The InterClub Youth competitors at LWC2024 were put to the test at Kurrawa Beach on Wednesday after ocean event postponements the day prior saw back-to-back heats, semis and finals throughout the day.
With a number of the next-gen surf stars competing off the back of an intense National Teams competition, their fitness and recovery tactics were put under the microscope as they battled it out against their fresher Aussie counterparts and fellow internationals.
Zoe Woods from Alexandra Headlands worked the waves on the runs home to her advantage to win her first individual World Titles in the Women’s Surf Race and Board Race.
Moving from third into first with an impressive body surf to the shore in the Surf Race she said it was a fight all the way.
“I turned at the black and white can in third and I felt a wave behind me so I kicked and streamlined and got down it. I was worried I was going to end up on the wrong side of the cans of the string of nine so I had my head up trying to find the waves and was just hoping for the best.”
“I didn’t see Kaitlin [Rees, Swansea Belmont] at the end but I could hear the crowd yelling that there was someone behind me so I was just sprinting as hard as I could to get there.”
In the Men’s Surf Race Final, Brayden Woodford (Bulli SLSC, Aus) used every bit of power and strength he had in his legs to come in over the top of Currumbin Beach Vikings, Riley Brennan in a sprint finish.
“That felt pretty good, I was pretty excited crossing that line, I was very happy.I saw Riley stand up, he was on my inside on the way in. When I looked up he was already running, when I took my last stroke on that wave I hit the ground and thought ‘I’ve got to get up and run now’. I trusted my legs, they’ve been rested for most of the day, so I was pretty happy to get over the line.”
“The body was a bit sore at the back end of the National teams week but I’ve had a few days off and felt pretty good this morning in the heats and semis. In that final I got a good start and knew I could trust my body to compete to its full potential.”
Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park’s Taj Andrews took out two World Titles in ten minutes with back-to-back Board Rescue and Individual Board Race victories while BHMP’s Women’s Team recovered from a tough day in the office on the individual front to win both the Oceanwoman Relay and Rescue Tube Rescue event.
As the day came to a close, the Youth events went right down to the wire with the Beach Sprints going to referee photo finish reviews before World Champions could be announced.
With the crowd waiting with bated breath for the last result of the day, Jake Hutton from South African club Clifton emerged victorious over his Australian counterpart Kobe Sorensen from North Cronulla.
“It’s amazing to win, especially after National Teams where I got pinched for first, but I came back and I got what I wanted to get. I definitely want to say thanks to my home club, my coach and my physios who have helped me along my whole journey,” he said before being chaired off by his celebrating teammates.
In the Women’s Final it was Josie Holmes from Noosa Heads SLSC who took home the World Title after producing an incredible second half of the race to overcome Phoebe Doran AUS – Swansea Belmont SLSC for the Gold.
“I didn’t have the best start but I just made it up in the middle and towards the end. I haven’t even won Aussies yet and I just won Worlds so I’m really happy.”
Across at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre with the Open InterClub competitors, it was another day of dominance for Italian Club Rane Rasse winning the Women’s and Men’s 100m Rescue Medley, Women’s and Men’s 200m Super Lifesaver.
Magali Rousseau won her fourth World Championship title in the Super Lifesaver event since first winning it at the World Championships 10 years ago [2014]. She also won the 100m Rescue Medley earlier in the day.
“Never say never when it comes to being my last Super lifesaver. I’m sure it’s going to be the last one but you never know, maybe I’ll go to compete in Masters and have some fun and party with my friends, could be fun.”
“It was hard to go again, I hardly had 15 minutes between the two races. To be honest I was hoping to go a lot faster than I did but I’m really happy with both races and to get some points for the club, that’s the whole point of this week, to get as many points as possible for Rane Rosse,” she said.
The Men’s 4 x 50m Medley Relay provided additional drama with NZ Olympian and World Champion surf lifesaver Steve Kent popping his shoulder out – and back in – during the race while helping his team Trigg Island SLSC (Aus) to victory.
Team member Jake Smith said he was still reeling from the race “It’s unreal, and to get to race with someone like Steve is just a dream come true, he’s actually the GOAT so it’s unreal. His shoulder popped out half way through, anything that could have gone wrong did go wrong, but he popped it back in mid swim, what more can you say about the bloke.”
Meanwhile, down the end of Kurrawa Beach it was the National Teams IRB Competition with New Zealand and Australia batting it out for supremacy in a series of races across the morning with New Zealand taking home the World Championship Crown and the gold in all but two of the races.
