Twiggy misses Jaws event
Flight delays force Durban’s Big Wave charger out of contest
TRIATHLETES from all over Australia have been flocking into the small holiday resort and coastal town of Noosa in Queensland in order to be part of the largest triathlon event in the world celebrating its 35th anniversary tomorrow with an entry list of over 8500 making it the world’s largest standard distance triathlon.
The Noosa Triathlon Multi Sport Festival is actually spread over five days and got under way on Wednesday with the Endura Noosa Run-SwimRun event through all the age group classes and categories from junior to senior. It continued with Thursday’s Noosa Tri-Charity Golf Day and another three events yesterday, the Arena Noosa 1000m Surf Swim at the Noosa Heads Main Beach, the Subaru Australian Tour de Noosa Open Cycle Criterium and the Noosa Sports and Lifestyle Expo in the iconic Hastings Street also situated at the famous Noosa Heads.
Other events squeezed into the programme include the Superkidz Triathlon exclusively for children and yet another triathlon for athletes with special intellectual needs.
The course for tomorrow’s famous triathlon consists of a 1 500m open surf swim in a sheltered canal close to the transition area, a 40km cycle over an out-and-back undulating road course and ends with a 10km run through the Noosa Sound.
The start list is a virtual who’s who of the top male and female Australian triathletes with several prominent foreign triathletes also entered and who will significantly raise the status of the event to make it potentially the best yet in the 35-year history of the event.
Heading up the list are members of the 2018 Australian Commonwealth Games team, including defending men’s and women’s champions Jake Birtwhistle and Ashleigh Gentle, the latter aiming for a fifth Noosa title.
Aaron Royle, Ryan Baillie, Gillian Backhouse and Luke Willian are all in the frame as is long distance specialist Sarah Crowley fresh from her podium finish at the recent IRONMAN World Championships.
Birtwhistle came third in 2015 and second last year and reckons he must be in line for the top honours this year based on the steady progression he has made in this prestigious event that will be watched by the thousands of spectators lining the route.
Royle, who has two Noosa titles from two attempts to his name, in 2013 and 2014, brings his Olympic expertise to the race hoping to make it three to keep his perfect Noosa record intact.
Noosa veteran Wilson is hoping he can call up the good form of last year which saw him dominate the race and he is keen to go out on a high note.
“I think this is around my 10th Noosa,” he said. “My first one was in 2003 when I was still a junior. I’ve missed a few through injuries along the way, but have always managed to come back.
“The Noosa is a bastion of Australian triathloning in a ripping location and one of the ‘funnest’ races on tour. What more could you ask?
“Obviously I would love to repeat last year’s result but it looks like it will probably be the best field we’ve ever seen at Noosa so it’s going to be a tough ask.
“Noosa is always a special race, it is usually at or near the end of the season so everyone is looking to finish the season on a high note.
“As far as I am concerned, this year’s race will be even more special for me as I’m hanging up the suit at the end of this year.”
REIGNING WSL Big Wave World Champion, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, spent two days travelling halfway around the world to compete in the Pe’ahi Challenge on Maui in the Hawaiian Islands last weekend, only to miss his heat by an hour after flight delays held him up en route from Durban
The 44-year-old Durbanite was disappointed at not being able to take his place in the second event of the 2017/18 Big Wave Tour (BWT), but was stoked to be able to catch a couple of the epic 10 to 18 metre (30 to 50 foot) waves at the break known as Jaws after the contest was over.
“Three delays and a cancelled flight saw me miss my heat by an hour, after flying for two days,” said Twig on his Facebook page.
“Shattered and defeated, until I surfed pumping Pe’ahi this evening with a handful of guys and remembered what it’s all about! It wasn’t to be this year and I’ll be back stronger than ever.”
The men’s event was won by Maui local Ian Walsh who revelled in the huge conditions and used the knowledge he has accumulated through the many hours he has spent in the water at Jaws to manoeuvre himself in the most critical sections of the best waves on both days.
Walsh ensured that the Pe’ahi Challenge trophy would remain in Maui for a third successive year after fellow local Billy Kemper finished runner-up this year following back-to-back victories in 2015 and 2016.
“This is a really big honour and I’m stoked that I can follow Billy (Kemper) and keep this thing on Maui,” said Walsh. “It was an incredible couple of days of surfing, some challenging lulls but everyone here surfed really, really well and it was a pleasure to be in the water with them. It was fun to watch each heat and our sport progress as the waves got bigger and better.”
Former BWT Champion Makuakai Rothman (HAW) placed third ahead of another Maui local in Kai Lenny, with two-time world champ Greg Long of California in fifth place and Australian Ryan Hipwood placing sixth
Last year’s women’s Big Wave Champion Paige Alms successfully defended her event title after defeating a stacked field of competitors in the final. Alms, who became the first ever Women’s Big Wave Champion at Pe’ahi last season, made history once again with her unprecedented big wave victory.
“I feel so grateful to be able to sit out in an empty lineup at firing, perfect Jaws,” Alms said. “It doesn’t get much better than that. Every single one of the women today sent it on a bomb. There were big waves out there and I was kind of kicking myself for not going on one set, but I just feel super stoked and honoured.”
The results see Twiggy drop to number 25 on the latest BWT rankings list with two events still to be run at Nazare in Portugal and at Mavericks in California.
Baker took the opportunity to get in a couple of practice sessions at Nazare on his way home from Hawaii and will be raring to go as soon as that event is given the Green Light.