STARS SET TO SHINE IN NUTRI-GRAIN SERIES

January 15: The fields have been finalised and the stars are ready to race when the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Ironman Series starts at Kurrawa Beach on the Gold Coast tomorrow, as DAVID MOASE reports ...

Defending champions Shannon Eckstein, of Northcliffe, and Manly's Naomi Flood will be out to repeat their 2009 successes but they will face plenty of tough opposition in the revamped $250,000 Nutri-Grain Ironman Series.

The first two rounds of the Series will be raced at Kurrawa tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday, with rounds three and four at Alexandra Headland on February 6-7 and the final at North Cronulla on February 21.

While the familiar face of Zane Holmes will be missing from the Series because of injury, one of the sport's all-time greats, Olympian Ky Hurst, will be back in the water to challenge four-time champion Eckstein.

Hurst, from Kurrawa, is a four-time Australian Ironman champion but has never won the Nutri-Grain Series and is back close to his best after spending the past few years concentrating on his swimming career.

Current Australian Ironman champion Pierce Leonard (Northcliffe) is another who will be out to start the series in style tomorrow as will other series hopefuls Matt Poole (Mooloolaba) and comeback king Rhys Drury (Dicky Beach).

Flood broke through for her first Nutri-Grain series win last year and will face plenty of challengers looking to take her title among a strong women's field.

2008 series winner Elizabeth Pluimers (Northcliffe), Kristyl Smith (Northcliffe) and 2008 Australian Ironwoman champion Alicia Marriott (Mooloolaba) will lead the charge.

Another to watch will be Commonwealth Games gold medal swimmer Rebecca Creedy (Met Caloundra), who showed she is the most improved Ironwoman in the country when she won the series trial in December.

Meanwhile Creedy's pint-sized Met Caloundra clubmate Kelly-Ann Perkins may look like she should be competing at a junior carnival but she showed in yesterday's Wildcard qualifying Trial that she has a heart as big as any surf star.

Three wildcard places in this weekend's two rounds were up for grabs in the qualifying race at Kurrawa today and pocket rocket Perkins grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

The 17-year-old showed there is plenty of power in her small frame by taking charge in the swim leg and then extending her advantage in the board to score comfortably from Northcliffe's Jessica Walker and Harriet Brown.

"It means a lot to make the Nutri-Grain series, I've been training really hard," she said.

"At the Nutri-Grain trials my ski leg let me down and I've been working hard with my dad on that and that helped me get through today.

"It's going to be good racing tomorrow against my heroes who I look up to, like Kristyl Smith and Elizabeth Pluimers.

"It's going to be great to get out there and mix it with them."

Sam Hunt of North Burleigh became the fourth competitor from his club into the opening rounds at the weekend when he won the men's wildcard qualifier ahead of Mooloolaba youngsters Alex Tibbits and Mitch Miller.

Hunt, 19, placed 21st in last December's Nutri-Grain Series trials but today booked his place in the top 20 for the first two rounds.

"I was a bit nervous on the start line, and excited as well," he said.

"I made a couple of mistakes in the trial and it didn't go so well so this sort of makes up for it in a way.

"To have four from North Burleigh (along with James Stewart, Brodie Moir and Alyce Bennett) is great, it hasn't happened in a while.

"I've been at the club all my life and my family is all involved so there will be a big cheer squad here at the weekend."

Saturday's opening  round will be in the "Dash for Cash" format, which will see competitors have to qualify through to the next round in order to win the bigger prizes.

The leading athlete at the end of each of the first two rounds will also have the option of taking a longer route to win an extra $1000.