Eckstein’s calm amid Gold storm
FIVE-TIME Coolangatta Gold champion Caine Eckstein believes the iconic event’s inclusion in the elite NutriGrain series won’t have a huge impact on the series despite the newly established Surf Sports Representative Committee criticising the move.
In a letter sent to Surf Life Saving Australia in April, the committee – made up of six of Australia’s biggest clubs – stated they didn’t support the endurance race’s inclusion in the pro series because it could interfere with an athlete’s season.
“We are of the view that including the long-course Gold in the series will result in a clash with the international surf rescue challenge event and pathway for athletes,” the letter read.
On a more practical level, Northcliffe president David Shields believed the distinct differences in training put Gold athletes at a disadvantage when it came to competing in the Nutri-Grain series.
“People who do the Coolangatta Gold usually end up having a terrible season because their bodies don’t recover,” he said.
Eckstein, who has won five Coolangatta Golds including the 2011 race when he also went on to take out the NutriGrain series in the same season, believes decisions over workload are up to the athlete.
“If I was the coach of a few of the athletes I’d probably not want them to do the Gold but you’ve got to weigh up if you’ve got a chance,” he said.
Eckstein said he was “pretty positive” about SLSA’s other changes including the introduction of the Iron X event.