TUESDAY APRIL 14, 2015 • SLS.COM.AU/AUSSIES
#AUSSIES100
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE SURF LIFE SAVING GREATS SHINE AT THE AUSSIES
HE BUILT THIS CITY LEFT : The Aussies 2015 Venue Manager Ken Bird.
BY THE NUMBERS THE AUSSIES 2015
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Just a month later he was back at work, piecing together The Aussies site. “There is a lot of pre-planning that goes into it but once that gets sorted it’s all systems go. It’s a challenge to build it
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It’s a four-week build with the help of a small band of volunteers.
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Ken Bird
PAUL COCHRANE THEY call it tent city. And Ken Bird is the man who built it. “It feels good. I look out over the venue and I’m really happy with how it’s come together. There is a real sense of achievement,” Ken said. After nine years as the President of Surf Life Saving Queensland, Ken took on the
venue manager role for The Aussies. This is the fifth year he’s been in charge, but this one is special for more personal reasons. You see, in November last year, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It was news he didn’t see coming. He had surgery two days after Christmas. “My Christmas present this year was getting the all-clear from the doc. That was the greatest gift I could have received.”
and it can be quite stressful but it’s bloody rewarding. I probably take criticism pretty badly but I’m pretty proud of what we’ve done,” he said. It’s a four-week build with the help of a small band of volunteers. “We tailor-make it as we go along to make it work. But the way I see it, I’m just here to support the officials and give them every chance.” The Aussies wouldn’t be the same without him.
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LIKE A DUCK TO WATER MORGANA JONES HE is The Aussies’ mononymous man. You know, when one name is enough. Sport has Pele. Music has Cher, Sting and Madonna. The Aussies has Butch. And that’s what he’s been known as on the beach at The Aussies for more than 20 years. “I am first on the water and last off.” He has been working in water safety at all major events since 1996 and has been a part of Surf Life Saving since he was seven. He began competing in IRBs, better known as the Ducks and naturally moved on to using his skills to keep other competitors safe. “It is the best seat in the house, but I also make sure I set up the best and fairest course
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possible,” he said. “I enjoy it. I come back because of the friendships.” And that’s the constant thread over the
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I enjoy it. I come back because of the friendships.
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Butch years among The Ducks. One conversation with them will guarantee you a laugh. “We thrive off the banter, there is always good banter,” On-Beach coordinator Roy Anderson said. Even if you’re not quite sure exactly who you’re talking to!
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LEFT: Butch living the life of a duck at The Aussies 2015.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY OF THE AUSSIES? JOHN NEWTON CURRUMBIN SLSC, QLD
BRYAN MAY NORTH BONDI SLSC, NSW
“Back in 1965 I won’t forget when the Victorians showed up with plastic decks in their skis, and how the next year was a turning point, with guidelines being set and an even playing field started.”
“My favourite memory of Aussies was probably last year coming 3rd in the swim titles, of course it’s great to be back here again.”
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02 The Aussies 2015
DEAN PARRY ELOUERA SLSC, NSW JEREMY NORTON BURNIE SLSC TAS “I remember back in 1989 when the ski relay got re-run twice due to technicalities, and both times the same team, Surfers Paradise took out Gold.”
MARK EPPER MANLY SLSC, NSW “I remember back when the waves were huge, it became a chance of survival trying to avoid having to go over or under any.”
Tuesday April 14, 2015
AUSSIES LEGEND DOES IT AGAIN APRIL CLARKE AUSSIES legend Grant Kenny called upon all his experience and ocean skill to win yet another national championships gold medal yesterday. The surf sports great held a handy lead through the ski, only to fall behind North Bondi’s Scott Thomson on the swim leg of the 50-54 Ironman event. But his crucial, race-winning move on the final wave of the board leg catapulted him to victory. “I’ve trained hard. I’ve been doing a bit of travel. But it doesn’t hurt any less being back here,” Kenny said. “On that last wave I just got Scotty. I pushed pretty hard at the ends and had to chase him. It was a bit of a tactical move. I knew where his board was mid pack so he got the short turn, so I knew
exactly what ground I had to get there.” Despite having his summer hampered by a calf injury, Kenny appeared untroubled through the Ironman race. However, he almost suffered a facial injury in his pursuit of the gold. “I nearly broke my nose on the back of Scotty’s board there,” he said. Almost fittingly, Kenny was among the Masters winners as Surf Life Saving celebrates the 100th anniversary of The Aussies. This win coming 35 years after his history-making double when he took out the junior and senior Ironman titles on the same day. “It’s great to be a part of it this year. There are so many good guys down here. It’s good to reminisce and renew those friendships.”
CLUB IN FOCUS ANGELSEA SLSC, VICTORIA AS winter approaches, the warmer Queensland water is a welcome relief for the Anglesea SLSC athletes competing at The Aussies 2015. Formed in 1952, with over 9000 members, this active Victorian club also boasts some of Australia’s most scenic views along the Great Ocean Road and Surf Coast. A strong contingent of green and white striped caps are competing across all three age categories at this year’s championships. The club atmosphere is a unique one, with people from all over Victoria coming together to form this great club.
SUPER MUM’S AUSSIES ADVENTURE MORGANA JONES
ABOVE: Double gold medalist Wendy Reyntjes with a proud Fairhaven SLSC Team Manager.
WENDY Reyntjes is the Victorian Supermum who came to The Aussies and picked up double gold. In her debut as a Masters competitor, the Whitehaven SLSC athlete started her day with victory in the 40-44 Ski race. “I wasn’t expecting that as I’m more used to long distance races. It was so much fun out there, I loved it,” Wendy said.
“I just won the Australian Ocean Racing Series, so I am more used to 15 to 20 km racing. I haven’t trained for this.” By day’s end she had also added the 40-44 years Ironwoman national title to her collection. “I am a Mum, so the only reason I got to come up from Victoria was because it just happened to line up with school holidays,” she said. She’s glad she did now!
ABOVE : Ingilby Dickson, Masters competitor and proud representative of Angelsea SLSC.
SUPER COOPER TO LIGHT UP DAY TWO IAN HANSON THIRTY-FOUR years after his dramatic last ditch win over Grant Kenny in the 1981 Australian Junior Ironman final, Russell Cooper will team up with his arch rival in the famous Alexandra Headlands cap on day two of the Masters today. Cooper, racing for his beloved Cronulla, was the man who stopped Kenny from repeating his historic 1980 Junior-Senior Ironman double. A Virgin pilot, based in Brisbane, Cooper joined Alexandra Headland this season to
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complete a 150 years “dream team” single ski relay with Kenny and club coach Jeff Lemarseny.
It’s great to come to the Aussies and relive past races and stories. Kenny, after stints with Mooloolaba and Noosa has returned to “Alex” to compete with son Jett, a fitting return to the club where his father Hayden became a legendary figure. Kenny welcomed Russell into the club
yesterday saying: “It’s great to come to the Aussies and relive past races and stories and it’s great to have Russell join the club after all these years. Teams events are always a lot of fun.” Meanwhile Northcliffe trio - multiple gold medallists Anna Ballara, Lee Vrolyks and Tiarne Smith will also be striving to add to their medal tallies in the 110 years single ski relay. Ballara, despite a hamstring injury and a bulging disk finished sixth in the 45-49 years female single ski while Vrolyks claimed bronze in the 30-34 event with Smith also claiming bronze in the same event in the 35-39 age group.
Wanda SLSC had the R&R team to beat back in the 80’s winning 4 successive Open 6 Man R&R’s with the same team from 1985 to 1988. The team consisted of G. Allum, G. Dyson, I. McGuinness, N. McGuinness, C.Wetherall, C.Ricketts and their instructor R.Sandstrom.
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The Aussies 2015 03
LEFT : Lee Vrolyks from Northcliffe SLSC in 30-34 Womens Single Ski Race.
RIGHT : Off and running in the board Final.
LEFT : Ken Cook from Urunga SLSC in 70+ Surf Race.
RIGHT : North Manly SLSC in the 50-54s Single Ski Race.
FAR RIGHT : Cudgen Headland SLSC, Kurrawa SLSC and Swansea Belmont SLSC Women Competitors.
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Tuesday April 14, 2015
FAR LEFT : Tweed Heads & Coolangatta SLSC in Board Race.
LEFT : Womens Board Race with Maroochydore SLSC and Manly SLSC.
LEFT : Rainbow Bay SLSC.
RIGHT : Coogee NSW SLSC in Womens Sprints.
ABOVE : Surf Life Saving Australia Referee, Andrew Buhk.
LEFT : North Kirra SLSC starting Womens Surf Race.
Championship photos available at harvpix.com
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The Aussies 2015 05
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
DESERT TREK TO THE GOLD COAST
IAN HANSON AFTER a lifetime of competition that netted him a total of 16 Aussies gold medals, North Cronulla’s SLSA Hall of Famer Steve Warren is now a proud grandfather. When he returned to the Masters competition yesterday after a five-year lay off, granddaughters, four-year-old twins Andie and Montana and 15 month old Lila were front and centre cheering him on. “The kids have never seen me race before so it was nice to put the cap on again and have a paddle,” said Warren, regarded as one of Australia’s greatest ever board paddlers. “I’m coaching the kids down at North Cronulla and we decided to come up and have a float in the board events and have a bit of fun with old mates Stu Cameron and Ian Wallace.” Warren pulled out all stops to take a closely fought win in the 60 years board race over Tasmanian legend Don Marsh (Carlton Park) and Rod Taylor (Mooloolaba). He later combined with Cameron to take the bronze in the board rescue won by Maroochydore pair Geoff Dews and Ross Fisher.
ABOVE : After coaching for years Wayne McMahon has been itching to compete himself.
LEFT : Board legend Steve Warren with his three granddaughters.
COURTNEY HANCOCK IRONWOMAN, AMBASSADOR AND COOLANGATTA GOLD WINNER
What advice can you give the athletes this year? Organisation is key. Making sure you have your bags packed the night before is something I was always taught to do. It helps make things easier for the next day, especially as The Aussies can be a very stressful week. What do you enjoy about being an Athlete Ambassador? I think it is a fantastic opportunity for me to be involved with the kids. It’s also great to reminisce from when I was their age. It’s a super fun event and I’m proud to be a part of it. What does The Aussies mean to you? I love The Aussies because it’s just a great family-based event, and when I say family I mean more than just Mum and Dad. I mean how your whole club becomes your extended family. I will never forget competing with my younger sister, Bonnie, especially when we won the open board relay together.
MORGANA JONES AFTER years spent coaching and driving around the under-18 High Performance competitors from Mindil and Darwin SLSC’s, Wayne McMahon decided it was time to give it a go himself. “I have been taking the young guys to competition for ages and decided I wanted to compete at Aussies too,” Wayne said. To get here, it’s been quite a trek. Three days in fact. Plenty of time for Wayne to think about his Aussies debut. “It was great out there, I don’t mind being at the back of field, I enjoyed the race,” he said. He’ll be back in action today in the 45-49 Double Ski race with Anthony Snelling. “We are the only two guys from Darwin who wanted to come down here, so we thought we would make a team and give it a go.” As a coach he is excited to see the young competitors from Northern Territory compete in the under-17 and 18 Ironman races. “They have been training with Noosa for the past few months to improve and get better competition, so I hope they will be future Ironmen and women. Darwin doesn’t get many.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE AUSSIES TONY SHEPPARD & JAMES GILTINAN COOGEE SLSC, WA “I love how here at the Masters everyone shows up with a different ability, some are serious competitors, some are here for the laugh and then there are us who show up for the holiday and beers.”
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06 The Aussies 2015
ANNA MICKAE – OFFICIAL COLLAROY SLSC, NSW
SCOTT BRYDSON & CRAIG STRINGER KAWANA SLSC, QLD
“I love the atmosphere here, seeing all the colours, the mix of people, ages, the culture here at the beach, it’s my first year as an official and I will definitely be back for more!”
“I love how here at The Aussies we have the opportunity to compete against people from all around Australia, plus a few days off work isn’t too bad.”
ANAIS LOUBET COOLANGATTA SLSC, QLD “I love being down here supporting Dad on the beach, but also then reversing the roles and having Dad here to cheer me on when I compete.”
Tuesday April 14, 2015
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LEFT : Ted Smithies makes it 14 from 14 beating his coach Martin Lynch to the finish line.
JACQUELINE GREEN THE streak continues for Newport SLSC’s Ted Smithies. He’s made it 14 from 14 in the beach sprint. Yes, you read that right. In his past 14 visits to The Aussies, Ted has won the sprint - every single year.
Ted Smithies It was put on hold temporarily last year when he didn’t attend The Aussies in Perth, but he was back to his dominant best in the 60-64 category yesterday. He paid tribute to his coach Martin Lynch, who just so happened to be in the same race! “The sand is very soft, but I managed to get a good lead and I couldn’t run this fast without him,” says Ted. It’s an incredible effort considering he initially took up beach sprinting after being asked to run in a ‘parent race’.
KEN COOKS HIS COMPETITORS FOWLER NO SHRINKING VIOLET APRIL CLARKE
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JACQUELINE GREEN FOR someone who “hadn’t touched a board until the age of 52”, Philomena Pettit has certainly made her mark on The Aussies. She is a long way from home this week but the trip from Coogee SLSC has been worth it for the modest mother of two, winning the 55-59 Female board race. “Finally, with hard work at training and patience, I am seeing the results and this win marks the trifecta for me,” she said. It was pretty convincing too, powering home to win by half a beach ahead of Noosa Heads rival Georgiana Lynch. “I just got the lucky wave,” she said. “I feel so fortunate to be a part of such a lovely community, surrounded by the awesome athletes here at The Aussies.”
The sand is very soft, but I managed to get a good lead and I couldn’t run this fast without him.
HATS off to Dwayne Thuys who has paid his own tribute to the 100 year anniversary of the first Aussies. The 51 year old was wearing his original Surfers Paradise SLSC cap on the beach yesterday. That cap is 35 years old. Old enough to compete in the Masters itself!
PETTIT A GIANT OF THE SURF
ABOVE : 76 year old George Fowler running in the beach sprints.
SOMETIMES winning isn’t everything. Just ask 76-year-old George Fowler, the oldest competitor in the Beach Sprints at The Aussies 2015. In front of a vocal cheer squad of two, his daughter and granddaughter, the Bonnie Hills SLSC veteran lined up in the field of eight for the 70 years and over dash down the straight. Just being on the start line was a triumph in itself. Finishing fifth was a bonus. “The legs are a bit rusty, but nothings stopping me getting to the line,” George said. Sometimes though, you’ve got to watch out for those young blokes. John McNamee from Clovelly SLSC won it ahead of Glen Wilson from Mooloolaba. Two years ago, John was in the 65-69 years age bracket. “Of course the winner was younger than me,” Glen joked. “Once you get over 70, every year on makes a difference,” George lamented. “But it’s all a bit of fun with the old blokes.”
JACQUELINE GREEN HE was out of breath and crouched on the finish line but Ken Cook is adamant age hasn’t wearied him in the slightest. “I train every day and I love what I do,” Ken said, just two months out from his 76th birthday. The Woolgoola SLSC member has been a Surf Lifesaver for around 60 years and has been a regular at The
I train every day and I love what I do. Ken Cook Aussies along the way. Yesterday he once again won gold in the swim from the over 70’s. “That race was tough, having to swim all the way in from the buoys”, he said. He beat home Robert Watkins from Cottesloe SLSC and Bill Phillips from Whale Beach.
1962 was the first time ever that The Aussies went to compete in the antarctic cold waters of Tasmania. That year the carnival was spilt between Carlton-Hobart and West Beach Burnie. It must have been a shock for the guys from NT.
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The Aussies 2015 07
#AUSSIES100 PICS OF THE DAY
JOIN THE CONVERSATION LifeSaving.nl @LifeSaving_NL Ali Day chasing greatness at @ SLSAustralia Champs #Aussies100... http://fb.me/1MS19CXec Burnie SLSC @burnieslsc 1st day of Aussies masters event. #Aussies100 #aussies15 @ slsaustralia http://fb.me/3o4vn5fTS Stephen Leahy@stephenjleahy Day 1 of Masters Champs at the @ SLSAustralia #Aussies100. A cool morning, southerly winds, poss rain later today. Jenny Schofield@Mummaschoey Day 1 Aussie #aussies2015kirra #Aussies100 https://instagram. com/p/1ZUrmNw2yQ/ Surf Life Saving NZ@SLSNZ Four medals for the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service masters over at the #Aussies100. Nice work team... http://fb.me/4mjAc85Qw
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT : @brettydowks (Brett Dowker), @breemasters, @twenni_juan (Simone), @ashleighgrace94 (Ashleigh Grace)
Brooke Hanson @HansonBrooke Great to see brother Kurt in cracking form winning 2 gold in the masters #never too old @kurtmillshanson @ SLSAustralia ABC News Brisbane @ ABCNewsBrisbane Junior surf life savers take to the waters for #TheAussies http://ab.co/1FBlZiq (Pics: @SLSAustralia)
ON BEACH PRODUCTION TEAM: Paul Cochrane, Elyce Behrsin, April Clarke, Morgana Jones, Jacqueline Green (SLSA Media Team); Tom Parsons (SLSA Design); Ian Hanson; Harvie Allison, Kate Czerny, Shanta Allison (Harvpix.com).
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08 The Aussies 2015
Tuesday April 14, 2015