The City of Bunbury Surf Life Saving Club was again well represented at the recent Australian Surf Life Saving Championships in Maroochydore, Queensland last week.
Twenty local athletes travelled for the week long competition across junior, master, youth and open championships.
They joined 7000 athletes across all age divisions from under 15s to masters from clubs across Australia to compete over eight days of competition.
City of Bunbury Surf Life Saving Club member Jess Wilsher gained a silver medal in the under 17 women’s single ski race. To achieve this medal Jess had to battle competitors from across Australia through each round of heats and finals in heavy conditions throughout the week of competition.
The final was run in very challenging conditions with waves up to 1.5 metres and a very strong current which caused many upsets at the start and finish lines across all finals.
As an added challenge, Jess competed in this final straight after competing in the finals of the open women’s double ski race with club member Kiera Albertsen in heavy swell and waves.
Other club members also made the finals for the last day of competition.
Lauren Smaniotto was in the final of the under 19 surf swim and held her own against a daunting group of surf swimmers while Kiera Albertsen competed in the final of the under 19 female board race.
Making their way into preliminary finals were under 17 board race semi-finalist Courtney Smaniotto and under 19 double ski quarter-finalists Darcy Freeman and Luke Snelling.
Junior Tom Scott qualified for the semi final in the under 15 male surf race and quarter final in the under 15 board race. Under 15 Byron Albertsen qualified for the quarter final of the board race.
In the masters competition, Julie Best gained fifth place in the final of the champion lifesaver event – a challenge of theory and practice across six events for surf swim, beach sprint, board race, rescue tube, resuscitation and theory.
Other masters to make it into the finals rounds were Paul Smaniotto (surf swim), Gary Carthew and Dave Barton (single ski) and Phil Best (board and single ski).
Other local competitors who travelled to the nationals were masters Les Sommers and Glen McAllister, youth competitors Spike O’Neill and Lauren Patane and open competitors James Duncan and Blake Smaniotto.
The team was led by club director of surf sports and head coach, Denise Duncan, who spent the eight days traversing the length of Maroochydore beach keeping track of club members in up to six arenas each day.
