These brothers are gonna work it out as Caine aims for Gold number six

 

Surf Life Saving Australia, October 31, 2014: Five-time winner Caine Eckstein will have celebrated brother Shannon right by his side when he lines up aiming for Coolangatta Gold title number six on the Gold Coast this Sunday.

Eckstein makes a return to the race he has made his own since 2005 after a two-year absence which saw rising star Ali Day win back-to-back titles.

But with Day opting out of this year’s race, Eckstein is a clear favourite over a field of young guns and two-time podium finisher, Mooloolaba’s Josh Minogue, 30 years since Guy Leech won the original Coolangatta Gold in 1984.

And if you wanted someone to guide you around the grueling course from Coolangatta to Miami via Broadbeach and back to Coolangatta then they don’t come any more credentialed than Shannon Eckstein.

The six-time Australian Ironman champion from Northcliffe knows the Gold Coast beaches and their sweeps and rips like the back of his hand.

Earlier this year Shannon and Caine went 1-2, becoming the first brothers to take the quinella in an Australian Ironman championship at Scarbnorough.

Shannon will be the chief handler for his little brother when the guns goes at 7am at Coolangatta on Sunday morning to signal the start of the 41.5km course of ski paddling, board paddling, swimming ands running.

“Shannon will go to the briefing and fill me in before the race but the most important thing he’ll do is paddle the board while I’m swimming at Burleigh,” Caine said today.

“It takes all that stress away from me; if I had one of my other mates on the board I would be stressing but I trust Shannon.

“I know he wont take me the wrong way; he’ll make me do the right thing and I’ll always want to perform well when he’s out there; it will be good having him guide me around the course.”

Eckstein believes if he can have a strong swim then it will be a case of “catch me if you can” on the 6.1km board paddle from Burleigh Heads to Currumbin before the 7.1km run home to Coolangatta.

“The board is one of my best kegs now and if I get out of the swim pretty well then I don’t think anyone’s going to catch me on the board,” said Eckstein.

Defending women’s champion Liz Pluimers had a look over the Coolangatta finish area today and admitted she was getting excited.

“It’s a totally different feeling this year being the defending champion; it will be mentally hard but my body feels fantastic and is ready to go,” said Pluimers.

“I missed the World Championships this year to concentrate on the Coolangatta Gold and I really hope it pays off.”

Pluimers, who has been on the podium six out of nine times since 2005, knows how tough it is when she gets off her ski after a two-hour paddle and has to run.

“Your legs are like jelly but knowing that after I climb those stairs at North Burleigh and get over the other side there will be a host of supporters, Nippers and club mates from North Burleigh cheering me on.”

If Pluimers wins she will join Hayley Bateup and Alicia Marriott as the only other two-time winners of the Coolangatta Gold.

The two-day Coolangatta Gold festival of surf sports will get under way on Saturday with the Short Course events from Elite male and female to age group and teams with Sunday featuring the Elite Male and Female, Age groupers and teams.

All eyes will be on the Legend’s Team of past winners - Guy Leech, Darren Mercer, Ali Day and Rhys Drury who will tackle the Open Teams on Sunday and four-time Australian Ironman champion Grant Kenny in the 50 years and over Masters category.

Kenny appeared as himself in the movie The Coolangatta Gold in 1984.

Issued on behalf of Surf Life Saving Australia by
Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia
Media Manager, 2014 Australian Commonwealth Games Team
Deputy Media Manager 2016 Australian Olympic Team
Media Manager 2014 Pan Pacs

Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia Managing Director
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