Testing conditions provide challenge at 2019 Aussies

Over nine exciting days of competition, 238 athletes from 13 WA clubs took on some of the best in Australia, with seven of our youth, thirty open and twenty masters’ competitors bringing home medals from the recent 2019 Aussies, held on the Gold Coast from the 30 March to 7 April.

Despite some rough, challenging conditions at Broadbeach this year, which saw all open women and U17 male events forced to relocate to North Kirra for the last few days of competition, our athletes, unaccustomed to the large swell, put on some impressive performances with many making the cut through to finals.

City of Perth athlete Max Anderson-Loake kicked off the open campaign strongly taking bronze in Open Male Champion Lifesaver, while Cottesloe’s Jarrad Davies took silver in the Male Malibu Long Board Riding event then followed it up with another podium finish, taking bronze in the Male Surf Board Riding event.

Trigg Islands’ Alana Nicholls and Shannon Reynolds paired up for the Open Female Double Ski, the smiling duo pocketing a silver medal; while North Cottesloe’s Matthew Cochran, James Gatti, Jeffery Hegarty, Matthew Norton and Joshua Gray also scored silver in the Male Surf Boat Short Course race.

A highlight of the week was undoubtedly Sorrento beach sprint champion Jackson Symonds performance, making the history books with his fifth Open Beach Sprint title and an Aussies record. As part of the Sorrento Open Male Beach Relay team, along with Caleb Paulus, Charlie Rigby and Kristian Hackett, Jackson narrowly missed a second podium finish with the team finishing fourth.

Jackson Symonds (middle) – 5 x Open Beach Sprint Champion. Photo credit: Sorrento SLSC

Also just missing out, in the Open Female Beach Sprint event, was City of Perth’s Sophie Watts, coming in with a fourth place finish, as did the Sorrento Open Mixed March Past team of Joanne Barram, Jennifer Colyer, Robert Doherty, Mark Gannon, Murray Geneff, Michael Gill, Kevin Haynes, Kenneth Jenner, Robert Lindsay, Leigh Nash, Tricia Neary and Russell Wright.

In the U19 events, Sorrento’s Female Beach Relay team of Amy Breman, Charley Rafferty, Sydney Rafferty and Serena Nandapi took silver, while North Cottesloe’s Matthew Lloyd came away with bronze in the Male Beach Sprint.

In the boating arena, we saw City of Perth’s Female Surf Boat team consisting of Paige Bajada, Chloe Hogan, Taylah Horsham, Georgia Williams and Geoffrey Wilson (Sweep), take bronze in some extreme conditions.

We also saw some outstanding performances in the U17 ranks with Hannah Jones (Scarboro) taking silver in the Female 2km Beach Run; followed by Ben Johnson (Scarboro) with bronze in the male event. Sorrento’s Tai Kirkpatrick took bronze in the Male Beach Flags then followed it up with another bronze in the Male Beach Relay with teammates Tyson Cook, Cristian Sayers and Jared Thompson. Another Sorrento beachie, Amy Breman, also took bronze in the Female Beach Sprint.

Moving to the water, Patrick Eley, Max Hunter and Will Savage (Trigg Island) put in an outstanding performance to take bronze in the Male Board Relay.

We are expecting big things from these youth as they continue their surf sports journey.

With many more athletes making the finals of their respective events, congratulations to all those who made the journey east.

Get the Youth & Masters wrap here

Full event results found here

Nicky Scott, Linda Jackson & Sharon Collis (City of Perth) – Gold in the 130yrs surf team

2019 WA medallists, Youth, Open & Masters events:

Gold 

Silver 

Bronze