POWER 100: Coast's 11 most influential sports stars

It was another massive year in sport on the Sunshine Coast with some truly stunning performances on the domestic and international stage.

INFLUENTIAL: Some of the Coast's elite athletes have had breakout years in 2018. Picture: Sunshine Coast Daily

SPORT is one of the foundations of the Sunshine Coast psyche.

The region has a rich history of producing world-class talents in a range of different sports.

This year was no different, with another batch of athletes, either home-grown or representing our region, starring on the biggest stages.

Here are 11 of our best sporting talents who shone this year:

Julian Wilson (AUS) Winner of the Quiksilver Pro France 2018. Picture: Damien Poullenot

JULIAN WILSON

THE 29-year-old Coolum Beach product is right in the mix for a breakthrough world title, currently ranked third in the World Surf League standings heading into the title-deciding Billabong Pipe Masters in Hawaii in December.

Wilson won the Quiksilver Pro on the Gold Coast and in France this year, while he's finished fifth or better in five other events.

A previous triple crown winner, the Coolum kid has given himself every chance of claiming the title and is currently tied for second place in the world rankings.

Sunshine Coast Lightning captain Geva Mentor. Picture: Liam Kidston

GEVA MENTOR

OUR adopted English rose, Mentor may have swapped the Sunshine Coast Lightning for Collingwood Magpies, but she'll forever hold favour with local fans.

The defensive superstar was the Lightning captain and led them to back-to-back Super Netball titles in the club's first two seasons.

Brisbane Lions tall timber Eric Hipwood. Picture: JULIAN SMITH

ERIC HIPWOOD

HE MAY not be playing for one of the AFL heavyweights, but former Caloundra Panther Eric Hipwood is making a name for himself as one of the sport's future superstars.

Hipwood reeled off 82 shots at goal this season and booted six goals against Carlton in Round 16 en route to a 37-goal season.

The 21-year-old, 203cm giant has been lauded for his abilities at ground level too and his future is looking extremely bright.

Sydney Roosters hooker and grand final winner Jake Friend. Picture: Brendon Thorne

JAKE FRIEND

THE former Noosa schoolboy has added to his trophy cabinet again this year.

The co-captain of the Sydney Roosters, Friend's team claimed the NRL Premiership, minor premiership and made more than 1250 tackles this season.

In a region littered with rugby league talents Friend is adding to an extremely impressive CV.

Surf lifesaver and paddler Lincoln Dews. Picture: Harvpix

LINCOLN DEWS

THE inaugural Paddle League world champion, Dews is preparing to conquer the Red Bull Heavy Water race in San Francisco next.

The 12km invitational event is one of a number of late-year tests for Dews, who also planned to challenge for the ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship in December before sailing in the Sydney to Hobart.

Lana Rogers won the Australian ironwoman crown. Picture: Harvpix.com

LANA ROGERS

NOOSA Heads product Rogers secured her maiden Australian ironwoman crown in Perth in April.

She beat home Kurrawa's Rebecca Creedy and North Bondi's Lizzie Welborn to claim the title.

Rogers was crowned the Sunshine Coast Surf Life Saving Branch athlete of the year in July.

ACT Brumbies and Wallabies player Blake Enever. Picture: John McCutcheon

BLAKE ENEVER

THE Wurtulla native made his Wallabies debut late-2017 and found himself in a battle for a starting spot with the Brumbies this year.

Enever remains one of the success stories of Sunshine Coast rugby union and was selected mid-year to trial against the Wallabies, in an opportunity to further press his claims.

Swimmer Kaylee Mckeown. Picture: Patrick Woods

KAYLEE MCKEOWN

SELECTED to make her Commonwealth Games debut, a silver medallist at the national short course meet and a gold medallist at the Youth Olympics, 2018 has been a huge year for superfish Kaylee McKeown.

The Coast swimmer had a breakout year and cemented herself as a rising star internationally.

Ironman and rising television star Jett Kenny. Picture: Warren Lynam

JETT KENNY

THE chiselled Alexandra Headland ironman has had a huge year both competitively and away from the beach.

He is deep in preparations for the world ironman titles in November and has also appeared on the small screen in Channel 9's Ninja Warrior and Seven's Real Full Monty.

Young surfing star Keely Andrew. Picture: Kelly Cestari

KEELY ANDREW

INJURY may have cruelled the late stages of her 2018 season but the Mooloolaba product has been shredding against some of the world's best female surfers.

A second-place on the Gold Coast and fifth-place in Brazil showed the world Andrew has the talent to compete in the World Surf League Women's Championship Tour.

The 23-year-old suffered a significant leg injury late in the season, but will be looking to return to the elite level of surfing as soon as she can.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist and CrosFit champion Tia-Clair Toomey. Picture: Nigel Hallett

TIA-CLAIR TOOMEY

THE Sunshine Coast woman is officially the fittest on earth. Again.

Toomey claimed back-to-back Reebok World CrossFit Championships in the US in August.

The 'pocket rocket' won three of the 14 events and only finished outside the Top 10 once, to claim the victory ahead of fellow Aussie Kara Webb (nee Saunders), backing up a Commonwealth Games weighlifting gold medal in April.