Dusted off and ready to roar again in Round 2 of series

AFTER a spine-tingling first Ocean Roar round, competitors are brushing the sand off their lifejackets and revving up the IRBs ready for Round 2 at Tugun beach today.

Gold Coast clubs Kurrawa and Kirra, IRB frontrunners, took out 10 of the 19 finals between them to finish on top of the leader board in Round 1 at Kirra Beach on April 27. Meanwhile, Sunshine Coast’s Alexandra Headland conquered on foreign ground to finish third.

Kirra SLSC IRB coach Andrew McAuliffe said the team was feeling energised in the lead-up to Round 2.

“We didn’t expect to get as close to Kurrawa as we did,” he said. “We’ve really grown as a club. There’s a lot of excitement about our female team climbing the ladder this year.

“They’ve been training hard, so we’re looking forward to seeing them out on the beach, in their element.”

McAuliffe said that Ocean Roar was an important stepping stone to state and national competition.

“We use Ocean Roar as training to iron out any mistakes leading into states and Aussies. Our focus is to ensure our teams function like clockwork. Small mistakes can cost precious time – which can mean the difference between gold and silver,” he said.

Although considered something of an IRB powerhouse, McAuliffe said Kirra was acutely aware of the competition. “We have very experienced IRB operators, including a current World Surf Rescue Champion. But there’s no denying the competition is fierce. Point Lookout and Alexandra Headland really stood out in Round 1 – they have strong, sizeable teams.”