COMEBACK KY MAKES IT NUMBER SIX

Scarborough, WA, March 22: Olympic swimmer Ky Hurst raced his way into the history books and up-and-coming paddler Murray Stewart dethroned the king of the surf ski at the 2009 Whereis® Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at Scarborough Beach today.

Hurst won his sixth open surf race to move ahead of the long-time record set by legendary swimmer Bob Newbiggin in the 1940s.

Returning to the beach after a two-year break to swim in the 10km open water event at the Beijing Olympics, Hurst trailed leader and defending surf race champion Chris Allum until they were about 40 metres from the beach.

He and five other swimmers then caught a wave to pass Allum but Hurst was quickest to his feet and beat Kurrawa clubmate Shaun Dias to the finish line.

"This meant a lot to me," Hurst said.

"I was beaten the other day and it was the first time I had been beaten in a surf final in 12 years and it hit home a little bit so today I just wanted to give it all I had."

Hurst said he hopes to continue improving his fitness and return to ironman racing next year.

In the hotly contested men's single ski championship, Manly's Murray Stewart dethroned 13-times winner Clint Robinson in blistering final.

Stewart, who won the K1 500m title at the recent Australian kayak championships, started superbly and opened up a handy lead over Robinson and Northcliffe's Tate Smith.

Close to the finish Smith pulled ahead slightly but a finishing burst from Stewart took him to the gold medal.

Stewart's win was the first for the Manly club in 61 years since Fred Hanson took the crown in 1948.

Favourite for this afternoon's open Ironman championship, Shannon Eckstein, won the open board race to secure a title that had previously eluded him.