Ironman legend Grant Kenny masters North Kirra
Surf Life Saving Australia, April 13, 2015: Ironman legend Grant Kenny has turned back the clock at the 2015 Australian Masters Surf Lifesaving Championships at North Kirra today. Wearing the same Alexandra Headlands colours that he wore to win his historic 1980 Australian junior and senior Ironman titles, Kenny added another ironman title to his long list of honours.
He lined up in a star-studded field in the competitive 50-54 years ironman final and was never headed, leading through the ski, board and swim to finish ahead of Scott Thompson (North Bondi) and Glenn Lawrence (Byron Bay).
The four-time Australian ironman champion and two-time Olympian returned to his original club this season after stints with Mooloolaba and Noosa Heads - reliving past glories when he became the first competitor in the history of surf lifesaving to win the Junior-Senior Ironman titles in one day at Maroochydore in 1980.
“It’s great being back at Alex, nice to be back at the club and seeing so many old faces walking past and saying hi…it feels right,” said Kenny, who admitted if it wasn’t for son Jett he probably wouldn’t be racing.
“I’m really back supporting my son Jett and joining him in enjoying the training when I can juggle it with my business commitments.
“Where I live near Mooloolaba I can just take an hour off, jump on the ski and be back in the office.”
Earlier in the day, Kenny finished second to noted board specialist and former Australian champion Gavin Hill (Northcliffe) in the board final with both agreeing they are now “smarter heads on old shoulders.”
Kenny also finished second in the single ski behind North Cottesloe’s Nicholas Taylor with Rob Dorrough (Surfers Paradise) third.
Kenny's younger brother Martin made it a Kenny family double when he won the 45-49 years single ski final from Michael Waide (North Burleigh) and Kirk Jarrott (Maroochydore).
Meanwhile, after a lifetime of competition that netted him a total of 16 Aussies gold medals, North Cronulla’s SLSA Hall of Famer Steve Warren returned to competition at the Masters championships after a five year lay-off.
Waiting for him were granddaughters, four-year-old twins Andie and Montana and 15 month old Lila who were front and centre cheering him on.
“The kids have never seen me race before so it was nice to put the cap on again and have a paddle,” said Warren, regarded as one of Australia’s greatest ever board paddlers.
“I’m coaching the kids down at North Cronulla and we decided to come up and have a float in the board events and have a bit of fun with old mates Stu Cameron and Ian Wallace.”
Warren pulled out all stops to take a closely fought win in the 60 years board race over Tasmanian legend Don Marsh (Carlton Park) and Rod Taylor (Mooloolaba).
He later combined with Cameron to take the bronze in the board rescue won by Maroochydore pair Geoff Dews and Ross Fisher.
Steve’s granddaughters are used to surf carnivals. Their father is none other than former Australian Ironman champion and Nutri-Grain star Nathan Smith who married Steve’s daughter Shannon. Smith will race for Manly in this week’s Aussies.
At the end of day one Australian champions Northcliffe, led by golden girls Lee Vrolyks and Tiarne Smith, board paddler Gavin Hill and swimmers Paul Blackbeard and Stephen Fry lead the pointscore on 169 points from Bondi (125), Noosa Heads (121), Queenscliff (115), North Burleigh (114), Mooloolaba (96), Alexandra Headland (70), North Bondi (68), Kurrawa (65), Maroochydore (65) and Freshwater (55).
Vrolyks, the star of Northcliffe’s Masters team last year, won three gold in the 30-34 years board, surf race and rescue tube while Smith won gold in the tube and board.
Bondi were spearheaded by swim star Simon Nothling who won double gold in the surf race and tube in the 35-39 years; and Dori Miller who won three gold in the surf race, rescue tube and the board rescue with Louise Santos.
In other events:
- Noosa Heads Alison Pegg won triple gold in the board, surf race and tube while club mate Georgina Lynch chimed in with gold in the 55-59 years surf race, tube and board rescue with Phoebe McCubbery.
- Swansea Belmont’s Marilyn Clarence won the surf race, ski and rescue tube in the 60-64 years.
- With Janice Gielis (Cudgen) taking gold in the board and tube and Elizabeth Crilly (Kurrawa) gold in the swim and board rescue with Christina Nicholls.
- Freshwater’s Australian open belt champion Kurt Hanson led the northern beaches club to a successful day, winning the 30-34 years board, surf race and rescue tube with Matt Lemon winning the 40-44 years board; Alan Burns the 60-64 years rescue tube and John de Mestre and Michael Kirkby their first 50-54 years board rescue final.
- Half-Moon Bay’s former Australian belt champion Cameron Dixon won the 40-44 years rescue tube and ironman and finished second with Stephen Seddon to Currumbin’s eight-time Masters winners Chris Maynard and Michael Chan in the board rescue.
- Terrigal’s Paul Lemmon added to his incredible Masters gold medal tally winning triple gold in the 45-49 years surf race, rescue tube and ironman; silver in the board rescue with James Purcell and silver in the board to Stockton’s John Rowlatt.
- Northcliffe’s Paul Blackbeard and Stephen Fry went 1-2 in both the 55-59 years surf race and rescue tube.
- Fairy Meadow’s Jeff Banks won triple gold in the 65-69 years Board, surf race and ironman while;
- Urunga’s Ken Cook showed age shall not weary him, winning gold in the 70 plus surf race and tube race.
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