SHANNON SHINES AS COURTNEY MAKES BIG BREAKTHROUGH

April 10: Ironman Shannon Eckstein produced another outstanding display of surf skill to claim his fourth national title at the DHL 2010 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at Kurrawa on the Gold Coast today.

The Northcliffe star was virtually faultless as he skipped clear of the field at the end of the opening swim leg and was then unchallenged in front to win from Kurrawa's Ky Hurst and his younger brother Caine Eckstein (Kurrawa).

In the women's final, his Northcliffe clubmate Courtney Hancock broke through for her first major victory, taking advantage of a mistake by Rebecca Creedy (Metropolitan Caloundra) on the board to open up a winning break.

Hancock celebrated the length of the finishing chute as she raced to the greatest moment of her career, with Elizabeth Pluimers (Northcliffe) second and Creedy third.

Victory for Eckstein, 27, means he has now joined Hurst and Ironman legend Grant Kenny with four career Aussies Ironman wins, trailing only Trevor Hendy, who holds the record with six gold medals.

Eckstein grew up idolising Hendy and will now pursue the legend's Ironman record.

"He's won six and it's a few more to go," Eckstein said.

"I heard him out there on the jet ski yelling to me, which he's probably not supposed to do, but it was good to have him out there yahooing to keep me motivated out around the cans.

"He's taught me a lot growing up and its good to have him by my side and if I could emulate him that would be great."

Cronulla's Chris Allum set a strong early pace in the swim ahead of Eckstein and Hurst but when a wave came Hurst missed out and it was Allum and Eckstein in the lead.

Eckstein's faster running gave him a small break after the transition to the ski and he held that advantage throughout the leg and went into the board paddle 20 metres in front of Allum, with Hurst a similar distance further back.

As Allum began to fade, Hurst, chasing his fifth Ironman title, set off in desperate pursuit of Eckstein and closed the gap but the leader wasn't about to give him a hint of a chance.

"I was just trying to hold on," Eckstein said.

"It seemed like when I turned the can and I got a wave every time. I got a wave on the board and it kept going through and I could enjoy the win."

Hurst gave full credit to the victor but said he was planning to be back at the Australian championships in 2012 to try for another ironman win despite also aiming to be at the London Olympics next year as an open water swimmer.

"I'm extremely happy with second place," he said.

"Shannon's no slouch and over the short course distance he's an absolute weapon and he proved it again today.

"I came in here 100 per cent ready to race and go to war. I did everything I possibly could to make sure I was up the front but unfortunately surf is surf. Some days you have a good day and some day you don't."

Reward for Eckstein will be an extended break from training for the first time in three years.

"There'll be golf, surfing and I'm going to Europe for a month with my wife," he said.

"It looks like Kellogg's [ironman series] won't be until December and that will be a good off-season for me."

Hancock won the women's Kellogg's series this year without winning an event but yesterday she turned consistency into conquest as she enjoyed a landmark victory.

The race looked set to go Creedy as the Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning swimmer led through the swim and ski legs.

She still held a handy advantage as she headed for home on the board but then slipped off as she prepared to catch a wave and Hancock rode past on the same wave and into the history books.

"I saw that wave come up and in the swim I actually missed the wave so I said to myself if an opportunity comes up I have to go for it," Hancock said.

"I was confident in my fitness and I went hard from the start."

Hancock said failing to win a race in the Kellogg's series didn't put any extra pressure on her today but she was still happy to prove any knockers wrong.

"Every time I race I go out there to enjoy myself," she said.

"I love this sport, I love the surf and I never put any pressure on myself.

"I was just so glad to get a win. A lot or people probably doubted me over the season so just to get out there today I did it for myself and I'm so happy with that."

She invited anyone who doubted she could win a big race to watch a replay of today's race.

"I knew I could do it, I had belief in myself and I'm so happy," she said.

"Since I was a little girl I've wanted to win the series and I've wanted to win the Aussies and to do it in one season at 22 I'm absolutely overwhelmed.

"It still hasn't hit me that I've won the title and I don't think it will for a while either."

Creedy was left reflecting on what might have been an outstanding achievement for someone who has changed sports and only competed the elite level of surf lifesaving for three seasons.

In the end it was that lack of experience that told as the pressure mounted in the last leg of the final.

"In the end these girls have got about 10 years' surf experience on me and at moments like that it really shows," Creedy said.

" I guess it's back to the drawing board and hopefully it's something to work on for next year, I guess.

 "I had the race experience but nothing can replace the years in the surf."

Another Northcliffe competitor, Tanyn Lyndon, won an emotional under-19 men's ironman race.

He outpaced fast-finishing Jackson Maynard (Currumbin Beach) and Queensland champion Mitch Miller (Noosa Heads).

After the race he was presented with the Saxon Bird Memorial Trophy, named after the ironman who died during last year's Australian championships.

The trophy and medals for the under-19 placegetters were presented by Saxon's father Phil and his sister Arielle.

"I was pretty good mates with Saxon, we've raced over the years and it's an honour to win a race for him," Lyndon said.

"Everyone's down here doing because we love it and we're doing it for him as well."

For Lyndon it was a fourth consecutive Australian Ironman title after winning the under-15 title in 2007 and under-17 titles in 2008 and 2009. Last year's events were not held after Saxon Bird's death.

Terrigal's Amy Nurthen staged a titanic duel with Manly's Devon Halligan before catching a crucial wave in the board leg that took her too victory in the under-19 ironwoman.

Nurthen and Halligan were closely matched throughout the race and went stroke for stroke on the board until Nurthen, who showed off her talents when she won the Portsea round of the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain series this season, made her winning break.

"I knew I had to stick with Devon early in the swim and from then on it was head to head and when I got down that wave I was stoked," she said.

"I've had no luck all weekend and I was determined to vent all my anger on this one."