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Australian Surf Club Titiles - 2010 |
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This year saw the return of the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships to Broadbeach on the Gold Coast. The Aussies which were hosted by Kurrawa Surf Club attracted the biggest competition team from Warrnambool S.L.S.C. in recent years.
Along with WSLSC competitors were competitors from all over Australia along with international teams from New Zealand and Japan to name a couple. There were eight and a half thousand competitors.
Tuesday saw the start of competition with the Masters taking to the beach. The Owen brothers Michael, Rodney and Mark along with Justin Houlihan competing for Warrnambool and David Owen competing for Kurrawa. All were competing in the ski events. Tuesday saw single ski races with Mark fairing the best in the testing conditions gaining silver in the 40- 44 year old single ski with the others being knocked out in early rounds. Wednesday was allocated to team events with Ski relay and double ski on for the boys.
Mick andRodney as usual pairing up ended up sixth in the 40-44 year double ski race, but not after some trouble from flying skis. Mark and Hoola paired up and were knocked out in the semi finals. David paired with Robert Forsyth in the 45-49 double ski making the final.Thursday was the start of the open championships, once again in testing conditions With Steve and I progressing through the early rounds in board and ski events respectively.
The Open Board Relay saw John Hart and Ned Aulsebrook take to the water for the first time inKurrawa. Both boys paddled well in the conditions but were out classed by more experienced and older paddlers Friday started again in tough conditions seeing the juniors (Ned John and Veronica Hart) being moved down to North Kirra. Veronica had all her skill and fitness tested in the under 15 women's board. Ned and John started the day at Kurrawa then were moved south due to the conditions.
Neither of the boys had started their pet event the under 17 men's board. After the seas beat me in the open single ski, waiting was the game for Steve and myself, Steve for
the open board quarter final along with the double ski with myself. While taking in all the action of the open ironman heats a strange silence fell over the beach with news filtering through that a competitor had gone missing in the surf. This saw the end of competition for the day.
Sadly the competitor Saxon Bird of Queenscliff Surf Club (NSW) was found an hour later in the surf and announced dead on arrival to the hospital. Officials made a decision on Saturday to cancel all water events for the remainder of the championships.
Unfortunately for Ned and John they never commenced their board race, with Steve along with many other competitors not getting the chance to finish the season off the way they would have liked. The only thing to do was load the trailer and head for home.
A big thank you must go to Justin Houlihan for transporting all the skis up to Queensland and back.
Also, thanks to Gavin Hart for the excellent job he did as team manager, along with Peter O'Rorke in his role as official and Mike Vafiades with the IRB crew up there. Thanks sincerely Justin, Gavan, Peter and Mike.
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Competition Results