MANLY THE TOAST OF THE COAST AT NSW SURF CHAMPIONSHIPS

Blacksmiths Beach, March 1: Manly, led by Naomi Flood and Jonathon Stock have spearheaded the all-star Sydney Northern Beaches Club to a successful overall pointscore defence at the All-Phones NSW State Surf Life Saving Championships at Blacksmith's Beach, Swansea Belmont today.

Flood won a record fifth open Ironwoman title and Stock, the former Western Australian, chalked up his maiden open Ironman title as the sky blue caps again wrested the club championship away from arch rivals Cronulla.

Along the way Manly won the prestigious male and female Taplin and single ski relays, the open female surf teams and the Open Patrol competition.

Flood, who will now spearhead the Manly Club to the Where Is Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships in Scarborough, WA (March 17-22), won a staggering seven gold and one silver medal.

In the Ironwoman final Flood led the opening swim leg from the outset and used her awesome strength to extend in the ski leg, leaving the field to fight for the minor placings over the board leg.

And this year's Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Iron Woman Series winner admitted the NSW Championships are always close to her heart.

"It's been a tough road with illness and injuries, those things do play on your mind before each event," she admitted.


"But it's a big deal to win a State title, this is the event I target every season, it's something I've dreamed about since I was a kid."

In the men's event it was 2007 winner Chris Allum who led the swim and ski leg before Collaroy's Kendrick Louis hauled him back at the start of the deciding board leg.

Louis, who just 40 minutes earlier had claimed the Under 19 Ironman title, pushed ahead of the pack but Stock found a rare wave and stole a few precious seconds to catch his breath before the fast and furious sprint up the beach to the finish line.

Even Stock was shaking his head at the final result.

"Apart from a third and a fifth, I've had a pretty quiet weekend," Stock said, grinning from ear to ear.

Previously his best results was age wins in the Ironman in Western Australia, where he lived until moving to Sydney's Northern Beaches two years ago.

Hurting from his bronze in the open board final, Stock always planned to put in a hard swim leg to try and stay with Allum and Louis.


"I thought if I stayed with them I might be in with a chance. ‘Huey' was looking after me, I was first on the wave so I had the momentum the others didn't. There's a lot of luck involved in these conditions," said Stock.

In other major events, Freshwater won the Blue Ribband six-man R and R, Whale Beach won the open boat final and South Curl Curl the open female boat final while Michael Kember (Collaroy) took out the open male beach sprint final.

Manly won the overall pointscore with 284.5 points from Cronulla (263.5), Terrigal (219), Swansea Belmont (208), Warrilla-Barrack Point (182), Freshwater (168), Redhead (150.5), Collaroy (136.5), Wanda (134) and Elouera (118) rounding out the top 10.