she showed she has lost no expertise, taking out her specialist board race, the Ironwoman and ski; adding silver in the swim and bronze in the tube.

ESPERENCE-GOLDFIELDS 60-64 years competitor Kathleen Donovan will be able to open a goldfield of her own after utterly dominating competition in her age group on day one of the Masters. Donovan won the board, swim, tube and ski races in a busy day. Shellharbour’s Joanne Helson was almost as successful, taking out the board, swim and ironwoman races in the 55-59 years age group, and placing second in the tube race behind Scarboro’s Sharon Walshaw.

NOOSA HEADS competitor Julie Fidler will have bragging rights in her house after winning the single ski gold medal in the 55-59 years age group. Battling a nasty virus, Julie then watched on as her husband Peter contested his 55-59 years ski final. Peter was unplaced in the race but his face probably brought back a few memories for those watching on.

Back about 30 years Peter was one of the original Solo men, riding a raft over rapids and chugging down a can of the soft drink in the famous television commercial.

‘GONG BUT NOT FORGOTTEN WOLLONGONG City Surf Club’s Jennett family are as true blue as the coal miners at Port Kembla’s steelworks – and lifesaving is their life.

With the club’s Centenary year in 2015, Wollongong is preparing to paint the town maroon and white to celebrate one of Australia’s finest surf clubs.

In Scarborough this week ‘team Jennnett” – Club stalwart, chief instructor and life member Larry, eldest son and club president Mick and younger son and club captain Tim – have worn

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the maroon and white striped Wollongong cap with pride.

Yesterday combining to form a family team in the 130 years board relay and the Taplin relay – finishing just out of the medals but giving it their all for family and club.

But the Jennett’s did write some postscripts for the club’s Centenary book with a collection of medals on day of the Masters with Tim winning the 35-39 years Ironman and board, with Mick third and the boys combining to score a comfortable gold medal performance in the board rescue.

“We sure are a proud Wollongong family, that’s for sure and next year will be a huge year for the club and we were keen to come to the Aussies and spread the word,” said Tim.

IT wasn’t just the competitors in the 65plus double ski race yesterday that had more than a few kilometres on the clock and were a long way from showroom condition. Mark ‘Rocky’ Rothwell, 69, and Bryan Axton, 71, of Aldinga Bay in South Australia were paddling a craft with plenty of dings, scrapes and fibreglass additions.

“It’s an old Aquarius that must be about 30 years old,” Rocky said. The ski was originally used by the Wooden brothers, Scott and Mark, while on their way to three Aussies double ski medals for South Port (SA) in the early 1980s.

Masters points: Northcliffe 180, Noosa 177, Queenscliff 171, City of Perth 170, Trigg Island 160, Sorrento 138, Scarboro 112, Byron Bay 107, Cottesloe 103, Coogee103, Kurrawa 99, North Cottesloe 96, North Bondi 76, Brighton (SA) 75, Mullaloo 71, Redhead 70, Alexandra Headland 65, North Avoca 61, Manly 61, Bondi 59, Freshwater 57, Currumbin 54.

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WHAT’S ON Find out what people are saying about The Aussies 2014 on Twitter.

Remember to use the hashtag #Aussies2014 throughout the week!

Lucy Polkinghorne @LucyPolks Good luck to all the surf life savers competing in Perth this week!

Especially @Glenelg_SLSC and #palmbeach @SLS_Online Kendrick Louis @kendrickjlouis It was an honour to represent my #Newport Slsc at the pre @SLS_Online #Aussies2014 press conference Glenelg SLSC @Glenelg_SLSC Well done @ShaneDaw1 & Tim Lepley in Doubles. Close race for medals but settling for 5th at #Aussies2014 @SLS_Online

THE BEACH U19 Men’s Ski Relay Final Open Men’s Board Relay Final U17 Women’s Taplin Relay Final

THE ENTERTAINMENT HUB If you have some down time between races, visit the Entertainment Hub to experience great sponsor activations and promotions, support our Australian Life Saving Team, pick up your official event merchandise and enjoy a selection of the race action live on the Telstra Big Screen.

THE NOTICE BOARD The Aussies 2014 Park & Ride shuttle bus service is the most convenient way to get to and from Scarborough Beach. Running all week, the service runs to various locations throughout the local area. Refer to The Aussies 2014 Event Guide or the event website for more details.

GETTING LIVE RESULTS AT THE AUSSIES 2014 For The Aussies 2014 Live Scoreboard, visit http://aussies2014.sls.com.au/ For daily results, check the Results Hub at http://sls.com.au/ aussies/results, updated daily from Monday 31 March to Sunday 6 April after competition concludes.

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AUSSIES PRODUCTION TEAM: David Moase, Ian Hanson, Kim Hamilton, (Hanson Media Group); Tom Parsons (SLSA senior designer), Kate Breeze, Bessie Quansah (SLSA); Harvie Allison, Kate Czerny, John Veage, Shanta Allison (Harvpix.com).

Show your passion for the Aussies. Upload your own image on Instagram using the hashtag #Aussies2014 facebook.com/lifesaving

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SURF LIFE SAVING AUSTRALIA WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR VALUED PARTNERS MAJOR EVENT PARTNER

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