SURF COAST’S FULL ACTION WEEKEND
JORDEN Merrilees and Californian Kelsey Cummings conquered both the sweltering heat and the Torquay surf on Saturday, winning the men’s and women’s Danger 1000 ocean swim event.
The annual swim, held at Torquay front beach, offers competitors the chance to race over courses of 1000m, 2.5km and 500m, and there were more than 1000 finishers across the three races.
Event director Brad Papworth said the event, run by Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Club, was a great success.
Mr Papworth said there had been an increase in competitors of about 25 per cent compared with last year.
“Despite the heat, we still had an increase, but we put a lot of really good measures in terms of protecting the competitors and also our volunteers,” he said. “It was a great day.” Mr Papworth said the number of spectators was probably not as high as some other years, which he said was likely due to the heat, but said the event had still been well attended.
After the wind picked up following the 2.5km event, there was a slight change of course for the remaining two races.
“We made the decision based on giving the competitors the best conditions to swim in,” he said. “Everyone said the conditions were a little bit bumpy, but overall really good.”
Merrilees, of North Melbourne, was the winner of the Danger 1000 event, with Robbe Dilissen taking out the 2.5km and Californian Ryan Makuta the 500 metre event.
Cummings won both the Danger 1000 and the 2.5km race for the women, while Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Club member Jasmine Happ won the 500m race.