Queenscliff beach looks set to be the site of a huge Bondi Surf Bathers victory, with only Surf Boats results tomorrow standing in the way of the club taking out the 2025 NSW Masters Surf Life Saving Championships, proudly presented by Your local club.
The second day of the Masters Championships was teams day, with a variety of relays, board rescues and the surf teams race closing out two days of epic competition for our surf sports veterans.
Freshwater SLSC’s Phil Bird, John de Mestre and Gaven Needham won a stacked 170+ Male Taplin Relay, while Newport SLSC’s crew of ski paddler, Rebecca Capell, board paddler, Julia Jones-Hughes, and swimmer, Amanda Lehman earned a gold medal in the 130+ Female Taplin.
In the 170+ Female Taplin, Wamberal SLSC claimed a dramatic one-two where their A and B teams finished with medals. Trina Cansick, Marguerite George, Colleen Harrison, Twynette Dickinson, Dianne Diebert, and Justine Ella embraced on the finish line, a huge result for the Central Coast club.
Further down the beach, an exclamation of “finally” from Shelly Beach SLSC’s Keaton Watts was heard down the beach when his team, with Leigh Mitchell and Thomas Simpson, won the 110+ Male Board Relay. Watts and Mitchell had been in teams that came third and second over the previous two years.
Other results in the Board Relay races included Coogee SLSC’s Michelle Donoghoe, Melinda Toomey, and Linda Walsh winning the 150+ Female, and North Bondi’s Jane Cichero, Stephanie Hughes, and Amy Somes taking out the following race – the 170+ Female.
Manly LSC’s 130+ Female Swim Team of Rachel Crerar, Julie Bell, and Melanie-Jane Brock were good for first in their category and would’ve claimed a bronze medal in the 110+ Female as well, where Shelly Beach and The Lakes SLSC finished first and second.
Blair Chapman, Grant Baldock, and Darrin Jones of Bondi SBLSC won the 150+ Male Surf Teams event – one of several wins for Bondi across the swim event.
In the Ski Relays, Stockton SLSC’s James White, Paul Bernard, and Jason Upton beat teams out of Swansea Belmont SLSC and Wollongong City SLSC to claim gold in the 130+ Male category, and the club confirmed its strength in the event with a win in the 150+ Female Ski Relay for Bonnie Danuser, Jo-anne Dryden, and Kylie Whitbread.
Terrigal SLSC’s Brad Halicek and Peter Laing were quickest back to shore in the 50-54 Male Board Rescue, and The Lakes’ Nikki Fitzsimmons and Rylie Allen won the 35-39 Female category.
Redhead SLSC brought the Hunter back a gold in the 40-44 Male Board Rescue to Mark Ayre and Jason Dwyer.
Meanwhile, Swansea Belmont’s Nathan Croal and Stewart O’Regan won the 45-49 Male Double Ski while Clovelly SLSC, albeit as the only competing team, saw gold medals for Jo Emery and Wendy Pepper in the 60-64 Female Double Ski.
Tomorrow the Masters Surf Boats competition kicks off and Open athletes will compete for the first of three huge days to close out the Championships.
Thursday 13 March 2025