Eckstein Poised to Join Hendy At Top of The Mountain

SURF LIFE SAVING, April, 16, 2013: Trevor Hendy and Shannon Eckstein have been great mates for many years and come Sunday they may stand together as the greatest ironmen in the history of Australian surf lifesaving.

Hendy holds the record for the most Australian Ironman title wins with six, but defending champion Eckstein is breathing down his neck after celebrating his fifth victory last year.

The Northcliffe star goes into this week’s Ironman competition at the 2013 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at North Kirra as favourite for another victory and today the two greats were able to talk about their friendship and what it would mean to Eckstein to equal the man who was his idol while growing up on the Gold Coast.

“Many, many years ago there was a record of Grant Kenny winning four Australian titles and it was my dream to equal that,” Hendy said while hosting the launch of this year’s championships that have attracted almost 6500 competitors.

“And then when I equalled it, I wanted to beat it and then won another one.”

Eckstein used the words of one of his biggest rivals as his answer when Hendy asked how important the Australian ironman title is to the stars of surf sports.

“I saw a clip in which Ali Day said to win an Australian Ironman championship, you can die a happy man the next day, and when we grew up as nippers we saw [Hendy] on TV and we all wanted to win an Australian Ironman title,” he said.

“I grew up at Mermaid Waters, right across from Kurrawa beach and I used to ride my bike down when I was 12 or 11 years old to watch you guys race and it’s meant a lot to me for a long time.

“Five titles is pretty special and I want to win another one this week but I have other events first and I’d like to win some team events before concentrating on the Ironman later.”

Eckstein once again goes into the Ironman championship as the winner of the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain professional series but was beaten at the Queensland championships three weeks ago.

When asked by Hendy who to watch out for as a danger this week, Eckstein nominated his conqueror that day, Terrigal 20-year-old Jack Moyes.

“I thought the Kellogg’s guys looked tired at the Queensland titles and I’m sure we’ve tried to freshen up. It’s been a long year, but someone like Jack could come out of the woodwork and win an open Ironman title.

“I also think Ky Hurst (Kurrawa) might have really come on since the Kellogg’s series. He’s got four titles and he’ll be trying to get equal with me and maybe equal with you some day, and he’s going to be one to look out for, as well as the Mooloolaba boys Ali Day, Kendrick Louis and Matt Poole.”

Rivalry will also be intense in the race for the open Ironwoman title with the year’s most consistent performers, Brodie Moir(North Burleigh) and Courtney Hancock(Northcliffe), both looking for a win to top off the season.

Moir beat Hancock to win the Coolangatta Gold marathon race last October and also won the Ironwoman world championship in Adelaide late last year.

Hancock fought back to win her second Telstra Ironwoman series this year and says she is determined to recapture the Australian title she won in 2011.

“Brodie has improved a lot this year which has given me the motivation to pick it up,” she said.

“It motivates me to keep going because you can never be the perfect athlete, you’re always pushing yourself to the next limit.

“Rather than seeing it as a rivalry, for me as an athlete it’s made me push myself and keep going, and I’m really looking forward to these Aussies.

“Rather than being nervous before the carnival starts, this year’s it’s a feeling of excitement.”

Moir said winning the Australian title would be the icing on the cake for what has been by far her best season in surf sports.

“I have had a fantastic year and even if I don’t perform well at Aussies I can walk away with my head held high,” she said.

“I’ve never won an Australian Ironwoman title so I’ll be putting my best foot forward and hopefully be taking a win.”

Hancock and Moir head a strong women’s field that also includes defending champion Rebecca Creedy (Metropolitan Caloundra).

The 2013 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships will be contested over five days at North Kirra, with most of the major finals, including the Ironman and Ironwoman, scheduled for Sunday.

Issued on behalf of Surf Life Saving Australia by

Ian Hanson

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