TIDE TURN$
SHANNON Eckstein’s legacy in surf lifesaving has moved beyond racing, with the decorated ironman launching Australia’s richest singleday event for the sport.
The 35-year-old has created the Shannon Eckstein Ironman Classic, an event carrying an incredible $84,000 in prizemoney.
The event will be held on March 22 and 23 at his home club Northcliffe. The Classic will have $20,000 up for grabs for each of the winners of the ironman and ironwoman finals – the richest prize purse for one event. Another $10,000 is on offer for Friday afternoon’s Dash For Cash events.
Eckstein will retire from professional ironman racing at the end of this season. The man considered the greatest ever ironman said the Classic was his way of giving back to the sport.
ZACH King is part of a generation of emerging talent set to benefit most from the revitalisation of surf ironman.
The son of 1991 Coolangatta Gold champion Michael King only decided to take up the sport seriously last year and was crowned Australian under-14 champion within months.
Now he wants to follow in the footsteps of the sport’s greatest, starting with the under-15 category of the Shannon Eckstein Classic.
“It’s great to be around those top athletes older than me who are racing at the same event. It means a lot,” King said.
King never knew the golden era of surf racing. It’s all like a vague myth from stories overheard around his Currumbin club.
But father Michael said he could be part of a shift towards that again.
“The way these events are starting to take shape now is great with these athletes putting back in to the sport,” King said.
“I have been a coach for 20 years and we went through a good period there. Now all of a sudden it seems like it’s on the up again.
“I hope people get behind it because the athletes are at their all-time best and putting on a spectacular show.”
Eckstein said the under-15 and 17 formats were his first focus when creating the event.
“We don’t want to lose young kids to other sports because there is no professional future and we don’t want our older guys retiring too early,” Eckstein said.
“This will add to the current series we have got and if everyone does their bit then this shows there are ways for people to be professional in this sport.”