The 2018 Australian Open Surf Lifesaving Championships have been a success with all four Bate Bay clubs winning gold medals.
The week-long competition wrapped up in Scarborough in Perth on Sunday with a number of success stories.
Elouera won the club’s first Aussies surf boat gold medal, with the club’s “Wilko” crew carrying the spirit of Elouera legend Les Hardy with them as they won the under-23s men’s race in tough conditions.
Sweep Grant Wilkinson wrote “For Les” across the bow of the Elouera boat after Hardy died on Friday night.
“Today was for Les. I wrote it hoping that we could claim victory and that his name would be first across the line,” Wilkinson said.
“To get Elouera’s first Aussies surf boat gold medal was special. To do it with these four guys made it even more special. But to do it for Les was something I can not quite put into words. Special just doesn’t do it justice. I can only hope he was looking down with that big smile of his saying “well done, let’s go have a beer to celebrate.”
The dominant and dynamic Elouera board rescue team of Christopher King and Jake Evans also won gold for the third year in a row in the under-19s event, having previously won the under-17s board rescue in 2016 and 2017.
Jordan Anderson and Michael Hanna won silver for Elouera in the open men’s 2km beach run and under-19 male beach sprint respectively. Hanna also won bronze in the under-19 male beach flags, while King won bronze in the under-19 male board race.
Wanda’s Ali Najem continued his success in the 2km beach run, winning his third Aussie crown ahead of Elouera’s Joan Anderson. Lachlan Crawford won bronze in the under-19s.
Hayden Allum and Nathan Smith also won gold for Wanda in the open board rescue, winning every heat and dominating a fast-paced final.
“It must be an age thing, I think we are the second oldest winners of this race,” Allum joked.
“Trevor Hendy and his son won in 2016 with a combined age of 69. But seriously it was a privilege to win a race with Nathan, a definite future hall of famer.”
In the open mixed six person Curlewis R’n’R, Wanda’s team of Colin Jones, Stuart Smith, Grant Sandstrom, Kurt Melville, Brock Douglas and Emily Caterson took the gold medal and the premier’s flag.
Wanda’s under-19 female taplin relay team of Kaimana Fittock, Britney Pierce and Georgia Sinclair also won gold. It was a successful competition for Wanda who also won seven silver and six bronze medals.
North Cronulla had a special boat carnival highlighted by Maddison McKinnery, Layne and Libby Holloway, Lauren Chadwick and sweep Michael Hawkins’ gold in the under-23s women's event.
Alex Rampoldi also won gold in the under-17 beach flags, beating out sister Leah who won silver.
Cronulla’s Chloe Mannix-Power secured the under-17s female beach sprint title, remaining undefeated from under-14s, 15s and now her second year at under-17s level.
Lachlan Vitnell (under-19 male surf belt), Ngaire Hadfield (under-19 female beach flags) and Harry Came (male 2km ocean swim) all won silver medals for Cronulla. Came and Hadfield added bronze medals in the under-17 male surf race and under-19 female beach sprint respectively, while Tim Ford also won a bronze in the male surf belt.
Northcliffe SLSC (360) won the overall point score. Wanda (107) were the highest-ranked Bate Bay club in eighth with North Cronulla (80) 11th. Cronulla (66) were 14th while Eloeura (32) finished 22nd.
See the best of John Veage’s 2018 Aussies photos here.
2018 Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships results
North Cronulla
1st – Alex Rampoldi – under-17 beach flags
Maddison McKinnery, Layne and Libby Holloway, Lauren Chadwick. Sweep Michael Hawkins – under-23 female surf boat
2nd – Leah Rampoldi – under-17 beach flags
Hailey Lane – under 19 surf board riding
Taleisha Garland, Madi Makovec, Maddi Moyle, Connor Dillon, Harrison Maddern – under-19 R&R
Nick Hards, Jake Young, Ethan Garland, Zac Diefenbach – under-19 male rescue tube rescue
Will Fleming, Logan Barling, Hugo Langton, Ben Jessop. Sweep Michael Hawkins – under-19 male surf boat
Zac Hughes, Mitch Bouzounis, Jack Mentha, James Budd. Sweep Adam Purdie – open male surf boat
3rd – Jake Woodger, Zach Roja, Leo Nosatti – under-17 male taplin
Leo Nosatti, Jake Young, Ben Highfield – under-19 board relay
Charlotte MacNamara, Madi Makovec, Maddi Moyle, Taleisha Garland, Lucy Green, Abbey Bofinger, Kirra Nuttall, Natasha Hargreaves, Tahlia Roja, Tiahna Woodger, Lara Hughes, Jenna Young – under-23 march past
Melinda Mentha, Stephanie Buncombe, Taleisha Garland, Monika Di Maio, Lucy Green – open female R&R
Cronulla
1st – Chloe Mannix-Power – under-17 female beach sprint
2nd – Lachlan Vitnell – under-19 male surf belt
Ngaire Hadfield – under-19 female beach flags
Harry Came – under-17 male 2km ocean swim
3rd – Harry Came – under-17 male surf race
Ngaire Hadfield – under-19 female beach sprint
Tim Ford – under-19 male surf belt
Elouera
1st – Chris King, Jake Evans – under-19 male board rescue
Rory Gillespie, Joel Zamek, Mick Henry, Matt Guy – open men’s reserve grade boats
2nd – Jordan Anderson – open men’s 2km beach run
Michael Hanna – under-19 male beach sprint
3rd – Chris King – under-19 male board race
Michael Hanna – under-19 male beach flags
Wanda
1st – Emily Caterson, Brock Douglas, Colin Jones, Kurt Melville, Grant Sandstrom, Stuart Smith – open mixed six person Curlewis RnR
Kaimana Fittock, Britney Pierce, Georgia Sinclair – under-19 female taplin relay
Hayden Allum, Nathan Smith – open male board rescue
Ali Najem – open male 2km beach run
2nd – Kaimana Fittock, Britney Pierce, Rachel Sothern, Kiera Warn – under-19 female surf team
Emily Caterson, Brock Douglas, Colin Jones, Gordon McKirdy, Kurt Melville, Grant Sandstrom, Katie Spinner, Joanna Stavrou – open mixed five person RnR
Brock Douglas, Colin Jones, Gordon McKirdy, Kurt Melville, Grant Sandstrom, Stuart Smith – open male five person RnR
Hudson Berry, Joshua Fernandes, Jamee Smith, Kurt Stavrou – under-19 male beach relay
Kaimana Fittock, Britney Pierce – under-19 female board rescue
Tyler Nott – under-19 male surf board riding
Kaimana Fittock – under-17 female surf race
3rd – Emily Eaves, Rachel Sothern, Kiera Warn – under-17 female taplin relay
Elyssa Pierce, Georgia Sinclair – open female double ski
Mia Ross, Kiera Warn – under-17 female board rescue
Jamee Smith – under-19 male beach sprint
Lachlan Crawford – under-19 male 2km beach run
Kaimana Fittock – under-17 female 2km ocean swim