IN THE SURF
Gold Coast continues to show why we are leading the world in surf sports, as teams prepare for interbranch titles
WITH the summer months officially upon us, the action is quickly heating up on the beach.
It’s already been a big couple of weeks for local athletes, with a strong contingent of competitors travelling south to contest the Lifesaving World Championships in Adelaide.
Once again Gold Coast clubbies showed why they’re regarded as some of the best in the business, with a number of stunning performances on the international stage.
From the pool to the beach, and the surf to the sand, our lifesavers led the way and brought home a raft of titles and world records with them. While it was wonderful to see Karlee Nurthen and Ali Day take out their maiden iron titles, it was just as exciting to see such a strong showing across all ages including youths, opens, and masters.
There was hardly a race across the 17 days of competition without local representation, and that’s a fantastic sign for the future of our sport on the Coast.
Congratulations to Northcliffe who successfully defended their title in the World Lifesaving Interclub Pointscore. However, they were pushed all the way by a determined Currumbin crew who finished just 10 points back in second place, with Kurrawa also placing inside the top four.
As we head into this weekend, our focus now shifts from the current crop of world beaters, to the next generation of surf sport stars lining up at the 2018 interbranch championships on the Sunshine Coast.
The championships will feature almost 80 Gold Coasters, aged 13-17, selected to represent the Point Danger and South Coast branches.
Kicking off today with the pool rescue competition, and wrapping up tomorrow with a full day of beach and surf events, the championships will see local athletes go head-tohead with some of the top junior competitors from across the state.
For many of these youngsters, the weekend will be their first genuine taste of representative competition and it’s particularly exciting to think of how many future Australian or world champions could be among those in action.
For the South Coast Branch, the likes of Kaan Karadag, Conor Peabody, Ruben Reese, Lani Cooper, and Tahlia Dilkes will prove tough to beat.
Meanwhile, the Point Danger Branch has also named a strong team featuring the likes of Beau Meehan, Sam Frost, Tiarna Bembrick and Gwyneth Richards.