SIX OF THE BEST FOR SUPER SWIM TEAM

SURF LIFE SAVING, April, 19 2013: Northcliffe’s record-breaking open surf team set a new standard at the 2013 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at North Kirra yesterday.

Headed by Ironman star Shannon Eckstein, the four-man team won its sixth consecutive Australian title in a tight finish ahead of Cronulla and Mooloolaba.

No other club has ever won more than three consecutive open surf teams gold medals but Northcliffe has now doubled that count and with Eckstein and team mates Dev Lahey, Max Beattie and Mitch Miller showing great form who is to say they won’t keep winning.

Veteran Cronulla swimmer Nathan Smith showed vintage form to lead field to the turning buoys before being challenged strongly on the way back to the beach.

Eight-time Australian surf race champion Ky Hurst (Kurrawa) narrowly won the race to the finish line ahead of a fast-finishing pack including Eckstein, Smith and another Cronulla swimmer, Chris Allum.

Once the field had crossed the finish line the all-important adding up started and there was plenty of head scratching among the swimmers as they tried to calculate the placings.

The judges consulted the video of the finish before delivering their verdict 20 minutes later, ensuring Northcliffe, and Eckstein who is the only member of all the winning teams, gold medal no.6.

“I’m really proud of that result,” Eckstein said. “To win six times in a row is a great achievement for the club.”

Earlier in the day, Eckstein started his bid to equal Trevor Hendy’s record six national ironman titles, comfortably progressing through his first round heat.

He is predicting Sunday’s Australian open ironman championship final will be won in a sprint finish.

“With the board as the last leg and a very short course, it really opens it up to more,” the Northcliffe star said.

“It’s harder to get away from other competitors on the board so a sprint finish might be needed to win it.”

As well as Eckstein, all the main contenders progressed safely through the first round, including four-time champion Hurst, Ali Day (Mooloolaba), Kendrick Louis (Mooloolaba) and Jack Moyes (Terrigal), who upset Eckstein to win the Queensland championship recently.

In the open ironwoman first round, race favourites Courtney Hancock (Northcliffe) and Brodie Moir (North Burleigh) were drawn in the same heat but had no trouble qualifying for the semi-finals.

Defending champion Rebecca Creedy (Metropolitan Caloundra) also started her campaign with a comfortable heat win, while the winners of the other heats were won by Hayley Bateup (Mermaid Beach) and Jean Harris (Manly).

Hancock picked up her first Aussies 2013 gold medal yesterday as part of the Northcliffe team that won the open women’s surf teams in another tight finish, this time ahead of Manly, with North Burleigh third.

Hancock’s teammate Miranda Bell led the swimmers across the finish line ahead of Manly’s Georgia Miller and Naomi Flood, with Hancock fourth.

With Northcliffe’s other swimmers, Harriet Brown and Eliza Smith, also well placed on the first line of finishers, it was enough for a narrow win over Manly, who also had Candice Falzon and Devon Halligan swimming strongly.

Halligan and Falzon were the key swimmers earlier in the day when Manly won the open women’s rescue tube rescue. Flood and Flo Epper were also in that team, with Flood securing her 18th Australian championships gold medal.

The open men’s rescue tube rescue saw Elouera from Sydney’s Sutherland Shire secure a comfortable win over fellow NSW clubs Bronte and Terrigal.

Alex Clarke set up the win with a powerful opening swim before Tom O’Keeffe’s wide shoulders powered them back to the beach and into the arms of Arnold Graf and Brent McKinnon who dragged Clarke over the line.

Among the other gold medallists yesterday were Newport (under-19 men’s surf teams and under-15 board relay); Mooloolaba (under-19 women’s surf teams); Northcliffe (under-19 men’s rescue tube rescue); North Cronulla (under-15 boys’ surf teams); Maroochydore (under-15 girls’ surf teams and Cameron Relay); Kurrawa (under-15 Cameron Relay); and Manly (under-15 girls’ Cameron Relay).

The Olympic connections continued yesterday with Remi Krenkels, grand-daughter of 1948 Olympic swimmer Bruce Bourke and niece of 1992 Olympic yachtsman Glenn Bourke, swimming in the gold medal-winning Manly team in the Under 15 Cameron Relay.

It followed the gold medals won by Kristy Higgison – daughter of 1984 Olympic swimming silver medallist Karen Phillips – in the gold medal winning Mooloolaba board relay and Jett Kenny – son of Olympic swimmer Lisa Curry-Kenny and Olympic kayaker and Ironman legend Grant Kenny.

Aussies 2013 chief photographer Harvie Allison caught this shot of Beachie The Magpie from the Commentators tower over looking North Kirra. Credit: harvpix.com

Issued on behalf of Surf Life Saving Australia by

Ian Hanson

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