No Bones about it as Bevilacqua shines

THE undisputed world paddleboard champion Tasmanian Matt Bevilacqua has set a time he believes will stand the test of time after winning his fifth straight Molokai to Oahu championships.

Bevilacqua completed the 51.5km race across the Channel Of Bones — the body of water between the Hawaiian Islands — in four hours, 20 minutes, and 50 seconds.

The time was almost nine minutes faster than his previous record, recorded in 2016.

But, having dominated the event since his debut in 2015, the now Gold Coastbased 27-year-old said he would take a break from the race also known as the paddleboard world championships.

“I think I’m going to have to have a year off after this year,” Bevilacqua told the

Mercury after his fifth win. “It takes up a fair bit of my life the last five years and obviously racing all summer with the Ironman series is pretty full on as well.

“I’ve really got to do what is good for me. I’m really happy with five and I’m definitely going to come back but next year I might have a year off.”

Being the world paddleboard champion is a long way from his start at Clifton Beach where his surf life saving career.

“Growing up as a young kid down there I didn’t really think Hawaii had a world championships within my reach,” he said. “Setting that record and lowering that was really special.

“I really want to leave a legacy and I think 4hrs 20mins is going to be really hard to beat and should stand for a few years.”

Bevilacqua was the first Tasmanian to compete in the Nurtri-Grain Ironman Series, and won the series in the 2017-18 but finished seventh last summer.

“I think I raced well the summer just gone, it just wasn’t my year and it is hard backing up year after year especially after a first,” Bevilacqua said.

“It is hard going in under that kind of pressure and though while I do try and block it out it was hard to deal with.

“I learned a lot and still improved, I do feel like I improved that summer and feel I’ll have a really good summer this year.”