WINNING WAVE
FAMILY SHINES
THE venue for the opening day of the Queensland surf lifesaving championships on the Sunshine Coast tomorrow has been changed because of fears over dangerous seas.
The one-day masters titles, for competitors over 30, have been shifted from Maroochydore to Mooloolaba.
Officials will make a decision on the venue for the senior championships, to be held on Saturday and Sunday, by tomorrow.
SLSQ surf sports manager Stuart Hogben said the safety of competitors, officials, and volunteers had been the first and foremost priority when making the decision.
“We’ve been closely monitoring the coastal forecast and expected surf conditions for a number of days leading into the Queensland championships,” he said.
“Unfortunately the past 24 hours have seen an increased swell and unstable surf develop at Maroochydore, which has prompted this decision.”
More than 1600 competitors, including 855 from the Gold Coast, are involved over the three days.
Among them will be Kurrawa’s Matt Bevilacqua, who will be riding a wave of confidence after a maiden win in this year’s Nutri-Grain Ironman Series.
However, the 25-year-old said he’s feeling no extra pressure as he lines up in search of his second state ironman title.
“I try not to let those kinds of results affect me too much and I’m trying to keep that fresh outlook that I’ve always had, and treat this weekend just like another carnival and another state titles,” he said.
“I’m just looking forward to having a crack at all the events and using the fitness that I’ve got to help make sure that I’m getting as many points as possible for Kurrawa.”
However, he’s expecting some tough competition, particularly in the ironman.
“The depth of ironman racing at the moment, especially over the short course, is ridiculous and you just have to focus on making it through to the top 16,” he said. “Guys like James Lacy, Shannon Eckstein, Ali Day and Matt Poole, they’re just in top form.”
Tomorrow: The team with teens to 80-year-olds