SYDNEY NORTHERN BEACHES SURF STARS SET FOR SUMMER SUCCESS
Sydney Northern Beaches, December 17: Not since the glory days of the 80s has there been as much anticipation about a summer of surf sports as the up-coming 2009 season hots up on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
There is a real buzz around the beaches after the Branch team triumphed at last weekend's NSW Inter-Branch Championships at Catherine Hill Bay. Ian Hanson Reports....
Sydney Northern Beaches Surf Sports, Events and Business Development Manager Marcial Nunura is excited about the season ahead.
"To spend last weekend with the Branch team was just amazing. We have an abundance of great talent from the 12-year-olds to the open competitors and there is no doubt we are heading for a bumper season," said Nunura.
"I think we certainly made the other Branches sit up and take notice - the team spirit generated by Head Coach Scott Jones and the coaching and management staff rubbed off on the entire team.
"It was very impressive on the beach and also behind the scenes - the Branch and all the clubs can be very proud of their efforts."
And the action will continue this Sunday with the annual Epic Kayaks 20 Beaches Challenge featuring the who's who of Australian kayak and surf ski fraternity.
The efforts of Freshwater's Tim Jacobs has already been nothing short of phenomenal over the past two months that has witnessed him claim the opening four rounds of the Sydney Ocean Series Ski Series, the Coolangatta Gold team race with Freshwater and most recently the world's richest endurance ski event the Dubai Shamaal in the United Arab Emirates.
Regarded as the most iconic race on Sydney's famed northern peninsula, the 20 Beaches event will have a record $10,000 prize money on offer as the race covers a 25 kilometre stretch of coastline from Palm Beach in the north to Manly in the south or reverse, depending on wind conditions.
The prize pool is the largest ever put up for the event with prize money spread across not only the elite men's field but also women's and masters age groups. Organisers hope to attract even greater numbers as the race makes its debut as a two star event on the Surfski World Series.
Already this season Kendrick Louis (Collaroy) has served notice that he is ready to mix it with the big boys in the $200,000 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Iron Man Series starting with the opening rounds at Kurrawa on January 17 and 18.
Louis will join last year's Series third place-getter, Manly's dynamic iron woman Naomi Flood in the Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers team which also includes former Queenscliff junior Matt Poole, Yamba's Hugh Dougherty and the Hancock sisters Courtney and Bonnie.
The reigning under 19 Australian champion is the first Ironman since Jeremy Cotter in 2004 to join the Kellogg's Nutri Grain Series.
The Series will continue at Coolum on February 7 and 8 with the final at Coogee on February 22. All rounds will be televised on the Seven Network.
And while many of the SNB's leading competitors will contest the third round of the NSW Premiership at Redhead on January 3 it will be the "big three" local carnivals that will attract plenty of attention in the build up to the Branch Championships at Palm Beach on February 1 (Lifesaving and boats), February 7 (Open) and February 8 (Juniors).
First cab off the rank will be the Queenscliff Open carnival on January 10, followed by the traditional Manly-Freshwater double-header.
Manly, last season's NSW State Championship winning club, will host its two-day carnival on January 24 (Open) and January 25 (boats) with Freshwater's Australia Day Carnival also over two days on January 25 (under 13s-Open) and January 26 (boats) certain to attract the State's leading competitors.
This season's NSW State Championships will again be held at Blacksmith's Beach with the sky clue caps again out to hold off the powerful Cronulla club, minus its former Australian Ironman champion Nathan Smith, who has joined Gold Coast powerhouse Northcliffe.
The season will again culminate with "The Aussies" - the 2009 UBD Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at Scarborough Beach, Western Australia from March 17-22.
But while the biggest names in surf sports will capture most of the attention it's the rising stars who have already featured strongly prior to the Christmas break with nipper duo Max Brooks (Newport) and Joey Lussick (Freshwater) taking out the Bennett Junior Ironman and Board Classic last month.
Junior carnivals already this season have also showcased a number of emerging talents including the likes of Georgia Miller (Freshwater), Jade Parsons (North Curl Curl) and Briella Brown (Queenscliff).
In the boat arena The Ativo Ocean Thunder Series is into full swing for another season at ‘Thunderdome' Dee Why Beach with the third and final rounds on January 17 and February 14.
Local crews are well placed after two rounds with Queenscliff, Mona Vale, and Bilgola leading the women's series and Whale Beach sitting in second between Austinmer and Elouera in the men's.
SYDNEY NORTHERN BEACHES COMPETITION CALENDAR 2008/09
December 2008
Friday 19th First Aid Competition Rd 1 Dee Why
Saturday 20th Open Carnival Nth Cronulla
Sunday 21 Epic Kayaks 20 Beaches Classic
January 2009
Saturday 3rd NSW Premiership Rd 3 Redhead
Friday 9th First Aid Competition Rd 2 Queenscliff
Saturday 10th Queenscliff Open Carnival Queenscliff
Sunday 11th East Coast Masters Collaroy
Saturday 17th Intercities Carnival Wanda
Sunday 18th Young Guns Boat Carnival Collaroy
Sunday 18th JAC Carnival Narrabeen Beach
Sunday 18th Mona Vale Ocean Swim Mona Vale
Friday 23rd First Aid Competition Rd 3 Manly
Saturday 24th Manly Open Carnival - All Disciplines Manly
Sunday 25th Manly Open Carnival 2nd day - Boats Only Manly
Sunday 25th Australia Day Carnival U13's - Open Freshwater
Sunday 25th Whale Beach Big Swim Whale Beach
Monday 26th Australia Day Carnival - Boats Only Freshwater
Saturday 31st Open Carnival Coogee
February
Sunday 1st SNB Branch Lifesaving Championships Palm Beach
Sunday 1st SNB Branch Boat Championships Palm Beach
Saturday 7th SNB Branch Open Championships Palm Beach
Sunday 8th SNB Branch Junior Championships Palm Beach
Friday 20th NSW Age Championships Swansea Belmont
Saturday 21st NSW Age Championships Swansea Belmont
Sunday 22nd NSW Age Championships Swansea Belmont
Thursday 26th NSW Masters Championships Swansea Belmont
Friday 27th NSW Open Championships Swansea Belmont
Saturday 28th NSW Open Championships Swansea Belmont
March 2009
Sunday 1st NSW Open Championships Swansea Belmont
Tuesday 17th Australian Masters Championships Scarborough
Wednesday 18th Australian Masters Championships Scarborough
Thursday 19th Australian Surf Life Saving Championships Scarborough
Friday 20th Australian Surf Life Saving Championships Scarborough
Saturday 21st Australian Surf Life Saving Championships Scarborough
Sunday 22nd Australian Surf Life Saving Championships Scarborough
Sunday 29th North Steyne Ocean Swim North Steyne
April 2009
Sunday 26th South Curl Curl Ocean Swim South Curl Curl