March 16, 2024
Strong winds caused challenges for athletes as the sprints and flags took place at Kurrawa while the surf at North Kirra made for exciting racing as day two of the 2024 Queensland Senior & Masters Surf Life Saving Championships took place.
On a day where Northcliffe set up their title defence with a number of strong results, Mooloolaba were awarded the trophy for topping the Masters Overall Point Score.
BEACH EVENTS
While the bulk of the 2024 Championships moved to Kirra, Kurrawa still played host to the beach events with windy conditions proving a challenge for competitors.
World Flags Champion EJ Forsyth once again took all before her, taking out the Open Female Sprint-Flags double in her first whiteout since the International Surf Challenge in Texas.
Forsyth was impressed by both the size of the field at Kurrawa as its depth, with today’s racing providing great preparation for the upcoming Australian Championships.
“There was a lot of competition out there today – one of the best [fields] we’ve had in recent years so it was really good to get out today coming into Aussies,” said Forsyth. “A lot of the people who were in the final today were either in the final at Aussies last year or will be next month, so it was a really good opportunity to race them.”
Jett Milford-Ferguson also took out a double today, picking up the U19 Flags before taking out the Open event for the first time.
“I’m absolutely thrilled,” he said. “I’ve been working toward this for so long. I’ve had a few seconds, a few thirds in the Opens but this tops it all.”
Kurrawa’s Britney Ingr was the most successful athlete on the day, backing up her U19 Sprint-Flags double with a silver and bronze in the Open categories.
Forrest Beach’s emerging beach program had another strong day with Stephen Dau scoring the North Queensland club’s best results with a full set of medals. The teenager won the U19 Sprint, finished second in the Open Beach Relay and third in the U19 beach relay.
In the Masters category, three athletes took the Sprint-Flags-Relay treble: Nicholas Dutton (Mooloolaba, 45-49 years), Craig Parker (Mooloolaba 60-64 years) and Karen Fischer (Kurrawa, 60-64 years). A number of other athletes were successful in winning their category’s Sprint-Flags double: Samantha Lavery (30-34 years, Point Lookout), Philip Williams (Miami, 40-44 years), Todd McSwan (Maroochydore, 50-54 years), Chantelle Miller (Mooloolaba, 55-59 years), Kevin Rolfe (Bribe Island, 65-69 years), Marilyn Clarence (Alexandra Headland, 65-69 years) and Denis Griffith (Nobbys Beach, 70+ years)
WATER EVENTS
While Saturday saw plenty of athletes progress through to Sunday’s individual finals, team events were the order of the day with powerhouse club Northcliffe once again showing the way.
Jake Morris took home three gold medals as a member of the successful U19 Board and Ski Relays as well as the Open Ski Relay. Joining Jake in the Ski Relay were Matt Bevilacqua and Zach Morris, with the pair combining with Auden Parish to take out the Open Board Relay in one of the first finals of the day.
“Auden got us off to a really good start,” said Bevilacqua. “It’s tricky down on those northern alleys; he got us off to a really good start and then ‘Zachy’ bringing us home – he can always sprint finish.
“Lucky he didn’t need to – no one even near him so he took it home.”
Parish and Zach Morris notched their second wins of the day when they were part of Northcliffe’s successful Open Male Surf Teams.
Not to be out done, Northcliffe’s Open Women also took out both craft relays. Emily Doyle and Naomi Scott joined Georgia Miller to win the Ski Relay, with Miller then combining with Harriet Brown and Hannah Sculley in the Board Relay.
Holding a solid lead after the second leg, Sculley took an unnecessary diversion around the apex and while the win was never in doubt, the margin was a lot closer than it may have been.
“Sheer stupidity from not paying attention to the officials!” said Sculley. “I just went out there and did what I normally do in a board race.
“It turns out we were only going around the two [cans], not the three but luckily these girls set me up and we still got the win… just!!”
Late in the day, Miller scored her third gold medal of the Championships when she combined with Lana Rogers, Naomi Scott and Bella Williams to take old the Surf Teams.
Zach Morris, Scott, Parish, Sculley and Doyle teamed with Ruben Rees in the final event of the day to take out the inaugural Mixed Taplin Relay which saw an incredible finish with four teams all coming into the beach on one wave in the final leg.
In the U17 Female Board Relay, Sienna Bush and Lucca Pither scored a rare double when they combined with Riley Meyer for gold. Their win came a day after Bush and Pither took out the U17 Female 2 x 1km Beach Relay. It was the third gold for Bush who also took out the individual 2km Beach Run.
BEACH RUNS – LATE FRIDAY
In results from late on Friday, Kurrawa’s Max Chislett had a perfect afternoon, winning the U19 Male 2km Beach Run before winning both the Open and U19 2 x 1km Beach Relays. His partner in the open relay was Sam McAuliffe who retained Open Beach Run title.
In the Masters, Marilyn Clarence (Alexandra Headland, 65-69 years) and Denis Griffith (Nobbys Beach, 70+ years) took out the Beach Run before today taking the Sprint-Flags double. Lee-Anne Nelson (Surfers Paradise, 50-54 years) won her Beach Run before today taking out the Beach Sprint.
The final day of the 2024 Queensland Senior Surf Life Saving Championships gets underway on Sunday at 8am.