aussies 2015 on beach newspaper issue 5
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Issue 5 of the 2015 On Beach NewspaperTRANSCRIPT
SATURDAY APRIL 18, 2015 • #AUSSIES100 • SLS.COM.AU/AUSSIES
SPRINT KING LEADS VIKING INVASIONCURRUMBIN CLAIMS FOUR TITLES WHILE GRAF WINS HER FIFTH
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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08 | The Aussies 2015 Saturday April 18, 2015