SISTERS KEEP SURF GOLDS IN THE FAMILY

Scarborough, WA, March 22: Super sisters Courtney and Bonnie Hancock came away with matching gold medals in surf races at the 2009 Whereis® Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at Scarborough Beach today.

The Northcliffe pair lucked out in their respective open and under-19 Ironwoman events but had better fortune in the surf races.

Bonnie got the day off to a great start for the family from Sawtell on the NSW Mid North Coast by winning the under-19 surf race from clubmate Brooke Fletcher and Harriet Brown of Ocean Grove.

Then Courtney matched the effort, winning the open surf race in a close finish.

She and Ironwoman winner Kristyl Smith went stroke for stroke around the course before a wave brought others into the finish.

Hancock held the wave best and then won the sprint up the beach, despite having a little trouble finding the finish flags.

Another great family effort came from Freshwater's Miller sisters.

The trio of Alisha (who competes in the under-19 age group), Brooke (under-17) and Georgia (under-15) each claimed gold medals throughout the championships.

Alisha teamed with Rachel Crerar to win the under-19 board relay, Brooke won the under-17 board race and Georgia was overwhelmed today after winning the under-15 surf race in front of a big crowd.

THREE IN A ROW FOR NORTHCLIFFE DOUBLE

Northcliffe paddlers Nick Crilly and Tate Smith proved they are the fastest pair on water, claiming their third consecutive double ski title.

They shot off the beach at the start and were never headed in a commanding performance.

Second place went to Trigg Island's Reece Baker and Dan Humble, something of a consolation for Baker who led throughout his single ski semi-final yesterday before slewing on a wave and missing the final. Swansea Belmont's Shane Blair and Greg Tobin placed third.

The women's double ski final resulted in a home-beach win for Scarboro's Ruth Highman and Jane Humphrys.

The unlucky pairing were Manly's Naomi Flood and Jo Brigden-Jones, who led the field from the start to all but within touching distance of the finish line.

It was then that Highman and Humphrys and Northcliffe's Kelly Jury and Kristyl Smith caught a wave to sneak ahead and relegate the Manly pair to third.

BEST FRIENDS FIGHT FOR GOLD

One day after teaming to win the board rescue gold medal, Hayley Bateup and Terri Sullivan fought out open women's board race final.

The best mates from the Kurrawa club drove each other along to clear out from the rest of the field and then when they caught a wave the only thing left to decide was who would win.

Coolangatta Gold winner Bateup had the legs to win the sprint up the beach and edge out Sullivan, with Elizabeth Pluimers (Northcliffe) third.

BURNING PALMS TOO HOT IN MARCH PAST

Burning Palms Surf Life Saving Club is celebrating its first ever Australian championships gold medal after winning the march past.

In an historic result, the tiny club from the Royal National Park south of Sydney upset the traditional powerhouses in the Australian championships most time-honoured event.

They finished ahead of Alexandra Headland and defending champions South Port (SA), with Collaroy and Freshwater placing fourth and fifth.

ECSTATIC ECKSTEIN'S BOARD TRIUMPH

Ironman king Shannon Eckstein is known of his unflappable personality but spectators at Scarborough Beach today saw another side of the champion.

Eckstein was almost reduced to tears after taking out the open board race, one of the few events to elude him over the years.

Four times previously Eckstein had been well positioned to win the board but had lost and he celebrated with gusto as he finally crossed the line in first place.

With pursuers arriving quickly on a wave, he bunny-hopped his board across the bank  to take the gold medal ahead of defending champion Daniel Shade (Kurrawa) and Michael Saal (Currumbin Beach).

Eckstein was named man of the carnival, winning six gold medals and one silver across the week.

FLYING AARON STUBBS OUT RIVALS' HOPES

Kurrawa's Aaron Stubbs is well known for being fast across the sand and today he won his medals in similar fashion.

The young flyer won four gold medals in just 40 incredible minutes.

Firstly he won the under-19 beach sprint and relay, and then backed up to take the same double in the open division, beating home town hopes Tom Nolan (North Cottesloe) and Dean Scarff (City of Perth) in the open sprint..

Queenscliff's Laura Shorter claimed the open women's beach sprint ahead of Bulli's Cara Langendam and Scarboro's Renee McCabe. Scarboro won the open beach relay.

NO MERCER FOR JORDAN'S RIVALS

What's in a name? Plenty, it seems, if that name is Mercer.

At the same carnival in which Ironman legend Dean Mercer retired from the sport, his niece, Jordan Mercer, was named female competitor of the carnival.

Jordan, of Mooloolaba, won four gold medals in the under-15 age group, winning the two-kilometre beach run, the Cameron relay, the surf teams and the board relay.

The youngster is, of course, the daughter of two-time national Ironman champion Darren, and uncle Dean says her board paddling technique is a spitting image of her dad's.

So is her ability to win gold medals!

NORTHCLIFFE UNSTOPPABLE IN CLUB RACE

If anyone had hopes of knocking Northcliffe from the top of the Australian championship pointscore soon they had better think again.

The team in maroon and white just keeps getting better and better.

They finished the carnival in fantastic fashion, with Pierce Leonard and Kristyl Smith winning the open Ironman and Ironwoman race and then took out both open Taplin relays.

Northcliffe finished on 367.5 points on the club pointscore, ahead of Kurrawa (240), Mooloolaba (166), Alexandra headland (134), City of Perth (130), Manly (124), Cronulla (123), Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park (118), Warilla/Barrack Point (108) and Collaroy (102).

ENDS...