GRAIN WAVE IDOLS
Generation next put fresh bite on iconic surf campaign
IT’S the iconic ad campaign that helped spawn a sporting movement and is now set to usher in the next era with the help of two of surf lifesaving’s biggest names.
Forty years after Grant Kenny appeared on the back of the NutriGrain cereal packaging following wins in both the open and junior Australian ironman, legendary ironmen Trevor Hendy and Darren Mercer are preparing to pass the baton on to the next generation.
After years of going head-tohead in the surf throughout equally glittering careers, Hendy and Mercer have raised stars of their own in TJ Hendy and Jordan Mercer.
To commemorate the iconic anniversary, TJ, 25, and Jordan, 26, are set to be immortalised on NutriGrain packs where they will share their “Unstoppable Stories”.
With the sport somewhat falling out of the national spotlight in recent years, it’s a positive move that could help reinvigorate young fans.
“Seeing these legends every day at breakfast time served as a massive inspiration for us kids,” said Surfers Paradise club member TJ. “I’m pinching myself that I’ll now become one of them and inspire the next generation of kids.
“I believe my dad had a really positive impact on the sport and brought the profile of the sport right up and it’s been a legacy that he’s passed on to me so I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to be on the Nutri-Grain box and have kids look up to me.
“I really want to help the sport get back to that level again.”
The Hendy name is synonymous with surf lifesaving.
Throughout the late 80s and early 90s, Trevor was the poster boy for surf lifesaving in Australia, winning six Australian ironman titles, four world titles and four Uncle Toby’s Super Series.
TJ avoided competition until he was 17, concerned he wouldn’t live up to his father’s name. But eventually, his determination to make his mark saw him undertake four years of intense training, qualifying for his maiden series in 2017 and winning the first round at Queenscliff, NSW.
“Even when you have to live up to the family name, you can still overcome and do it your own way,” said Trevor Hendy, now 51.
“Darren and I are fortunate to have taken out the title many times before, and now it’s exciting to see what our kids can achieve.”
Enrolments in Nippers programs across Australia increased 28 per cent during the first five years of Nutri-Grain’s involvement with the sport.
Nutri-Grain packs with TJ Hendy and Jordan Mercer’s Unstoppable Stories will debut on supermarket shelves in the next week.