RIPtIDE HARRY, LACHIE AND STEWIE REUNITE AT MANLY FOCUS ON STUDIES TOOK PRIORITY University studies and lifeguarding have taken priority over competing at surf carnivals for Manly s Harrison Stone this season. But the Manly board specialist, who had his best season in open company last year, is about to ramp up training and competition. Harry, as he is better known, has been working as a council lifeguard at Manly during the school holidays, also with his Manly clubmate Lachie Bruce. But both will be in action at their local carnival, one of the biggest of the season, at Manly Beach on Saturday. I am looking forward to it big time, Harrison said. Harrison has only competed at one board event in Ocean6 this season at North Wollongong. It has just been too hard to go to others with uni and work, he said. Harrison is studying sports science. Lachie Bruce has been in the same boat with uni studies. He is studying physiotherapy. We ve only been able to train in the evening but we ve pushed each other. After training we ve been going for a run, Harrison said. We ll certainly be stepping it up soon. Harrison had a huge 2017-18 season. He finished runner up to his clubmate Stewart McLachlan in the board at State and was in the winning Manly Taplin Relay team at the NSW titles. While McLachlan went onto win his fourth Aussie board title at Scarborough, Harrison came second after pipping Matt Bevilacqua (Kurrawa). Apart from the individual board race, Harrison said he would also be doing the Taplin Relay and Board Relay with Lachie Bruce and Stewart McLachlan. Stewie has had a few sessions (training) on the board, Harrison said. It s a huge weekend of surf sports action with the Freshwater carnival on Sunday. A number of competitors from interstate who competed in the Interstate Championships at Newport on Thursday stayed over in Sydney to compete at the Manly and Freshie carnivals. Pictures: Top: Manly s Harrison Stone gets serious with his board paddling (Photo: Kemble Cowan); Flashback to Aussies: Stewart McLachlan wins his fourth title. (Photo: Harvpix)
TIM EXCITED ABOUT FATHERHOOD Tim Kirkby s life is about to change. Tim and wife Emily are expecting their first child in May and they already know the gender. We are having a boy. It s exciting times for us, Tim says proudly. With work commitments and moving house, the Freshwater board paddler has had little time for surf carnivals but he ll be back in action at both the Manly and Freshwater carnivals over the weekend. I got to paddle on the double ski with my brother Ben at the first Ocean6 carnival at Queenscliff but haven t done any of the other rounds. We finished second that day, Tim said. This will be my first serious hit out on the board this weekend. I have still been doing some training and going to the gym. I did have a shoulder injury early in the season but that s OK now. Tim said he would be stepping it up but has no specific goals. Obviously I plan to go to Aussies. It s always a bit of a lucky dip when you go round the cans at Broadbeach. All you can do is enjoy it and do your best, he said. Ben has competed at two Ocean6 carnivals and his best result on the single ski was a seventh at North Wollongong. The brothers are particularly looking forward to the traditional Australia Day carnival at their home beach at Freshwater. The first ever Australia Day carnival at Freshwater was held on January 26, 1909. Freshwater carnival organiser Richard Hawtin said an accumulator points system will be in operation for nominated events for placings at both the Manly (Saturday) and Freshwater (Sunday) carnivals to determine a point score winner over the weekend with prizes available to all winners. There s a prize pool of more than $7,500, with $5,000 on offer for the Secure Parking Open ironman series events. Pictures: Top left: Ben Kirkby at front on the double ski; Top right: Tim Kirkby and Bottom: Freshwater is one of the clubs that still does R and R.
OUR BOATIES BOND AND DELIVER AT INTERBRANCH It was all about bonding and camaraderie on the beach. And in the water, the surfboat crews representing Sydney Northern Beaches in the Interbranch Surfboat Championships at Queenscliff last Sunday certainly rose to the occasion. Four of the crews Bilgola Bends (reserve men), South Curl Curl Lamp (under 23 male), Avalon Beach Chanel s (under 19 female) and Palm Beach Patriots (open women) won their divisions, while the eight crews combined to take out the boat relay in grand style. And so SNB took out the championships, amassing 229 points, from Sydney Branch (209), Central Coast (196), Mid North Coast (174), Hunter Branch (161), Far South Coast (139) and Illawarra Branch (101). Branch team manager Ryan Halangahau was just ecstatic with the way the crews performed. It was good to beat Sydney. They had a lot of North Cronulla crews and they are strong, Ryan said. I am so proud of all of the rowers. The team camaraderie was very special. It didn t matter what club they came from. They just got together and helped each other. I thought the two under 23 crews South Curl Curl Lamp (male) and Newport Thunder (female) were outstanding. They just got better as the day went on. A few line calls were unlucky for us in all events. A lot of the crews were unlucky with a wave coming up behind them on the bank. They won the rowing. The Newport Hellfish (open men) found themselves up against two of the best crews in the country in Bulli and Avoca. The Newport boys rowed really well and finished second on points behind Bulli. They can take a lot of confidence out of that. The boat relay was good fun. I had to make sure to get the order right and that it would work properly. The relay was never in doubt once South Curl Curl Lamp changed over to the Palm Beach Patriots. Those girls (Patriots) are just so quick. There were good change overs as well but it was a long run up the sand, Ryan said. Pictures: Members of the winning SNB Branch team; Right: Newport Hellfish showed good form in the open men.
PICCOLOS ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE Palm Peach Piccolo female crew only started rowing together this season and thoroughly enjoyed their experience representing Sydney Northern Beaches in the Interbranch Surfboat Championships. The girls didn t win their division (reserve women) at Queenscliff last Sunday but certainly gave a very good account of themselves. It was a great experience being part of the SNB team and we loved the boat relay. We have never done that before, said Jordan Toombes. In our three rounds we had a good solid row out each time and maybe we just need to work on our running home a little bit. We had a second and two thirds. While they are rowing as a crew for the first time this season, Jordan said they all knew each other before. We ve all been part of Palmy but Alexis (Bell) joined us from Bondi, Jordan said. Jordan said the crew started the season like a house on fire. We won our first two carnivals and then got a third at North Cronulla, she said. The girls return to action this weekend for the Manly boat carnival. Picture: The Piccolo crew show off their medals as members of the winning Sydney Northern Beaches Branch team - Jenny Altherr, Alexis Bell, Peter Spence (sweep), Steph Spence, Jordan Toombes. Top Picture: SNB members cheer on the runners in the final leg of the boat relay at Queenscliff. Pictures: Top: Sweep Ben Gill steers the Bilgola Bends home in the reserve men. They won their division. Middle: Rob Lowery and his South Curl Curl Lamp were outstanding in the under 23s. They also won their division. Bottom: Avalon Beach sweep Pete Carter is cheered on by SNB members during a leg of the boat relay.
MANLY GIRLS WILL NOW TEST THEIR SKILLS ON THE SKI SALTY PADDLERS TOPS AT STATE Four young girls from Manly LSC, who paddle for The Salty Paddlers, are now eligible to compete for the first time in under 17 ski events at local surf carnivals. Sophie Walters, India Newton, Riley Clarke and Mollie Opie last weekend won State kayaking sprint K4 in the 1000, 500 and 200 at Penrith Lakes. In addition, Sophie and Riley shared the individual distance race wins with India and Mollie also making numerous podium appearances. The girls split in the K2 races. The Salty Paddlers are certainly a keen lot. They train on Narrabeen Lake six days a week and the squad also do surf sessions at Manly on three days. This year we are collaborating with Narrabeen Sports High and will be running kayaking for school sport, said Chris Morgan, Also in the squad are well known surf ski paddlers Nick Dawe, Oscar Jones, Ethan Neville and Liam Farrell. Morgan said that current Australian ironman Kendrick Louis and Naomi Scott also paddle with The Salty Paddlers when they can. Naturally all the Manly competitors will be on show at their local carnival on Saturday and they will double up on Sunday for the Freshwater carnival. Pictures: The four Manly girls show their kayaking style at the State at Penrith; Below: On the podium to receive their medals. Under 21 200 K1 winners: Dodge Newton (left), Ethan Neville and Tom Hughes and the Open K4 winners: Ethan Neville (bow) Nick Dawe, Tom Hughes and Liam Farrell.