Paris Olympic Medallists and renowned Ironmen and Women took to the start line at Kurrawa today in the first day of Open InterClub Ocean and Beach competition.
No one can say that a World Championship InterClub title isn’t a high priority for some of Australia’s most elite surf athletes as they donned their Club caps and hit the waves with a vengeance in the Surf Ski, Board, Board Rescue and Rescue Tube Rescue races.
Fresh off the Paris Olympics Kayaker Aly Bull was loving the energy of the World competition but not the cold water temperatures.
“I’ve definitely still got a lot of fire in the belly, an Olympic Games is like no other and I’ve been to three now and they’re all so different. You still come away hungry for more so I’m so pumped to be here and be racing for my Surf club.”
“I think I’ve had a smile on my face the whole day, there’s just something about sitting under your club tent and going out there to race in the surf; it’s what we grew up loving to do and the fact we still get to do it is priceless.”
With everyone chasing points for their Club as well as individual titles, it was BMD Northcliffe who came out on top after day one winning four championship titles in a row and five of the six on offer for the day.
Paris 2024 Medallist Silver Medallist Riley Fitzsimmons joined by Bailey Armstrong and Kiwis Fergus Eadie and Louis Clark took out the Rescue Tube Rescue event while renowned Ironman Matt Bevilacqua defended his Men’s Board Race World Championship title from 2018 and paired up with teammate Joe Collins to win the Men’s Board Rescue Title.
“That was just unbelievable. It’s just so hard to win these board races, everyone is so good and you really need to have a perfect race. Every bit of my knowledge went into that race and to win that is just awesome, Bevilacqua said.
“I saw the orange nose of Charlie [Verco], he’s just won Molokai which is a race that I really love and I just thought ‘oh no, we’ve both got the runs’. What a way to do it, I’m holding off these young guys for a minute longer.”
“I just really love my board paddling, learnt the trade in the ice cold down in Clifton and it’s just always been close to my heart. I’ll keep holding on and enjoying it.”
In one of the tightest races of the day with a finish so close the photo review had to be analysed for several minutes to decide the winner, Olivia Corrin (BMD Northcliffe) took home the spoils.
“I wasn’t actually supposed to be doing the Ski race today but I was subbed in. I’m just feeling really strong on my Ski at the moment, I’m enjoying the process and just having some fun.”
Over at the pool, the Youth InterClub athletes were fighting it out for final points tallies on their first day of pool rescue action.
After an impressive National Teams campaign and several more world titles to his name in the ocean stage of InterClub, Riley Brennan (Currumbin Beach Vikings) was back for his second 200m Obstacles World Title in a week.
“I’m over the moon to go back-to-back in the 200m Obstacle at the same time. I just can’t believe it, I’m stoked,” he said.
“I know my back-end is pretty strong so I just knew when we turned that 100m that I just had to go for it.”
In the Women’s 100m Manikin Tow with Fins, New Zealander Isla Petherbridge from Mairangi Bay SLSC won the race with more than four seconds clear of her competitors in a time that would have won her the World Title during the National Teams competition.
When told about her time she couldn’t believe she’d achieved it.
“I had no idea that time would have won last week, I just wanted to go out there and do a PB but that’s pretty cool. I’ve done a lot of training since last year’s pool rescue nationals and I kept training for the Worlds Trials. I came here to try my best and that’s what I did.”
The InterClub competition continues over the weekend with the World’s best Clubs announced on Sunday afternoon.
