NORTHCLIFFE'S EIGHT STRAIGHT AUSSIES POINTSCORE

April 1, 2012: Powerhouse club Northcliffe continued its dominance of the Australian Surf Life Saving
Championships, winning the club pointscore for a record eighth consecutive year.

The maroon and whites finished on a bumper 318 points, to be well clear of a pack of clubs led by Kurrawa on 163.5, Manly 161,Terrigal 159, Mooloolaba 142, North Cronulla 137, Maroochydore 132, Wanda 128, Noosa Heads 122, Alexandra Headland 113, Cronulla 86, Currumbin Beach 85.5.

It is one of the most dominant victories for Northcliffe since its winning run started in 2004.

And it was Ironman Shannon Eckstein who led the Northcliffe team from the front with his win in the Ironman and his role in the single ski relay, board relay and the Taplin Relay which saw the club create history as the first club to take the quinella ahead of Kurrawa.

The Taplin was an exciting neck and neck affair through the board and swim legs and it wasn't until Olympic kayak hopeful Joel Simpson took over on the first ski leg and tagged duel Olympian Tate Smith that the gold medal became clear.

Smith, who was eliminated from the single ski, after his craft was ripped apart after being rammed by another ski, paddled away to give the club their fifth straight victory with board paddlers Eckstein and Mark Bint, swimmers Dev Lahey (who also won the open belt) and World Championship Open watrer silver medallist Trent Grimsey.

The club's second team of Trent Goulding, Cory Hill, Tanyn Lyndon, Dan Moodie, Kevin Morrison, and Stuart Snell were ecstatic with their silver.

The ski relay saw Smith steer Northcliffe to a thrilling win.

Smith went into the final leg of the relay alongside Avoca Beach's Australian champion paddler Lachlan Tame and the pair went stroke for stroke around the course.

They both hit the beach at the same time and started a foot race between two men for whom moving quickly across the sand doesn't come naturally.

Smith had enough speed to score a narrow win and receive the congratulations of his teammates Shannon Eckstein and Joel Simpson as he struggled for breath.

"I've never had to run like that before and I don't want to do it again," he said.

The victory was doubly sweet for the trio as they were disqualified at the start line of last year's final after Simpson jumped off the line before the starting gun went.

The win was Eckstein's first in an Aussies open ski relay and enabled him to cross off one of the few remaining surf lifesaving achievements to elude him

About 15 minutes later Eckstein had won another gold medal, this time in the board relay where he outran Currumbin Beach's Jayden Jensen to win by two metres.

The pair had left the beach together but Eckstein's experience allowed him to open up a big lead before a wave for Jensen made it close again at the sand.

Jenson put in a big sprint but was unable to catch Eckstein who crossed the finish line almost too exhausted to celebrate with victorious teammates Hill and Bint.

Club president David Shields was ecstatic with his teams efforts across the board.

"That has to be a first....first and second in the Taplin Relay is a special one for us," said Shields.

"But congratulations to the entire club from the competitors, the coaches and managers. It was a real team effort."