2009 KELLOGG'S NUTRI-GRAIN IRON MAN SERIES A REAL FAMILY AFFAIR
SYDNEY, November 30: Five sets of surf life saving siblings will add their own version of "Family Feud" to this season's $200,000 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Iron Man Series.
Local boy Chris Allum survived a helter-skelter dash to the finish line in today's final qualifying round at Wanda Beach to add his name onto an already crowded family tree. Ian Hanson reports....
Allum, 22, will join little brother Hayden, 20, who qualified for his first professional Series and four other sets of siblings after a frantic weekend of qualifying rounds.
But it was a case of holding your breath for Chris Allum, who missed yesterday's round two final, making it imperative the Australian open surf race champion finished in the top ten to qualify for the five-round Series starting on the Gold Coast next month.
Allum, his brother Hayden and five other paddlers faced off as a flurry of arms and legs charged towards the finish line with Chris finishing ninth and the higher ranked Hayden 11th.
"That was close...for the weekend to come down to that one wave and that last dash to the line was too close for comfort...I'm just relieved to be in," said Allum after waiting 10 minutes to hear his name read out alongside his little brother.
The Allum brothers will join four other sets of siblings - Bonnie and Courtney Hancock, Kristyl and Nathan Smith, Gemma and Dylan Newbiggen and Chloe and Corey Jones in what is shaping up to be the most intense summer series on record.
In a dramatic weekend of qualifying rounds Bonnie Hancock defied her doctors after recovering from a fractured disc in her back to join big sister Courtney for their second successive Series.
The Sawtell-born Hancock was involved in a training accident at Northcliffe in September which forced her out of this year's nib Coolangatta Gold but certainly didn't dampen her enthusiasm for the sport she loves.
She finished second to Brodie Moir (North Burleigh) in the final round today, putting her fifth overall behind sister Courtney in the qualifying pointscore.
"The doctors told me I would not be racing the Trial but I made sure I followed all the instructions and took it easy, not doing anything at all, to give myself every chance," said Hancock.
"I must admit I was a little hesitant in my first training session back but I came here full of confidence and determined to prove to myself that I could come back and I'm just so relieved to qualify."
Kristyl Smith, 25, certainly showed no ill-effects after her 18 month overseas stint to bounce back to qualify for her tenth series after winning rounds one and two and to join former Australian champion brother Nathan in the Series.
For the Newbiggens it is another notch in an already well recognised family tradition which began in the 1940s with their great uncle Bob Newbiggen, a legendary five-time Australian open surf race champion
The Joneses from Metropolitan Caloundra have both qualified for their second series together, also surviving some anxious moments in a tough weekend's racing.
In today's women's final it was Moir who finally had some luck from the surf gods when she joined a host of competitors on a 1.5 metre body wave to set up her win and ton eventually hold off the fast finishing Bonnie Hancock, emerging youngster Maddison Boon (Kurrawa), Courtney Hancock, Sam Johnston (Mooloolaba), Alyce Bennett (Burleigh Heads-Mowbray Park), two-time Commonwealth Games swimming representative Rebecca Creedy (Metropolitan Caloundra), three-time nib Coolangatta Gold winner Hayley Bateup and Allira Richardson (Maroochydore).
Creedy won gold alongside Susie O'Neill, Sarah Ryan and Lori Munz in the 4x100m freestyle and bronze in the 100m freestyle at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and silver alongside Petria Thomas, Elka Graham and Giaan Rooney in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.
She has made a successful transition from stillwater swimming to iron woman racing following Wanda's 1994 Commonwealth Games 800m freestyle gold medallist Stacey Gartrell who won two Australian Ironwoman championships in 1995 and 1997.
Creedy is the only debutant in the women's Series which also sees Bateup back after taking last season off to contest the Seven Network's "Gladiators" Series.
The men's final saw 20-year-old Collaroy carpenter Kendrick Louis nail a place in his professional series.
Louis, who was 13th before today's final round, knew he had to fire up today to ensure his place in the top 10 and a blinding final board paddle certainly showed he is ready to mix it with the big boys.
"I just had to go for it - I had no alternative when I came around the final turning buoy and I pushed hard on a runner and it just kept going and formed into a wave - it was worth the effort," said Louis, who finished sixth on the overall pointscore.
Louis, Hayden Allum (Cronulla) and James Stewart (North Burleigh) are the new faces for the 2009 Men's Series and Newbiggen is back after missing last season.
Ends....
QUALIFYERS
Men:
Matt Poole (Mooloolaba) 110
Dylan Newbiggin (Mooloolaba) 109
Luke Nisbet (Northcliffe) 102
Hayden Allum (Cronulla) 102
Corey Jones (Metropolitan Caloundra) 99
Kendrick Louis (Collaroy) 98
James Stewart (North Burleigh) 96
Tim Peach (Mooloolaba) 93
Chris Allum (Cronulla) 90
Andrew Mosel (Cottesloe) 89
Women:
Courtney Hancock (Northcliffe) 114
Hayley Bateup (Kurrawa) 109
Kristyl Smith (Northcliffe) 107
Brodie Moir (North Burleigh) 107
Bonnie Hancock (Northcliffe) 106
Alyce Bennett (Burleigh Heads/Mowbray Park) 103
Allira Richardson (Maroochydore) 101
Chelsea Mackenzie (Burleigh Heads/Mowbray Park) 92
Rebecca Creedy (Metropolitan Caloundra) 91
Flora Manciet (Northcliffe) 90
Chloe Jones (Metropolitan Caloundra) 88