KING KY CLAIMS HIS 10TH CROWN
Surf Life Saving Australia, April 5, 2014: Ironman brothe: Ky Hurst, the king of Australian surf swimming, defied age, conditions and a hot field of rivals to win a record 10th open surf race title at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at Scarborough, WA, today.
The 33-year-old from Kurrawa timed his finish perfectly to outsprint longtime rivals Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe) and Nathan Smith (Manly) in an exciting finish.
Hurst was left trailing the leaders in the early stages of the race but gradually worked his way through the pack as they swam back to be beach in flat conditions.
He drew level with Eckstein close to the sand and the pair, who between them have won nine Australian Ironman titles, rose together to wade through the shallow break.
Hurst then stumbled in a hole, but Eckstein immediately did the same and it was the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games swimmer who got his balance first and beat Eckstein across the line by two metres.
The win means he is undefeated in surf race finals at the Australian championships since finishing second to Stephen Short (Maroochydore) in his first open final as a 19-year-old in 2000.
Since then he has won in 2001-04, 2006, 2009, and 2011-14. In the other years during that span he either missed the Aussies because of other swimming commitments or the event was not held.
The Australian Open surf race winners are littered with Olympians – from Noel Ryan (Manly) and Jon Donohoe (North Bondi) to four-time winner Graham White (Lorne), Graham Windeatt (Collaroy), Max Metzker (Maroubra), Graeme Brewer (Tamarama), Ron McKeon (South Maroubra), Deane Pieters (Manly) and Mal Allen (Maroubra).
But none have acquired the extraordinary record built up over a 14 year period like Hurst.
“Every year I come to the Australian surf championships and it’s never an easy year and this year was definitely no different,” he said.
“This was the first time in my life I’ve worn goggles in a surf race, it was just too flat not to. I took the risk of wearing the goggles and it paid off – I got to see a little bit clearer.
“It’s been a pretty crazy career and to get that 10th is pretty good.
“I don’t feel that old to tell you the truth, I don’t feel as if I’ve been running around for that long.”
Hurst knew he wasn’t at the best end of the start line but was happy with how he began the race.
It came as a shock then to see how quickly some of his rivals, led by Northcliffe’s Dev Lahey, got away as they raced to the turning buoys.
“I put my head up to breath to the left and looked south and they were so far in front it was ridiculous,” he said.
“It was just a matter of chasing from there.
“When I swam up on Shannon it was a matter from there of conserving my legs enough to use them at the end.
“I could see he was using his legs a lot but no one can do that and have their legs work well when they get up to run.”
The 10th title makes Hurst far and away the most successful surf swimmer in the sport’s 99-year history – alongside Clint Robinson (Maroochydore) who won 13 single ski titles and Simon Harris (Kurrawa) 10 beach flags - but the bad news for his rivals is he is hungry to chase more.
“People talk about ‘oh, you’re getting too old, do you want to hang up the jammers’, but I really don’t think there’s any excuse at the end of the day when you see guys like Shannon still running around and absolutely dominating,” he said.
“As long as you can look after your body, do the right things, train smartly, and still stay pretty motivated, there’s really no excuse.”
He cited the likes of triathletes Craig Alexander and Chris McCormack and surfing legend Kelly Slater as inspirations to keep racing.
“I certainly have no plans for retirement,” he said.
Northcliffe's Courtney Hancock reclaimed the Australian open women's surf race title after a ding-dong battle in the flat conditions.
Hancock, the country's leading Ironwoman, swam her way to the front on a frantic race back to the beach, holding a metre on the closing field. As the swimmers hit the wading area, it was Hancock who had eyes for the finish.
Lifting her legs high through the knee-depth trough she outsprinted the field to the finish to win her third title in the event.
Terrigal's Jess Collins won silver, Northcliffe's Rebecca Creedy the bronze, with defending champion Georgia Miller from Manly a close up fourth.
Hancock said she was happy with the win and that it set her up well for the defence of her Australian Ironwoman championship tomorrow.
She and the other leading Ironwoman contenders, including Miller, North Burleigh trio Brodie Moir, Liz Pluimers and Tara Coleman, Noosa’s Jordan Mercer and Hancock’s clubmates Creedy, Kristyl Smith and Alyce Bennett, made it safely through their semi-final this morning.
“Having the swim first in the Ironwoman I think suits me,” she said.
“I like to get out there and set the pace.
“I know I want to get out there in front and push the race really fast because I know that I can handle it.
“If anyone is going to go with me it’s definitely going to hurt, and I’m ready to do that.”
Meanwhile Alexandra Headland has given the Sunshine Coast plenty to get excited about with a stirring victory in the lifesaver relay.
The event that involves the traditional surf boat, swim, board, ski and beach sprint went right down to the wire with Alex going head to head with emerging Gold Coast Club Currumbin who were a close up second. Sydney's Elouera club from the Sutherland Shire won bronze.
And of the 16 Open Ironwoman finalists four athletes – four athletes - Georgia Miller (Manly), Emma Dick (Mermaid Beach), Alyssa Bull (Alexandra Headlands) and Karlee Nurthen (Mooloolaba) also qualified for the Under 19 final.
Here are the finalists: Kristyl Smith (Northcliffe), Elizabeth Pluimers North (Nth Burleigh), Rebecca Creedy (Northcliffe), Tara Coleman (Nth Burleigh), Brodie Moir (Nth Burleigh), Ceris Graham (Trigg Island), Kirsty Higgison (Mooloolaba), Georgia Miller (Manly), Hannah Minogue (Bulli), Alyce Bennett (Northcliffe), Alyssa Bull (Alexandra Headland), Flora Manciet (Mount Maunganui, NZ), Jordan Mercer (Noosa), Emma Dick (Mermaid), Harriet Brown (Northcliffe), Eliza Smith (Northcliffe), Courtney Hancock (Northcliffe), Karlee Nurthen (Mooloolaba).
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