TRAVIS GRANT CROWNED AOCRA PADDLE KING OF COFFS HARBOUR

COFFS HARBOUR (December 12): Gold Coast waterman Travis Grant has wrapped up a stunning paddling double at the Australian Outrigger Canoe Racing Association's (AOCRA) National Marathon Championships in Coffs Harbour today.

Just 24 hours after his victory in the prestigious 25 kilometre Outrigger Canoe 1 (OC1) Iron Championship yesterday Grant was back on the water today, winning the 10km Stand Up Paddle from Coffs Harbour to Sawtell.

The 28-year-old held off  fellow Currumbin paddler Paul Jackson with Manly's Andy Davies, the winner of Saturday's 25km Stand Up division, third.

Saturday saw Grant break another Gold Coaster, Greg Long's three-year stranglehold on the Australian title with the hard slog from Coffs Harbour, north to Woolgoolga, with Todd Cohen (Mooloolaba) second and Long third.

Grant broke his opposition from the start of today's Stand Up Paddle race and he maintained the lead as the fields made the most of perfect sunny and light nor-east conditions as they rode the runners south.

"We had near perfect conditions out there today and there were some good little swells when we came around the first headland which were a lot of fun and made it a little easier than yesterday," said Grant.

"I was determined to get to the lead as quickly a I could and maintain it - the only way to go is to make a jump on the field.

"I was a little stiff after Saturday's race but once you get into your rhythm you just have to maintain it and it was great to win the double - a wonderful way to complete what has been a real breakthrough year for me."

Grant is hoping his success in Coffs Harbour, which has earned him trips to again contest Hawaii's Molokai series of paddle events next year will continue, when he starts 2010 with the Fremantle Doctor race in January.

Jackson, who owns a Stand Up Paddle, Kite and Tow Surf business at Currumbin tried hard to chase his training partner Grant but the "man of the moment" was just too good.

"I saw him shoot down a swell for 50 to 100 metres and there was no catching him, he just took off," said Jackson, who left a Kite Surfing Contest on the Gold Coast to attend today's race.

Davies, who paddled his 17footer to victory in yesterday's 25km race, rounded out the top three in a classy field on the 12ft 6ins boards today, a field which, also included Greg Long.

The men's OC2 short course title saw Cohen combine with his Mooloolaba flat-mate and training partner Rhys Davies who upset Saturday's 25km OC2 winners Darrell Thoroughgood and Mark Bright from Mackay's Malanuka Club.

Meanwhile in today's OC1 women's race it was the wily experience of Coffs Harbour local Masters competitor and National team paddler Andrea Polkinghorne who turned the tables on Saturday's 25km winner, 16-year-old Coffs Harbour Jetty High School student Jessie Mills-Thom, to be the first paddler across the line.

Saturday saw emerging star Mills-Thom give away twice her age in experience to several members of the field only to power away from Mooloolaba's Coral Derbyshire with Polkinghorne third across the line (but officially the winner of the Masters Division) with Sydney's Annette Happich (Pacific Dragons, NSW) taking third in the Open division on both days.

"I needed to get some "street cred" back from Jessie after she cleaned us up on Saturday," said Polkinghorne.

"I decided to take coastal run while Jessie chose the middle and I get some good runners which kept me going but I knew Jessie would be chasing me all the way and there was never much between us - in  the end I just hung on to get Jessie by about five metres."

It certainly capped a great weekend for the Coffs Harbour paddlers, with Jessie's mother and National team paddler Gail Mill-Thom winning the 25km Senior Masters and finishing fifth overall while emerging kayaker Daniel Jenkins finishing second in the OC1 short course race today after his impressive fifth placing in Saturday's 25km Iron race.

Race director Mike Mills-Thom was delighted with the weekend, giving praise to competitors who came from around Australia and in particular from Hawaii.

 "The racing was great and on Saturday in pretty tough conditions, not a great deal of assistance at all - everyone had to work hard in the paddle north to Woolgoolga," said Mills Thom.

"Today was a turn around, with ideal conditions for the paddle south and I'm sure everyone will leave Coffs knowing they've had a great weekend."

Mills-Thom went out of his way to thank the local Coffs Harbour business community, his Coffs Coast Canoe Club volunteers, AOCRA and in particular the Hawaiian outrigger community and corporate world for supporting the Australian Outrigger Canoe Racing Association's (AOCRA) National Marathon Championships.