The InterClub Youth competitors rounded out their Ocean and Beach events at Kurrawa on Thursday with the blue ribbon events, the Oceanman and Woman World Champions crowned during a hotly contested afternoon of finals action.

Off the back of seven gold medals in the National Teams competition, Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park superstar Jasmine Rayward capped off her surf events with a dominant victory in the Oceanwoman race alongside a gold in the ski race just ahead of sister Bianca in silver before finishing her day with a win in the Mixed Ocean Lifesaver Relay.

Following the Surf Ski Race, Jasmine said she was happy to complete a strong final after a tough morning battling the waves in the ski heats and semis. 

“Honestly it was hard work this morning, but I’m just so excited to be sharing the podium with my little sister who is probably going to be faster than me soon.”

“I think it shows how much we love each other when you can hear her [Bianca] cheering you on around the cans, screaming ‘go Jas’, so it’s really amazing to do it with her.”

Despite finishing in dominant fashion well ahead of her competitors in the exhausting M-Course Oceanwoman race, she said it was hard going the whole way. 

“That was tough, those conditions are hard and running across the sand is what did it for me but I’m so happy to come away with the Gold. We do a bit of running at training but I haven’t done much recently. I was powered along by pure fear that the girls behind me would catch up.”

“The girls behind me, I know how good they are and I know what this surf is like. Even though I knew I had a lead I just knew I couldn’t give them an inch or they’d take it all. I’m so happy, anything can happen, especially when the girls behind you are that good.”

“I’d like to thank my club, coach and family for supporting me, I’ve just had such a good time.”

Club mate Ethan Callaghan made it a double World Championship for Burleigh Heads with an emphatic Gold in the Men’s Oceanman Race to back up his earlier win in the National Teams competition for Australia.

“I won last week but this one feels better. It was such an exciting race, the boys were right up there and my legs are so cooked, that run is not good for the legs.”

“There’s been a lot of work behind the scenes, my coach has really mentored me through this and helped me so much. I’m really looking forward to the Series in a few weeks or months. I’ll take a couple of weeks rest and then I’ll get back into it.”

Up the sand banks on the beach track, local Surfers Paradise clubby Lily Alford was relived and excited to beat out tough competition in the beach flags to win her first ever World Title.

“This means a lot, I’m so relieved and so happy. I felt the tension more in the Heats. For me it was all about getting to the final and once I was in the final I thought ‘ok, I can breathe, I can do what I need to do’. It’s a lot of pressure, you never know who you’re going to have next to you and obviously everyone there is so talented so it’s hard.”

“I’ve been doing so much training and I’m so grateful for my coach Simon. I’ve only been training with him for eight months since I moved to Surfers but it’s been one of the best things I could have ever done.”

South African beach speedster Jake Hutton (Clifton SLSC) made it the double double winning the Youth InterClub beach flags today after the Sprints yesterday and titles during the National Teams competition.

Flanked by his raucous club mates, friends and family, Jake said it was a culmination of many months of hard work by many people.

“It feels really good cause I’ve put in quite a lot of work and there’s been quite a lot of effort put into me getting here from my parents, my coach and everyone around me so to be able to appreciate them by achieving this and achieving my goals is really great.”

“My mum is here on the beach with me and has put in so much effort to get me here, ‘I love you mum’. Also my coaches have helped me work through everything, through training and injury; they’ve been by my side the whole way.”

“I would have been happy to win either of the events, anyone would be happy to win a World Championship, but the Flags was more of my goal to achieve. I managed to get both which I’m incredibly happy about.”

Across at the Pool in Southport, the Opens were finishing up their first three days of InterClub competition before they move to Kurrawa tomorrow. 

Kiwi Fergus Eadie, competing for BMD Northcliffe in InterClub’s continued his winning ways with two further Gold medals in the 50m Manikin Carry and the Mixed 4 x 50m Lifesaver Relay while Italian Club Rane Rosse also backed up their first two days of podiums with another Gold in the Women’s 4 x 35m Manikin Relay and a silver in the Men’s.

New Zealand teammates and BMD Northcliffe club mates Zoe Crawford (1st) and Madison Kidd (2nd) took out the Women’s 100m Manikin Carry with Fins while Fabio Pezzotti gave Rane Rosse (ITA) another gold in the Men’s race.

After an intense program during National Teams for New Zealand, Zoe Crawford said she was looking forward to a break.

“There’s nothing much left in me now. I’ve got a few more events left on the beach but honestly I’m planning on being the biggest cheerleader for the club over the next three days.”

“I honestly couldn’t have done this without my coach back home in New Zealand. It’s been world class training but at the same time, nothing can really prepare the body for nine full days of competition.”

The competition now moves into the final three days with the Opens moving to Kurrawa and the Youth clubs to the pool.