The surf sports season officially wrapped up with Nationals on the Gold Coast in March, closing what has been an incredibly busy and compressed competition period for our team.
In just six weeks, our athletes travelled to Freshwater, Swansea Belmont, Caves Beach, and finally Bilinga and North Kirra for the penultimate event on the surf sports calendar โ The Aussies.
This year, we were proud to have 13 members qualify for lifesaving events, an outstanding achievement. Qualification for Aussies requires a 1st or 2nd place finish at State, making the standard exceptionally high. Remarkably, we recorded the largest number of representations in Lifesaving events at Aussies across SNB Branch, a testament to the depth and dedication of our competitors.
Our lifesaving team performed exceptionally well in what was an intensely competitive environment. A special mention goes to the Open Patrol Competition Team, with half the team made up of U17 athletes, competing strongly against highly experienced Queensland teams. Their scenario results were among the best the club has ever achieved, an outstanding effort at the national level.
Thank you to Deb, who stepped in as team manager on Sunday, undoubtedly happy to manage the team rather than compete for a change! Monday presented some very challenging surf conditions, especially for our younger competitors, who showed incredible resilience and maturity in testing conditions.
Our First Aiders all earned valuable club points, but the standout result came from our Open First Aid Team โ โThe Penguinsโ, who claimed an incredible Silver Medal. Even more impressively, the SNB Branch achieved a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd podium sweep, an outstanding result for the Northern Beaches. In events traditionally dominated by Queensland clubs, it has been fantastic to see NSW, and particularly clubs within our branch on the podium, reflecting the significant time and effort invested by coaches and officials in lifesaving competition.
Milli Crofton proudly represented North Steyne in the Youth Events over two days at North Kirra, reaching the quarterfinals in both the Board Race and Ironperson. With over 200 competitors on the start line, Milli also achieved a top 20 finish in the 2km Ocean Swim, a phenomenal performance.
Finally, Caroline once again proved herself the Queen of the Sand, taking Gold in the 1km Run, and backing it up with a strong hit out in challenging surf conditions for the Surf Race.
It is not possible to compete (even at Aussies) without meeting our officialโs quota, and we extend a huge thank you and acknowledgement to Jodie Frazer and Joe Mastrangelo Jnr, who volunteered their time to officiate for us. Jodie has been integral in upskilling other officials in recording, particularly in lifesaving events. The impact of this was clear throughout the season, with less waiting time for results and smoother event operations. Thank you, Jodie, for your ongoing commitment and mentoring.
A special thanks also goes to Kyra, who donned the officialโs shirt to support our First Aid competitors, in addition to being an amazing coach! Also Sarah for officiating on Tuesday down the beach at North Kirra for Masters events.
Finally, thank you to our patients. Oisin Morris and Mike Jenkins, thank you for stepping into this role and enabling our teams to compete. Your contribution is essential and greatly appreciated.
An outstanding end to the season, and congratulations to all athletes, coaches, officials, patients, and supporters who played a role in what has been a hugely successful year.
Results:
