Maroochydore lifesavers get gold at Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on Sunshine Coast
Maroochydore continues to enjoy a golden streak at the Aussies after a lifeguard came out of retirement to snare a special victory on home shores.
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Maroochydore continues to enjoy a golden streak at the Aussies after a lifeguard came out of retirement to snare a special victory on home shores.
Maroochy lifeguard Beau Farrell returned to his competitive roots to team up with swim sensation Matthew Palmer and claim gold in the open male board rescue final on Friday.
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In front of a home crowd, the duo delivered an epic performance for their home club, with spectators cheering them home to take the win over Charlie Brooks and Zach Morris (Newport) and Matt Bevilacqua and Matt Poole (Northcliffe).
After flat conditions dominated the morning's program, southerly winds picked up to create a small chop and give the men a little assistance on the run home.
"It feels absolutely awesome especially on the home beach and bringing Beauie out of retirement is just something special," Palmer said.
"I think he's been waiting for a few of us boys to get a bit older so he can race with us and to pull it off with him first carnival back is awesome."
Farrell savoured the triumph on a beach he knows all too well.
"To be honest that's the first time together on that board today," he said.
"I'm still a full time lifeguard here and have probably sat in that lifeguard tower for about 20,000 hours looking up and down the beach here so it's obviously extra special to do it on home soil."
It came on the back of earlier club success, with a sensational swim by Hayden Cotter on Thursday earning a gold medal for Maroochydore in the prestigious open belt race.
Alexandra Headland talents Tayla Halliday and Emma Woods teamed up to take gold in the U19 Female Board Rescue ahead of Manly and Swansea Belmont on Thursday too.
Saturday's action kicks off for the opens competition from 9:30am with blue ribbon ironwoman and ironman from 12 noon, live on Channel 9 GO!
Nutri-Grain Ironman Champion Ali Day (Surfers Paradise) will headline the ironman final as he eyes off his first Australian ironman crown. He'll face off against former Nutri-Grain ironman champions Matt Bevilacqua (BMD Northcliffe) and Matt Poole (BMD Northcliffe).
All three are big names in their own right but will be chasing their own slice of history as they eye off their first Australian ironman title.
Meanwhile, defending ironwoman champion Georgia Miller (BMD Northcliffe) cruised through to the final, alongside former Australian ironwoman champions Lana Rogers (Alexandra Headland), Courtney Hancock (Surfers Paradise) and leading NSW ironwoman Lizzie Wellborn.
Originally published as Maroochydore lifesavers get gold at Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on Sunshine Coast
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