The 2023 NSW Surf Life Saving Masters Championships, proudly supported by Your local club, have been run and won, with North Bondi SLSC emerging victorious for the second time in four days after also clinching the Junior Championships at the weekend.
Holding off a fast-finishing Manly LSC who used home beach advantage to close the lead steadily through a series of team events on the day, North Bondi made it two overall point score titles from two attempts and de-throned reigning champions and noisy neighbours to the south, Bondi SBLSC – winner of the last Masters Championships at Swansea in 2021 and the eventual third place finisher this time around.
It was a familiar podium by the end – the same podium that was seen across the two days of competition with many of the same clubs that have stood the test of time for nearly a decade as the movers and shakers of the Masters competition.
While North Bondi did the majority of its damage on Wednesday in the individual events, picking up 23 of its 31 gold medals, wins for Simon Storry and Andre Dalton in the 45-49 Male Board Rescue, David Martin and Jamie Verco in the 50-54 Male Board, and Megan Rumford, Miriam Salter and Amy Somes in the 110 Year Min Female Single Ski Relay typified a resolute defence of the lead amassed on Day One.
The teams events saw a slew of new winners and great variety of clubs highlighted over the course of the day; Stockton SLSC benefitting from the seasoned pairing of Kylie Whitbread and Jo-Anne Dryden to pick up one of two gold medals for the Championships.
The Lakes SLSC team of Rylie Allen and Nikki Fitzsimmons teamed up to win the 35-39 Female Board Rescue, while Shelly Beach SLSC’s team of Keaton Watts and Daniel Kingsley won the same age category for Males.
On Shelly Beach, a huge effort from the Central Coast club saw them finish in fourth place overall behind some excellent individual and team racing. Steph Carey and Carlee McKay in the 30-34 Female Board Rescue are a perfect example – the pair training once together but showing some partnerships just work on their way to crossing the line first by a comfortable margin.
Hayden Allum, Joel Bolewski and Michael Georgaris picked up a win in the 110 Year Min Male Taplin for Wanda SLSC – the club who eventually finished fifth on the standings. Meanwhile, in the 130 Year Min Male Taplin, Wollongong City SLSC’s Benjamin Squiers, Michael Jennett and Louis Whant brought home gold for the Illawarra club.
Thirroul SLSC’s Scott Russell, Rod Landy and Jeff Wall won the 170 Year Min Male Board Relay in another great result for the region.
In the Surf Teams event, North Avoca SLSC’s Colleen Harrison, Marguerite George and Trina Cansick picked up a win in the 170 Year Min Female race, while Freshwater SLSC’s John de Mestre, Andrew De Vries and Dave Bredeson won the same age category for the Males.
The 2023 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, proudly presented by Your local club, continues tomorrow with the Open and Surf Boat Championships, where NSW’s elite athletes will contest events on the sand and in the surf as we look to crown new champions.
Top 10 Clubs
1. North Bondi SLSC
2. Manly LSC
3. Bondi SBLSC
4. Shelly Beach SLSC
5. Wanda SLSC
6. Newport SLSC
7. Terrigal SLSC
8. Freshwater SLSC
9. Queenscliff SLSC
10. Palm Beach SLSC
Full results can be accessed here.
Thursday 2 March 2023