aussies 2015 on beach newspaper issue 5

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SATURDAY APRIL 18, 2015 #AUSSIES100 SLS.COM.AU/AUSSIES SPRINT KING LEADS VIKING INVASION CURRUMBIN CLAIMS FOUR TITLES WHILE GRAF WINS HER FIFTH

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Issue 5 of the 2015 On Beach Newspaper

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Page 1: Aussies 2015 On Beach Newspaper issue 5

SATURDAY APRIL 18, 2015 • #AUSSIES100 • SLS.COM.AU/AUSSIES

SPRINT KING LEADS VIKING INVASIONCURRUMBIN CLAIMS FOUR TITLES WHILE GRAF WINS HER FIFTH

Page 2: Aussies 2015 On Beach Newspaper issue 5

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE AUSSIES

“Meeting new people.

You always make friends competing and see

old ones. Watching the Ironmen and women

competing and being a part of something big.“

“Watching my daughter

compete.”

“The whole team spirit

and getting to compete

with your mates.”

“All the friendships that

are made and the sportsmanship.”

KASANI BAINMOOLOOLABA SLSC, QLD

PRUE WATSONARCADIAN SLSC, QLD

SAM DICKCURRUMBIN SLSC, QLD

GABRIELLE COLLINSSUNSHINE BEACH SLSC, QLD

ELYCE BEHRSIN

IT was 1989. The Berlin Wall came down.

Rain Man won the Oscar. Madonna’s “Like A

Prayer” was the biggest hit of the year. Taylor

Swift, Daniel Ricciardo and the lead actress

from Fifty Shades of Grey were born. And Surf

Life Saving Australia introduced its annual

Leadership Camp.

Peter MacMahon and Shane Daw were two

of the original attendees.

“It wasn’t just like-minded people from

Australia but there was also an international

contingent. By talking to each other we

realised we weren’t isolated and that in many

cases we had the same issues and could

share ideas and strategies with one another,”

Peter said.

The two “originals” were among the 65

attendees at yesterday’s inaugural Surf Life

Saving Leadership Alumni function. It drew

together men and women who have been a

part of the program over the past 26 years.

“The Leadership Alumni will establish a

forum to create a network of people who have

been part of our past leadership programs

and foster personal and professional

development further,” Rhiannon Wright,

SLSA’s Development and Operations

Manager said.

Stephen Leahy and Andrew Buhk were

part of the second intake in 1990. Both are

now a key part of the management team that

delivers The Aussies.

All four are still heavily involved in Surf Life

Saving. Shane Daw is the Life Saving Services

Manager for South Australia; Stephen Leahy,

the CEO for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter

Service; Andrew Buhk, the Chief Carnival

Referee for The Aussies and Peter MacMahon

is a member of the Lifesaver of the Year panel.

And every one of them had different

haircuts back then.

THE ORIGINAL LEADERS INSPIRING THE YOUTH

ELYCE BEHRSIN

AT high school José Desfosses used to

come last in running races. Now at 64

he is keeping the young guys honest.

The Mauritian born migrant only

started competing at The Aussies

five or six years ago and now takes

on a combination of Open and

Masters events, his favourite being

the 2km Run.

“I just love it. I will compete in

anything as long as my mates are

there” José said.

“My main advice is to give it a go

and enjoy it. Enjoy the journey and

respect the competition. If you put

consistency and discipline into your

everyday life and training then you

can’t go wrong.”

José not only competed in the 2km

Run yesterday morning, but he ran a

strong race.

“I’ve actually been getting better

at the 2km event over the past couple

of years. My aim was to unsteady a

few of the boys, get them off their

rhythm and take it home,” he said.

“The young guys see old buggers

like me competing and not doing too

badly and they think, wow, I have

to start, which is one of the reasons

I compete in the Open events, to

motivate the kids.”

José also trains a running group in

Scarborough which he encourages

everyone interested to join.

ABOVE: José Desfosses with two of his training buddies Thomas Howie and Mitchel Alco, both who also competed in the 2km Run, Howie in Open and Alco in under-17.

LEFT: Grant Kenny and Jeff Lemarseny in the Open Double Ski heats.

BELOW: A piece of history. Grant’s ski used in the 80s

LEFT: The original Leadership Camp attendees (from L to R) Shane Daw, Peter MacMahon, Andrew Buhk and Stephen Leahy.

JOEL BEVILACQUA EMMA HANRAHAN

OLDER spectators may have experienced a

sense of déjà vu yesterday when they saw

Ironman legend Grant Kenny warming up.

He fittingly turned back the clock at the

100th birthday of The Aussies, warming up

on a ski that he used during his three national

Ironman titles between 1980 and 1983.

As a 16-year-old he famously won both

the Australian Junior and Open Ironman

Championships on the same day in 1980.

Grant sold off the ski some time after

the ‘80’s, but a mutual friend who

recognised the ski in Sydney returned it

to him this week.

“I recognised the ski straight away as

it was very unique. It brought back a lot

memories,” Grant said.

“I went for a paddle and it was a bit

nostalgic. It certainly turned a lot of heads.”

KENNY TURNS BACK THE CLOCK

02 | The Aussies 2015 Saturday April 18, 2015

Page 3: Aussies 2015 On Beach Newspaper issue 5

DAVID MOASE

ELOUERA speedster Elly Graf has won her

fifth Open Women’s Beach Sprint title, a

day after being named in the Australian

team for the IAAF World Relays in the

Bahamas next month.

A top-eight place at the World Relays

could put Graf on a path to the Rio Olympics

and victory in the beach dash has her well

on the way to becoming the surf lifesaving’s

greatest female sprinter.

Title number five drew Graf level with

Terrigal’s Veronica Lee, who dominated beach

sprinting in the 1990’s.

“Considering I haven’t been at Aussies for

the last two years I’m very happy with how it

went today,” the 24-year-old said.

“I love it here competing in surf, the

atmosphere and being with the club is

good fun.”

The top side of the track also proved the

place to be in the Open Men’s final where

Currumbin’s Jordan Caldow took his third

Australian title, a month after winning the

backmarkers’ invitational at the Stawell Gift

carnival.

“I fell behind for about 12 months and

last year I was sort of pulling myself out of

the dirt. It’s good to finally feel that I have,”

Jordan said.

Currumbin enjoyed a big day on the sprint

track, also claiming three relay gold medals,

the Open Women’s and the men’s and

women’s in the under-19s.

Mooloolaba’s Jason Gough and New

Zealander Zoe Hobbs (Fitzroy, NZ) won the

under-19 sprint titles. Jack Fildes (Northcliffe)

and Jessica Thornton (Coogee) took out the

under-17’s.

The 1991 Championships in Scarborough, WA were the first to have a FM Broadcast Transmission of the carnivals public address system on SLSA FM 90.5. The convenience of listening to the program from ‘Observation City Hotel’ was popular with the competitors staying there, who could relax in their rooms between their events whilst staying up to date with the events happenings.

DID YOUKNOW

THIS close-knit club is only small but they are mighty. North Cottesloe SLSC

members pride themselves on their sportsmanship and social environment, but

they also love a good race. This year they have just over 50 competitors at The

Aussies, made up mostly of some fierce boat crews. The young beachies say

they “love” the club because they have fun and they have “dedicated” coaches.

They have won four of the past 10 Western Australia Club of the Year awards.

CLUB IN FOCUSNORTH COTTESLOE SLSC,WESTERN AUSTRALIA

DAVID MOASE

NEWPORT’S Kendrick Louis showed

why he is one of the men to beat

for this year’s Open Ironman title

with an impressive quarter-final win

yesterday.

He moved quickly to the front in

the opening board leg and stayed

there in the swim and ski sections of

the event.

“It was good I had a ski race prior

to that. I like to get a race in prior to

the Ironman to get the heart rate up,

hit the gun and get those anxious

nerves out,” the 24-year-old said.

“As soon as you make the quarter-

finals they’re cut-throat. I just wanted

to set myself up and not leave

anything to chance.”

Along with Louis, the favoured

competitors for Sunday’s final all

safely progressed to the semi-finals.

The biggest casualty was Nutri-

Grain series competitor Jack Moyes

from Terrigal, who placed ninth in the

opening quarter-final won by Luke

Cuff (Mooloolaba).

Six-time national Ironman

champion Shannon Eckstein was as

smooth as ever in winning his quarter-

final, while four-time winner Ky Hurst

also looked in good condition as he led

the field home in another of the races.

Nutri-Grain Series winner Ali Day

flirted with elimination early in the

quarter-final won by Eckstein but

eventually qualified in sixth place,

just behind his clubmate and 2013

Australian Ironman Champion

Cam Cole.

Matt Poole is hopeful of being fit

for the next round after aggravating

an ongoing back injury.

LEFT: Elly Graf winning the Open Sprint final.

GRAF AND CALDOW BACK ON TOP ON THE BEACH

I love it here competing in surf, the atmosphere and being with the club is good fun. Elly Graf

As soon as you make the quarter-finals they’re cut-throat. Kendrick Louis

IRONMAN LOUIS HAS SIGHTS ON SUNDAY’S SEMI-FINALS

sls.com.au/aussies • #Aussies100 The Aussies 2015 | 03

Page 4: Aussies 2015 On Beach Newspaper issue 5

RIGHT : Point Leo boys take on the Tube Rescue.

RIGHT : Lachlan Tame competing in the Single Ski heats.

BELOW : Nathan Smith from Manly and Hayden White from Mooloolaba competing in the Ironman quarter-finals.

RIGHT : Under-17 Sprint Champion Jack Fildes from Northcliffe SLSC.

RIGHT : MacMasters Beach Open Women’s boat crew surging over the lip.

04 | The Aussies 2015 Saturday April 18, 2015

Page 5: Aussies 2015 On Beach Newspaper issue 5

LEFT : Angela Leadbeatter salutes after winning the Open Women’s 2km Run.

ABOVE : Warilla Barrack Point strong in the Swim.

FAR LEFT : North Cronulla on the hop in the Board Race.

LEFT : North Bondi women’s boat crew push through the break.

LEFT : The under-17 Board Relay Champions from Newport.

ABOVE : The Surfboats in action at Tugun beach.

Championship photos available at harvpix.com

sls.com.au/aussies • #Aussies100 The Aussies 2015 | 05

Page 6: Aussies 2015 On Beach Newspaper issue 5

PAUL COCHRANE

AMONG the boat fleet at Tugun is an Olympic

rower embarking on a new chapter in her

sporting career.

Sonia Heath is competing at her third

Australian Championships. How she got here

has been an unusual journey.

“A fellow river rower gave me a call and

said come across, it’s a lot of fun and I was

pretty much hooked as soon as we hit our first

wave,” Sonia said.

The Lorne surfboat rower is a former

television journalist who was encouraged to

try her hand at rowing while filming a story in

Bundaberg. Until 2002 she had never raced

a boat. That soon changed with one of the

more remarkable rapid rises in the history of

Australian sport.

You see, when Rowing Australia

assembled a new women’s eight following its

2004 Athens Olympic failure, Sonia had a seat

in the boat. It won the gold medal at the world

championships the following year.

There was world championships silver in

2006;, she helped qualify the boat for the

Olympics and in 2008 she was in Beijing

rowing in the double scull.

She retired from the sport after finishing

eighth and after running a half marathon

joined the Surf Life Saving movement.

“What stands out to me is the

camaraderie. It’s a great team sport and you

learn a lot of skills along the way. And the

skills that you learn in getting your bronze

medallion are invaluable,” she said.

“I think it’s great that we are able to give

something back to the organisation and the

community. During the season you are away

competing so it’s rewarding to come back

and do your patrol hours as well.”

That’s in between her other role as a

Mum. Sonia and her husband Chris are the

proud parents of two little girls under the age

of three!

ALSO at Tugun, Austinmer super sweep Jack

Patison has steered his three crews to win the

2015 Aussies surfboat relay.

Patison, a master strategist, knew his U19

rowers were a cut above others in their division

and knew his women were faultless under

pressure and would rise to the occasion.

And together with his open men they

delivered the goods to win the prestigious

opening gold medal in the boat area, ahead

of Palm Beach (NSW) and WA powerhouse

North Cottesloe.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE PART OF THE 100TH AUSSIES

“Great Event. The 100th

has really got a bit of a

significance especially

since it’s the 100 years of ANZAC as well.”

“To represent your club

and uphold team spirit.”

“It’s iconic of the

Australian love for the

ocean, saving lives,

community work through patrols and the

togetherness that we need in society today.”

“It means a lot, you’re

representing your team. “

FRANK HOWARDHENLEY SLSC, SA

SALLY WATSONALEX HEADLAND SLSC, QLD

MAREE ABATEJAN JUC SLSC, VIC

JACK RAWLINGSMOOLOOLABA SLSC, QLD

What is your best Aussies memory?

In 2012, both our A & B team came first and second in the Open Taplin. It was

the first time this has been done and that made it even better to celebrate with

all our teammates.

What do you think about having a dedicated youth program at The

Aussies this year?

It’s a great concept that allows kids to feel what it’s like to be part of this awesome

event. I couldn’t wait to compete at The Aussies when I was a grom so I think it’s brilliant.

What advice do you have for the younger competitors?

Race hard and have fun. That’s what The Aussies is all about.

What do you love about The Aussies?

The atmosphere. The beach is filled with competitors from right around Australia, it’s awesome.

TANYN LYNDON NEW LIFE MEMBERS INDUCTED

KELLOGG’S NUTRI GRAIN IRONMAN & FORMER UNDER 15, UNDER 17 & UNDER 19 AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION

ABOVE : Sonia Heath and youngest daughter Indiana.

LEFT : Sonia and her Lorne surfboat crew teammates.

THE Life Members Dinner was held at

The Outriggers Twin Towns Resort On

Wednesday night.

During the dinner two new life

members were inducted by SLSA

President Graham Ford. They were

Michael (Mike) Smith OAM from

Bunbury SLSC in WA and Peter

Pearce from Garie & Burning Palms

SLSC in NSW.

THE OLYMPIC LORNE ROWER

06 | The Aussies 2015 Saturday April 18, 2015

Page 7: Aussies 2015 On Beach Newspaper issue 5

IAN HANSON

WHEN Braedan Jason lined up in yesterday’s

under-17 Ironman heats, none of the other

15 competitors knew the race tactics he was

about to execute.

The game playing out in Braedan’s head

was “follow the leader”. The 16 year-old from

Alexandra Headland is legally blind – with

only 10% vision after being born with cone

dystrophy - a degenerative loss of vision.

Jason paddled onto a wave, jumped off

his board, adjusting his goggles, dodging

boards and handlers and almost missing

the first turning flag as his game continued

through the swim.

He went on to finish ninth, missing the

quarter finals by one position – but he had a

smile on his face as he received a pat on the

back from dad Vince.

Braedan and his little brother Nathan,

12, have both been diagnosed with the

impairment.

He has just been named in the Australian

Dolphins Paralympic Swim Team for the

IPC World Championships in Glasgow after

qualifying at the recent national titles. He is

currently ranked in the top three in the world.

“It was a huge thrill to go to Sydney at

the recent Australian Championships and

swim so well and to hear my name read out

amongst the Australian team members like

Grant Hackett was amazing,” Braedan said.

He’s know turning his attention to winning

a spot on the team for the Rio Paralympics.

Did you know that the winning Open Surf Team in 1950 at The Aussies in Greenmount, was the first team ever to win with their team members crossing the line in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place. The team members from the left of the photo are Tassie Barnett, Max Stringer, Neil Stringer and John Vaughan from North Wollongong.

DID YOUKNOW

CLAUDIA FERGUSON

You could be forgiven for seeing

double on the 2km circuit yesterday when

two sets of twins went head to head in the

Open Women’s race.

North Bondi sisters Amy and Lily

Harding-Delooze were up against

Bernadette and Bethany Williams

from Swanbourne Nedlands in

Western Australia.

38 year old Supermum Angela

Leadbeatter of Swansea Belmont was too

strong, defending her national title with

a dominant performance, but the twins

certainly had heads turning.

The Harding-Delooze girls had only

minutes earlier crossed the line almost

side by side after a gripping sprint finish

in the under-17 final. Lily took the gold by

a fingernail.

Gilbert Olzomer won the Open men’s

race in searing heat for Queenscliff after

relocating from Wauchope Bonny-Hills

last year.

“I love these conditions. It’s a mixture

of soft and hard sand. I do a lot of my

training in the middle of the day in

conditions like this so it doesn’t

affect me.”

TWO’S COMPANY … FOUR’S A CROWD

JOEL BEVILACQUA EMMA HANRAHAN

There is only one feeling better than

winning a medal at The Aussies and that’s

achieving it with your family.

The Mispelhorn brothers, Jake, Ben and

Sam (right), along with Paul Cracroft-Wilson

won silver for the Kurrawa club in the Open

Beach relay yesterday.

“Every time we are on the beach and in the

gym we are very competitive,” Jake said.

The siblings dedicated their medal to the

memory of their late friend Dwayne Lally

and the charity Livin’ which is named in

his honour.

LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER

BRAVE BRAEDAN’S RIO DREAM

It was a huge thrill to go to Sydney at the recent Australian Championships and swim so well. Braedan Jason

LEFT : Braedan Jason competing in the under-17 Ironman heats.

sls.com.au/aussies • #Aussies100 The Aussies 2015 | 07

Page 8: Aussies 2015 On Beach Newspaper issue 5

JOIN THE CONVERSATIONJenny Schofield

@Mummaschoey

Belt Racing aussies always exciting

@Aussies100 @aussies2015

#aussies100 #aussies2015kirra

Matt Bevilacqua

@matt_bevilacqua

Loving the Friday half day of

@Aussies100 . Massive weekend of

racing coming up so its feet up

Steele Tallon

@SteeleTallon

Dad gets a write-up in the @GCBulletin

for his 70th year at the @Aussies100 -

very proud @SLSAustralia

SURF LIFE SAVING AUSTRALIA WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR VALUED PARTNERS

MAJOR EVENT PARTNER

EVENT PARTNERS

MAJOR NATIONAL PARTNERS

FACEBOOK.COM/LIFESAVING @SLSAUSTRALIA @SLSAUSTRALIAYOUTUBE.COM/USER/SLSAUSTRALIA

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT : @kennywallace, Ken Wallace@rocksbrewchick, Bec Lock@surflifesaving_sunscreen, Surf Life Saving Sunscreen@matt_poole1, Matt Poole

#AUSSIES100 PICS OF THE DAY

ON BEACH PRODUCTION TEAM: Paul Cochrane, Elyce Behrsin, Claudia Ferguson, Joel Bevilacqua, Emma Hanrahan (SLSA Media Team); Tom Parsons (SLSA Design); Ian Hanson, David Moase (Hanson Media); Harvie Allison, Kate Czerny, Shanta Allison, John Veage, Shannon Glasson (Harvpix.com)

WIN $500*

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*Prize will be drawn on Saturday 18 April. You must be present to redeem the winning prize. T&Cs Apply. See website for competition details. LTPS/15/01662

TAG YOUR BEST AUSSIES

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08 | The Aussies 2015 Saturday April 18, 2015