KURRAWA'S GOLDEN GLOW AT AUSSIE SURF TITLES

April 9: Host club Kurrawa gave the DHL Australian Surf Life Saving Championships a golden glow today with Phil Clayton, Ky Hurst and the club's under 23 men's surf boat crew all claiming memorable victories.

Club coach and former Ironman champion Clayton produced the swim of his life to win a thrilling open belt race final - 20 years after his only other appearance in the gruelling event.

Hurst will now go down in history as Australia's greatest ever surf swimmer after winning his seventh National open surf race title - adding to the championships he has won in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2009.

While Damien Clayphan's under 23 men's surf boat crew of brothers Tom and Andrew Pyke, Adrian Smith, Adrian and Eamon Cowling capitalised on a dream run at the southern end to win their final in fine fashion from Dixon Park and Northcliffe.

In other major finals:

• The prestigious Lifesaver Relay (surf boat, swim, ski, board, sprint) went to NSW Central Coast club Avoca ahead of Queensland powerhouse clubs Mooloolaba and Northcliffe.
• Northcliffe (Shannon Eckstein, Pierce Leonard, Pierce Leonard, Mark Bint, Joel Simpson and Tate Smith) produced a faultless display to win the Taplin relay ahead of Mooloolaba and Kurrawa B and Eckstein's fourth straight.
• The Manly girls Naomi Flood, Candice Falzon and Devon Halligan came from behind to win the club's first ever Women's Taplin title with Falzon producing the board paddle of her life to conquer the Kurrawa conditions.
• Maroochydore's Miranda Bell won her first Australian open women's surf race title from Northcliffe pair Courtney Hancock and Harriett Brown.
• Tugun's team of Beijing Olympic gold medallist Ken Wallace and Ironmen Sam Hamilton and Hugh Dougherty took the single ski relay after Hamilton mastered the surf in an eye-catching second leg.
• Brothers Chris and Hayden Allum and Mark and Dean Simpson scored a Cronulla quinella in the men's board rescue and Terrigal girls Alicia Bain and Jessica Davis won the open women's board rescue.
• New Zealander Ayla Dunlop-Barrett upset defending champion, Manly's Flood and Andrea Forbes (Kurrawa) in the open women's belt race final while;
• Southport won the under 23 women's surf boat final and Austinmer the Reserve grade gold.

The biggest cheer of the day went to 35-year-old Clayton who only entered the open belt to get points for his club.

"Not in my wildest dreams did I ever dream of winning the gold medal," said an ecstatic Clayton.

"Having the quarter-final of the ironman earlier in the day gave me an idea of conditions and I used that to my advantage.

"The last belt race I did was 20 years ago when I was a junior in Wollongong so to win the open title is amazing - I still can't believe it."

Clayton made the most of the southern-most alley and ran south to take advantage of the greener water.

An outstanding swimmer, Clayton put himself in the perfect position as the rest of the field had to contend with walls of white water.

With the hometown crowd watching anxiously on the venue TV screen on the beach Clayton headed for the orange buoy and touched first ahead of Northcliffe's Dev Lahey with Cronulla's Chris Allum third.

Clayton then clambered onto the back of the One HD jet ski driven by Ironman legend and close friend Trevor Hendy to salute the crowd and claim a remarkable victory.

Earlier in the day Clayton won his quarter-final of the Ironman ahead of clubmate Hurst and Noosa Heads' Mitch Miller.

On the beach teenager Jordan Caldow caused a huge upset when he came out on top in a star-studded open men's beach sprint final.

The 17-year-old from the Grange club in South Australia outpaced defending champion Tom Nolan (North Cottesloe) and beach flags favourite Paul Cracroft-Wilson (Kurrawa) to claim the gold medal.

Caldow trailed Nolan for much of the race but powered to the front in the final 20 metres.

The victory vindicated his decision to bypass the under-19 competition to concentrate on trying to win the open championship.

In the open women's final, Elly Graf of Elouera was a clear winner ahead of Melissa Howard (Kurrawa) and Bree Masters (Cronulla).

The win gave Graf her third open beach sprint gold medal, having previously won the event in 2007 and 2008.

Defending champion Laura Shorter of Queenscliff placed fourth.

Even the washing machine Kurrawa conditions threw Australia's greatest surf swimmer into a spin, when Hurst swam off course on the way to the turning buoys.

He trailed fellow Ironman Eckstein by 15 metres as they rounded the string of turning buoys.

"I am normally pretty good with my directions but I ended up way off course and I looked up and saw Shannon way out in front," Hurst said.

"I had to make sure he wasn't that far in front when we got into the wave area.

"I knew I was swimming well and just had to catch him."

Hurst, 30, managed to bridge the gap and he pulled down a wave that did not break kindly for Eckstein.

Hurst then pulled down another wave after Eckstein and Mooloolaba's Josh Minogue found a wave of their own on the southern end.

But it was Hurst who body surfed his wave on the northern end to a winning advantage to claim his seventh gold from Eckstein and Minogue.

Results Day 5:

Male:

Open: Surf: K Hurst (Kurrawa) S Eckstein (Northcliffe) J Minogue (Mooloolaba) Surf Belt: P Clayton (Kurrawa) D Lahey (Northcliffe) C Allum (Cronulla) Single Ski Relay: 1. Tugun A (Hugh Dougherty, Sam Hamilton, Ken Wallace) 2. Trigg Island A (Reece Baker, Brodie Holmes, Brendon Sarson) 3. Avoca Beach A (Ben Hamilton, Peter Mitchell, Lachlan Tame) Taplin Relay: 1. Northcliffe 1 (Mark Bint, Shannon Eckstein, Dev Lahey, Pierce Leonard, Joel Simpson, Tate Smith) 2. Mooloolaba A (Cam Cole, Nick Gale, Jack Hansen, Josh Minogue, Dylan Newbiggin, Matt Poole) 3. Kurrawa B (Nicholas Dennis, Nick Malcolm, Andrew Mewing, Chris Moors, Julian Norton-Smith, George O'brien) Beach Sprint: J Caldow (Grange) T Nolan (North Cottesloe) P Cracroft-Wilson (Kurrawa) Beach Relay: 1. Kurrawa A (Paul Cracroft-Wilson, Morgan Foster, Benjamin Mispelhorn, Ben Mitchell) 2. Collaroy A (Baden Donegal, Michael Kember, Ross Langbein, Elliott Marynissen) 3. Coogee Coogee (Michael Denny-Smith, Beau Docking, James Moran, Kristopher Papadatos)

U23 Yrs: Surf Boat: 1. Kurrawa A (Damien Clayphan, Eamon Cowling, Andrew Pyke, Tom Pyke, Adrian Smith) 2. Dixon Park Dixon Park (Trevor Dyson, Myles Jackson, Lachlan Mckinnon, Mitchell Rees, Timothy Smith) 3. Northcliffe A (Timothy Cornish, Thomas Fowke, David Gruhl, Matthew Hickey, Lewis Price)

U19 Yrs: Beach Sprint: B Mispelhorn (Kurrawa) B Mitchell (Kurrawa) J Shepherd (Portsea) Beach Relay: 1. Grange A (Harrison Caldow, Jordan Caldow, Tjimarri Sanderson Milera, Sean Yates Bock) 2. Mullaloo A (Mitchell Cavanagh, Benjamin Deans, Samuel Deans, Jake Robertshaw) 3. Coogee Coogee (Shea Collings, Tristan Conroy, James Moran, Luke Starr)

U17 Yrs: Surf Board Rescue: 1. North Cronulla Blue (Luke Calo, Jake Moses) 2. Maroochydore Black (Rhys Burrows, Brendan Donahoo) 3. Cronulla A (Aaron Markey, Mitchell Rofe) Rescue Tube: J Mckenzie (South Port) K Bridge (Ocean Beach) R Briggs (Mullaloo) Single Ski: B Bain (Mooloolaba) P Elford (Maroochydore) B Carberry (Warilla / Barrack Point) Beach Sprint: P Humphries (Manly) T Dewey (Bulli) T Blakey (Portsea) Beach Relay: 1. Manly A (Patrick Humphries, Robert Jones, Adrian Paris, Jake Vale) 2. Grange A (Sam Osmond, Michael Schwarz, Lachlan Sheffield, Dan Wooldridge) 3. Mooloolaba A (Max Belcher, Keaton Dell, Benjamin Gough, Morgan Warmington)

U15 Yrs: Surf Board Rescue: 1. Lennox X (Jacob Mcgoldrick, Murray Thomas) 2. Wanda Blue (Aiden Mccolm, Izaak Smith) 3. Alexandra Headland Gold (Nikolas Green, Jake Kleinschmidt) Rescue Tube: J Rees (Warriewood) K Starling (Warilla / Barrack Point) J Robertson (Cronulla) Surf Board: J Kleinschmidt (Alexandra Headland) R Fitzsimmons (Avoca Beach) J Harris (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park) Beach Sprint: B Pearce (North Burleigh) H Lorang (Cooks Hill) T Purvis-Smith (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park) Beach Relay: 1. Currumbin Beach A (Samuel Dick, Brandan Halliday-Thompson, Samuel Ross, Ryan Schmidt) 2. Mooloolaba A (Max Belcher, Taylor Burns, Kieran Cooke, Jason Gough) 3. North Burleigh A (Joshua Elliott, Sam Kiely, Ben Pearce, Rhys Ward)

Female:

Open: Surf: M Bell (Maroochydore) C Hancock (Northcliffe) H Brown (Northcliffe) Surf Belt: A Dunlop-Barrett (Northcliffe) N Flood (Manly) A Forbes (Kurrawa) Beach Sprint: E Graf (Elouera) M Howard (Kurrawa) B Masters (Cronulla) Taplin Relays: 1. Manly A (Candice Falzon, Naomi Flood, Devon Halligan) 2. Terrigal A (Joanna Baxter, Rachelle King, Amy Nurthen) 3. Maroochydore Black (Miranda Bell, Alyce Burnett, Phoebe Tessman) Beach Relay: 1. Cronulla A (Sarah Cook, Bernadette Dibley, Maddison Elliott, Bree Masters) 2. Kurrawa A (Catherine Donaldson, Chanel Hickman, Melissa Howard, Tegan Maffescioni) 3. Anglesea A (Hayley Atkins, Molly Blanchonette, Abby Lewtas, Claire Lewtas)

U23 Yrs: Surf Boat: 1. Southport Southport Sirens (Caitlin Braddick, Kelissa Brockettt, Rod Colman, Eliza Freney, Ashleigh North) 2. Alexandra Headland Powerade (Stephen Davies, Robyn De Vlugt, Madeline Garrick, Asako Ono, Natalie Parker) 3. South Curl Curl Those Girls (Sophie Coolican, Christopher Flemming, Sarah Handley, Olivia Mathews, Amy Sherwood)

U19 Yrs: Surf Board Rescue: 1. Maroochydore Black (Kirra Dale, Jean Harris) 2. Terrigal A (Jessica Davis, Amy Nurthen) 3. Maroochydore Blue (Rebecca Pegg, Erica Ricketts) Taplin Relay: 1. Maroochydore Black (Miranda Bell, Alyce Burnett, Erica Ricketts) 2. Noosa Heads Noosa 1 (Hannah Kirby, Hayley Lemarseny, Jordan Mercer) 3. Warilla / Barrack Point Black (Lara Pecchiari, Maddison Prior, Jordan White) Single Ski: H Lemarseny (Noosa Heads) M Prior (Warilla / Barrack Point) C Harris (Mooloolaba) Surf Board Relay: 1. Kurrawa A (Lauren Josephson, Briana Newson, Larnee Stuart) 2. Terrigal A (Alicia Bain, Rachelle King, Amy Nurthen) 3. Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park A (Brooke Eacott, Ashleigh Meuwissen, Bree Mullen) Beach Sprint: K Williams (Collaroy) K Bennett (North Cottesloe) J Lam (Mordialloc Slsc) Beach Relay: 1. Collaroy A (Aimee Gundry, Eleanor Lamb, Jessica Redden, Katie Williams) 2. City Of Perth B (Montana Ardon, Kelsey Golding, Amy Murphy, Indianna Somerville) 3. Mordialloc Slsc Mordisurf (Natasha Camm, Jemimah Lam, Danielle Taylor, Lara Zalmstra)

U17 Yrs: Surf Board Rescue: 1. Currumbin Beach A (Riley Maynard, Brooke Neumann) 2. City Of Perth A (Natasha Browne, Rebecca Browne) 3. Lennox X (Madison Blue Beckerleg, Elena Leaver) Rescue Tube: K Walker (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park) S Street (Cronulla) M Redwood (Sunshine Beach) Single Ski: D Godoy (Freshwater) E Burgess (Coffs Harbour) J Mercer (Noosa Heads) Beach Sprint: B Masters (Cronulla) R Crothers (Alexandra Headland) S Dibley (Cronulla) Beach Relay: 1. Cronulla A (Olivia Brooks, Siobhan Dibley, Bree Masters, Grace Strawbridge) 2. Alexandra Headland Gold (Rohani Bakhach, Rachel Crothers, Evangeline Keevil, Tahnee Sullivan) 3. City Of Perth A (Clancy Bradshaw, Brittanny Brymer, Jessica Buchan, Gabrielle Murphy)

U15 Yrs: Surf: A Gasparotto (Ocean Beach) J Miller (Mount Maunganui (Nz)) J Cook (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park) Surf Board Rescue: 1. Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park C (Prue Davies, Amelia Harris) 2. Wanda Blue (Danielle Mcmahon, Elyssa Pierce) 3. Avoca Beach A (Amy Annabel, Kaitlyn Matuschka) Rescue Tube: I Tuncer (Wanda) J Cook (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park) J Miller (Mount Maunganui (Nz)) Surf Board: E Pierce (Wanda) A Bull (Alexandra Headland) R Barker (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park) Beach Sprint: B Mould (Avoca Beach) H Miller (Mullaloo) B Dexter (Elliot Heads) Beach Relay: 1. Mullaloo A (Tarnica Golisano, Hayley Miller, Jane Shaw , Grace Wilkinson) 2. Sawtell A (Lauren Dam, Emma James, Jayden Morgan, Isabella Underhill) 3. Southport A (Jemma Berry, Georgia Jenkins, Kaitlin Smith, Grace Wilkins)

Mixed:

Open: Lifesaver Relay: 1. Avoca Beach A (Joshua Barnes, Duke Brierty, Richard Brierty, Rory Grinham, Trent Martin, Kate Mcnamara, Chris Parker, Ben Shine, Lachlan Tame) 2. Mooloolaba M1 (Bill Bain, Grant Cooper, Chris Crompton, Jackson Doolan, Andrew Kerr, Kristy Knox, Matt Miller, Josh Minogue, Steven Verboomen) 3. Northcliffe N1 (Drew Armitage, Michael Barnett, Shannon Eckstein, Drew Griffiths, Aaron Hickey, Jack Murphy, Jackson Price, Emma Rynne, Murray Stacey) 5 Person R&R: 1. Collaroy Red (Paul De Kort, Paul Ducker, Isabelle Marynissen, Peter Mcdermott, Todd Ware) 2. Bondi A (Danielle Hoban, Andrew Mcencroe, Nicholas Nezval, Scott Ryan, Simon Watkins) 3. Coogee Coogee (Gary Daly, Christopher Gately, Karinda Leary, Brook Mison, Kylie Mison)

Reserve Grade Surf Boat: 1. Austinmer Blue (Brendon Choice, Craig Hadfield, Duane Mcmanus, John Patison, Mitchell Stuart) 2. Maroochydore Force (Michael Brooks, David Hoffman, Troy Slade, Robert Stone) 3. Mooloolaba B (Daniel Chapman, Paul Hickey, Aian Mclennan, John Mcnamara, Christian Samwell)

U19 Yrs: 5 Person R&R: 1. Anglesea White (Damon Brennan, Paige Brown, Georgia Canning, Shea Curwell, Eloise Gage) 2. North Cronulla Red (Kate Boyd, Erin Cowan, Kate Janssen, Jasmine Quirk, Alexandra Stokes-Hughes) 3. North Cronulla Gold (Stephanie Buncombe, Taylor Harvey, Georgia Mcgrath, Gabrielle Mckinniery, Joshua Sprake)

U17 Yrs: Surf Belt: J Woods (Wanda) J Harrison (Northcliffe) M Rofe (Cronulla) 5 Person R&R: 1. Freshwater Maroon (Jarrad Freakley, Clare Freakly, Jack Little, Joseph Murphy, Maddison Taylor) 2. North Cronulla Red (Kate Boyd, Erin Cowan, Kate Janssen, Jasmine Quirk, Alexandra Stokes-Hughes) 3. Wanda Blue (Joanna Axiotis, Ebony Green, Sarah Hayes, Joanna Stavrou)

U15 Yrs: 5 Person R&R: 1. Collaroy Black (Jesse Bowyer, Jake De Kort, Annabelle Loone, Jordan Sole, Amelia Suters) 2. Coogee Coogee Red (Maddison Gately, Bronti Haes, Genevieve Luscombe, Xanthe Murphy, Emma Phibbs) 3. Sorrento (WA) Green (Lily Buller-Randall, Kirby Harris, Jasmine Johnson, Louise Miller, Jennifer Robertson)

Club Pointscore: Northcliffe 119 Kurrawa 70.5 Alexandra Headland 51 Cronulla 47.5 North Cronulla 47 Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park 39.5 Wanda 39 Mooloolaba 38 Maroochydore 37 Noosa Heads 37