NSW Surf Life Saving Country Championships: Warilla-Barrack Point claim title on dramatic final day
After three days of sun, surf and plenty of competition, the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships came down to the final event in what was one of the most dramatic finishes in recent history.
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Warilla-Barrack Point has broken Cudgen Headland’s five-year stranglehold on the NSW Surf Life Saving Country Championships by taking out the title after a dramatic final day’s action at One Mile Beach at Forster.
The South Coast club prevailed by just nine points, 1096 to 1087, in what was another incredible chapter in the clubs’ rivalry. This comes after Cudgen defeated Warilla by just five points last year.
Heading into the day neck and neck, the two clubs continued to trade barbs throughout the morning, with Cudgen winning six of the 24 beach run races and Warilla four.
The clubs’ respective stunning performances seemed to cancel each other out, with Cudgen sweeping the five Cameron relays and Warilla edging out their north coast rival in the Taplin races, winning four against three.
In fact, with so little separating them, the final event of the final day – the open mixed Taplin – ultimately decided the title.
In what was a fitting finish, Warilla’s teams prevailed, crossing the line in first and third, with Cudgen sandwiched between them in second and fourth.
There was high drama and plenty of emotion on show towards the end of the race, with Warilla’s Bailey Krstevski catching a wave all the way into the shore to break from the chasing pack and finish in first place.
The throngs of Warilla spectators formed somewhat of a guard of honour as he made his way from the water to the finish line.
“I had Cudgen on my toes there for a long time,” Krstevski said.
“I knew I had to be on that wave, and it carried me the whole way in.
“It was amazing seeing everyone there, it was a spectacular feeling. I had to tone it down when I got past the finish line to be respectful, so I just sat down in the sand.”
The spectacular finish adds another chapter to the cubs’ great rivalry, with Cudgen Headland winning the Country Championships by just five points last year.
“We have put in a massive effort,” Warilla’s Nicole Sims said.
“The whole club was spearheaded towards this weekend. We have been aiming for this and the fact that we could finish the day with a win in the Taplin and then points total just topped it off.”
It wasn’t the only close finish on the club pointscore, with Port Macquarie holding off Byron Bay to back up its third-place finish from last year. Elsewhere, Yamba edged out Lennox Head-Alstonville for fifth, Wollgoolga got over the top of Mollymook for seventh, and Black Head and Sawtell rounded out the top 10.
Catch up with a slice of the action below.
Day three action
Five points. Five points was all that separated champions Cudgen Headland and Warilla-Barrack Point in last year’s Surf Life Saving Country Championships.
And as the final day of this year’s Country Champs began, just five points separated these two great clubs once again, with Cudgen on 756 and Warilla on 751.
After entering day two 110 points behind its far north coast rival, Warilla-Barrack Point put in a dominant display on Saturday and even charged into the lead at various stages throughout the day.
This was highlighted by excellent performances in the senior ironperson and surf race events.
With the two clubs battling it out, the title was to be decided by a series of ski, board rescue, beach run and Cameron and Taplin team events at One Mile Beach in Forster.
Stay up the date with the highlights below.
Small clubs pick up big wins
While Warilla-Barrack Point and Cudgen Headland have undoubtedly dominated results over the course of the weekend, a number of other clubs have also performed incredibly well.
On Sunday, Mollymook’s pairing of Tony Ireland and David Tudor-Jones took out the open men’s double ski event, with Ireland also teaming up with Ed Macartney to win the men’s 40-49 board rescue.
It was an impressive performance from a club that took around 40 competitors to Forster, far fewer than some of the larger clubs who were represented at the Country Champs by more than 100 athletes.
Another club to enjoy a good day was Byron Bay, which finished fourth in the overall standings.
Kim Clark and Brooke Andrew won the open women’s double ski, with Clark backing up again with Kurt Tutt to win the 30+ mixed double ski event.
That wasn’t the club’s only victory of the day, with Kristy Collins and Joanne Kay taking out the women’s 40-49 board rescue event.
Big guns dominate the Taplin
If any discipline exemplified the nature of the 2023 Country Champs, then it would be the Taplin relay, with big guns Cudgen and Warilla dominating.
Of the seven Taplin events, which contains one swimmer, one surf board paddler and one surf ski paddler, Warilla won four – U17 male, U19 male, open female and the six person open mixed – and Cudgen three: U17 female, U19 female and open male.
The two clubs entered day three of the Country Champs with Cudgen holding a narrow five-point lead, which was in fact the exact same margin the far north coast club defeated Warilla by in last year’s carnival.
Cudgen sweeps the Cameron
Cudgen Headland has continued its strong form on day three by sweeping all five Cameron relay events.
The Cameron event consists of four legs – surf board paddle, surf swim and two beach runs.
In a remarkable performance, Cudgen won the U15 male, female and mixed Cameron relays on Sunday, which came after the club took out the junior (U11/12) and senior (U13/14) Cameron races on Friday.
While they might not have won any of the Cameron races, Warilla-Barrack Point put in a huge performance in the U15 male Cameron, with the club entering three teams that finished second, third and fourth.
Plenty of fun in Forster
For all the competitiveness and efforts to bring home the overall club pointscore, one of the special aspects of the Country Championships is the fun, family-friendly atmosphere of the carnival.
As one of the only meets that brings together athletes from nippers all the way to masters, the Country Champs hold a special place in the hearts of competitors.
“Everyone you speak to will just say that Country is the best carnival going round,” says Mollymook board and ski manager Tony Ireland.
“It’s because of the spirit and that everyone’s encouraged to compete in every event. It’s a great fun and family-friendly carnival, but at the same time at the pointy end of each race there’s really good competition.”
While much of the attention is placed on the leading clubs, like five-time defending champions Cudgen Headland and Warilla-Barrack Point, who last year came within five points of knocking over their rivals, the Country Champs is also a great opportunity for smaller country clubs to get together and compete on a regional level.
Family connections bring home gold
You could well have been mistaken for seeing double during the morning’s beach run events, with a number of siblings taking out their respective races.
For Cudgen, Jules Loemker took out the U15 boys 2km event, with older brother Sven Loemker winning the U19 race.
The pair are just two of six family members taking part in this year’s Country Champs, with mum Natalie, dad Carsten, sister Coco and brother Archie all in the thick of the action over the course of the weekend.
As dad Carsten – himself a former German Olympic canoeist – said, there is plenty of competitive juices running through the Loemker household: “Of course, for the boys it’s always competitive. It’s like: ‘I’m better at this, I’m better at that.’”
Meanwhile, Cudgen’s main rival Warilla had a superstar family of its own in the Spicknalls. In a remarkable performance, Claire Spicknall took out both the U17 and open women’s 2km events, with brother Griffin Spicknall ensuring the open event was a family affair by taking out the men’s race.
Beach runs kick off final day
Day three action started off the sand, with a series of 1km and 2km beach runs kicking off the final day at One Mile Beach in Forster.
Both leading clubs continued their strong form, with Cudgen Headland taking out six of the 24 beach races and Warilla-Barrack Point four.
For Cudgen, the winners were Harper Hutchinson (U11 girls), Jack Cross (U13 boys), Isabella Arghyros (U13 girls), Jules Loemker (U15 boys), Willow Nicol (U15 girls) and Sven Loemker (U19 boys).
Meanwhile for Warilla, Claire Spicknall (U17 women and open women), Griffin Spicknall (open men) and Nicole Sims (30-39 women) all won gold.
In other results, Henry Mathies continued Gerringong’s strong form on the sand by winning the U11 boys’ 1km race, Yamba’s Felix Forbes won the U12 boys’ race, Poppy Barclay (Coffs Harbour) took out the girls U12, and Connor McGreevy (Ballina Lighthouse and Lismore) and Marli Francis (Lennox Head-Alstonville) won their respective U14 races.
In what was a good event for Black Head, Izaac Boag won the U17 men and Freya Raglus the U19 women, while Mollymook also had double success, with Ed McCartney taking out the 40-49 male race and Paul Jones the 50-59 event.
Day two action
The NSW Surf Life Saving Country Championships continued on Saturday, with clubs and individuals alike battling it out during day two of the event at One Mile Beach in Forster.
A series of surf boat, ironperson, ski relay, beach sprint and flags races headlined day two after an action-packed opener yesterday.
Cudgen Headland entered the day well on track in its quest to claim a remarkable sixth-straight Country Champs, holding a 110-point lead over second-placed Warilla-Barrack Point.
However the South Coast club has staged a strong fightback to ensure the fight for the overall pointscore will go down to the wire on Sunday.
As of 5pm, Warilla-Barrack Point led with 751 points, with Cudgen Headland close behind on 737. Byron Bay was in third place with 232, ahead of Port Macquarie (231), Yamba (186) and Lennox Head-Alstonville (174).
Catch up with the highlights and a slice of the action below.
Warilla-Barrack Point surge into lead
They might have started the day 110 points behind Cudgen Headland, but Warilla Barrack-Point have stormed into the lead on day two after a string of incredible performances.
One of the highlights was undoubtedly the club’s dominance in the senior ironperson races (see below), as well as Ivy Miller’s stunning double in the under 17 and open women’s surf race.
In fact, the latter was an all-Warilla podium, with Nicole Sims and Madeleine Bakker finishing second and third, respectively.
By 5:00pm, the South Coast club had remarkably taken the lead with 751 points, with Cudgen Headland second on 737 and Byron Bay well back in third on 232 points.
Gerringong star takes beach sprint blockbuster
Gerringong’s Miller Siasat has taken out a star-studded final in the under 14 male beach flags event.
The race was one of the most highly anticipated of the carnival, with Siasat, who finished fourth in the Australian championships last year, lining against national champion Quinn Evans from Coffs Harbour and Australian silver medallist Cooper Bird from Cudgen.
However it was South Coast star who walked away with Country gold, ahead of Evans and Cudgen’s Phoenix Preston, with Bird finishing fourth.
Siasat then backed up to make it a beach double by taking out the under 14 beach sprint, with Hat Head’s Jayden Swaine second and Phoenix Preston from Cudgen third.
The double capped off a dominant performance from Gerringong in the under 14 beach event with Oasis Heunder taking out the female flags event ahead of Frankie Moir-Dobbs (Lennox Head-Alstonville) and Lara Hannaford (Woolgoolga).
Plenty of action on the beach
While most of the attention is one of the water, some of the most exciting events took place on the sand on day, with a host of beach sprint and flag events.
In the under 10s, Byron Bay’s Roland Cohen took out the beach sprint event, with Shellharbour’s Jay Misiti winning the flags.
In the female races, it was a double for Warilla’s Matilda Liberato, who took out both sprint and flag races.
All up, there were sprint, flag and relay races from under 9s through to under 15s.
Warilla-Barrack Point dominate senior ironperson
Warilla-Barrack Point has come out fighting on day two, dominating the results in the senior ironperson events to close the gap on Cudgen Headland in the club pointscore.
The standout event was undoubtedly the under 17 ironman, with Warilla remarkably filling five of the first six places.
It was a hat-trick on the podium, with Kynan Burke, Will Fowler and Jackson Walsh taking gold, silver and bronze, respectively. If that wasn’t enough, Jayden Beaumont finished fifth and Leivi Willis sixth in the incredible result.
It was a similar story in the under 19 ironwoman, with Warilla’s Tylah Richards and Ivy Halliwell finishing first and second in the three-person race, while Bailey Krstevski made it a hat-trick of wins by taking out the under 19 ironman event, with Jackson Burke, Jackson Sheedy and Alistair Gorgijovski finishing second, third and fourth, respectively.
Sharpe goes back to back
He was responsible for one of the results of the carnival at last year’s County Champs, winning the open ironman race aged just 16, and now Lennox Head-Alstonville star Ollie Sharpe has shown that it certainly was no fluke by defending his title on day two.
The now 17-year-old finished ahead of Cudgen Headland’s Scott McCartney and Jack Carberry from Warilla-Barrack Point to take the title.
Day one wrap
Cudgen Headland is in the box seat to claim an incredible sixth-straight title after a dominant first day at the NSW Surf Life Saving Country Championships in Forster.
The far north coast club finished day one on 409 points, helped by 29 first-place finishes across the various events.
Winners included the club’s all-age and under 15 board relay teams, sisters Izzy and Claudia Arghyros in the under 13 female surf race and under 15 female board, respectively, and Vada Wessel, who took out the under 8 female wade race.
Cudgen sits 110 points ahead of its main rival Warilla-Barrack Point, who finished day one on 299 points with 13 wins.
The south coast club performed extremely well in the surf race events, with Oscar Creighton (under 9), Maddix Burke (under 14) and Lucas Krstevski (under 15) all taking out their respective age groups.
Karsha Dunning picked up a win in the under 8 male beach flags, while Jordan White took home gold for the club in the open women’s beach flags.
Yamba, who finished in seventh place last year, also had a strong day one, finishing Friday in third position, ahead of fellow north coast clubs Byron Bay, Port Macquarie and Lennox Head-Alstonville.
The action continues on day two of the Country Champs, with a series of surf boat, ironperson, ski relay, beach sprint and flags races to take place.
The Country Champs are being held at Cape Hawke SLSC at One Mile Beach in Forster.
Country Champs Preview
One of the most popular events on the surf life saving calendar is back, with the NSW Country Championships kicking off today at the Cape Hawke SLSC in Forster.
With events ranging from under 8s right through to masters, the Country Champs is one of the rare events that brings together the full spectrum of athletes, from the ultra competitive to those just having a go for a bit of fitness and fun.
“Everyone you speak to will just say that Country is the best carnival going round,” says Mollymook board and ski manager Tony Ireland.
“It’s because of the spirit and that everyone’s encouraged to compete in every event. It’s a great fun and family-friendly carnival, but at the same time at the pointy end of each race there’s really good competition.”
Over 1500 competitors, 200 officials and 4000 spectators from clubs outside the Newcastle to Illawarra corridor will descend on Cape Hawke for the event, which starts today and finishes on Sunday afternoon.
To preview this weekend’s carnival, we’ve taken a look at the top-eight clubs from last year to see how they’re travelling and who to keep an eye on.
Cudgen Headland
2022: winners – 979 points
Last year’s winners are back again this year, gunning for an incredible sixth-straight Country Championship title.
The Kingscliff-based club has brought about 120 athletes down to Forster, ranging from eight-year-olds to those over 60, as well as three trailers of gear in tow.
Although the club has dominated over the past half a decade, this year could well be its toughest challenge in recent memory, with rivals Warilla-Barrack Point coming within a measly five points of snatching the title last year in what was one of the closest finishes in Country Champs history.
“We’re currently the holders of the pointscore trophy, so we’re pretty keen to retain it,” said the club’s director of surfsports Adam Mills.
“It was very close last year with Warilla-Barrack Point, so there’s a big rivalry with those guys. We know they would have done their homework, looking at where they can pick up points, so the rivalry continues, which is great.”
The club is also coming into the Country Champs on the back of a good preparation. Without Covid-related disruptions, athletes have taken part in a number of branch carnivals, while some have competed in Queensland against some of the sunshine state’s strongest clubs.
In addition, several of the Cudgen crew were selected in the NSW Country team for the Trans-Tasman Series and Surf League Series, giving them plenty of competitive racing preparation.
Athletes to watch
With 120 athletes hitting the water and the club coming in as five-time champions, it’s no surprise that Cudgen have plenty of keep an eye on.
Starting in the under 12s, the likes of Ivy Mison, Lyla Wessel and Alfie George are expected to be strong in the water events.
Meanwhile the under 13 age group is home to the state title-winning board relay team of Isabella Arghyros, Charli Mills and Jarrah Onley, who will not only be looking to defend their Country title, but also compete in individual beach and water events.
The under 14s male beach flags race is expected to be one of the events of the carnival, with Cudgen’s Cooper Bird, who finished second in last year’s national titles, to come up against Australian champion Quinn Evans from Coffs Harbour and Miller Siasat from Gerringong, who finished fourth at Aussies.
The under 15s is a strong age group, with the likes of Jules Loemker, who is part of a family of six participating in the carnival, Fletcher Burdekin and Isabella Tate all competing well and taking out water events against Queensland clubs so far this season, while the under 17s has a number of NSW representatives in the form of Claudia Arghyros, Chloe Mills and Scarlett George, with the latter winning the inter-branch iron title.
If that isn’t enough, the club also has some strong entrants in the open divisions, with Kai Onley, Naomi Copeland and past state and Australian medallist Hayley Smith expected to be among the main contenders in their respective events.
Warilla-Barrack Point
2022: second place – 972 points
So close, yet so far. That was the story of Warilla-Barrack Point’s 2022 campaign, with the south coast club coming agonisingly close to breaking Cudgen Headland’s stranglehold on the Country Champs, finishing just five points short of the overall pointscore.
Last year’s close finish has ensured the club has come back with extra motivation in 2023.
“I’d like to think we’re in with a show,” says Warilla coach Damian Sheedy. “With Surfies (surf life saving championships), it’s not the person with the best times but the person who reads the conditions the best, so anything can happen.”
For starters, Warilla’s quest will be boosted by the fact that around 90 competitors will be taking part in Forster, up from last year’s 71.
The club has also seen the return of a number of former star performers – who themselves now have children in the system – which has helped return it to its former glory.
Athletes to watch
In the under 17s water events, Jayden Beaumont, Will Fowler and Kynan Burke are all expected to put in a good showing, while the under 15 board relay team of Storm Balmain, Lucas Krstevski and Cooper Walsh – who won the under 14s board relay at the Australian titles last year – will again be tough to beat.
In the senior ranks the likes of Jack Carberry, who has recently returned to the club and will race in the open swim and water events, and Nicole Sims, a three-time Australian masters champion, will be among those to watch.
Port Macquarie
2022: third place – 553 points
Port Macquarie will be looking to maintain its podium finish with another strong performance this year.
A 120-strong team from the club have made the one and a half-hour drive south to Cape Hawke, with Port Mac bringing a good mix of juniors and master competitors.
“We have about 85 juniors and the rest are masters competitors,” said competitions manager Sara-Jane Oakeshott. “We have quite a high participation rate of parents whose kids do nippers and stuff like that, so I think that is kind of our secret weapon.”
Athletes to watch
Starting off in the under 13s, Hamish Granfield will be looking to go one better after collecting silver in the ironperson event last year, while Peter Duffy is another one to keep an eye on.
In the under 14s, Ben Barlow and Jack McGrath, who are strong swimmers and board paddlers, respectively, will be hoping for strong performances in both the individual and board rescue events.
Meanwhile in the masters events Raelene Myers will be out to emulate her efforts from last year, when she came home with a swag of medals, including gold in the 40-49 years female surf race, while one of the most inspirational athletes is one of Port Mac’s oldest, Larry Brook.
Racing in the over 60s events, Brook has been competing in surf life saving events since 1966, and was rewarded for his ongoing efforts training the nippers and next generation of surf life savers by being named Port Macquarie’s Senior Citizen of the Year for 2022.
Lennox Head-Alstonville
2022: fourth place – 472 points
When it comes to punching above their weight, Lennox Head-Alstonville are undoubtedly the stars of the Country Champs, and will be looking to match the remarkable fourth-place finish in last year’s Country Champs.
“We’re sending down a team of close to 40 – but that 40 pack a pretty good punch,” says coach Sam Miller.
“They’ve been training really hard, they’ve got a good work ethic, and we have plenty who, regardless of whether they’re seniors or juniors, all get in and train together, which is really good.”
While the club may be smaller than the other main contenders, a population boom in the Lennox area has seen the club’s nippers’ numbers swell to 320, which means it could well be a major player in the years to come.
Athletes to watch
He was responsible for arguably the moment of the carnival at last year’s Country Champs when he took out the open’s ironman race at just 16, and this year Ollie Sharpe will be back to defend his crown.
He’s not the only Sharpe expected to make waves, with Ollie’s younger sister Niamh Sharpe, looking to defend her board race and surf board riding titles from last year when she lines up in the under 16 events.
In the younger age groups, Amy Roberts (under 11s) and Marli Francis (under 14s) will be ones to watch, while in the opens Nathan Mackenzie, who performed well in the recent Nutri-Grain ironman trials, will be looking to defend his triple crown after taking out the under 19 ironman, under 19 single ski and open board race last year.
Byron Bay
2022: fifth place – 340 points
Rounding out last year’s top five, Byron Bay will be looking for another strong performance this weekend at Cape Hawke.
The club will have a squad of around 70 competitors, made up of 40 nippers and 30 from the ages of 15 through to masters.
Like a number of clubs in the Country Champs, Byron Bay has multiple second- and third-generation families at the club, with several former competitors – now parents – returning to the fold through their kids.
In particular, Byron should have plenty of depth in the board riding events.
Sawtell
2022: sixth place – 284 points
They might not be one of the biggest clubs, but Sawtell has a great history in surf life saving competitions, and will well and truly be aiming to break back into the top five this year.
All up, 43 nippers and 15 seniors will be making the trip for the Country Champs
“It’s definitely got to do with the culture and training programs that we have in place,” says team manager Tiffany Easman.
“The mentoring helps as well. The younger nippers see the older ones compete and then they want to emulate that kind of achievement.”
Athletes to watch
Like all good surf life saving clubs, Sawtell has plenty of strong sibling combinations to keep an eye on this weekend.
In the under 13s, Isaac Ryan is expected to perform well, as is his sister Mia Ryan in the under 11s.
Mia is part of a strong under 11s board team consisting of Kaidan Doust and Thane Easman who are hoping to do well.
This brings us onto another family, with Thane’s older brother Saul Easman tipped to be a strong competitor in the swim, board and ironperson events in the under 13s.
Elsewhere, Libby Waugh will be looking to emulate her efforts from last year when she won the women’s under 19 single ski event, while younger brother Angus Waugh will be one to keep an eye on in the under 17s.
Another key athlete for the club is Maddison O’Leary in the under 15s, who was named Sawtell’s Female Lifesaver of the Year for 2022.
Yamba
2022: seventh place – 269 points
Yamba will take away a bulked-up team of 77 competitors this year after its 60-odd athletes finished in seventh place in 2022.
Although the club has lost a couple of good performers from last year, the increase in numbers will boost the squad, while several have been in good form so far throughout the season and will expect to do well in Forster.
Once again, Yamba will be looking to finish inside the top 10.
Athletes to watch
In the younger age groups, some of the standout athletes include Hazel Rowney in the under 9s, who is strong in the water events, and under 10 pair Ziggy O’Brien and Clarrie Dougherty.
In the under 12s, Felix Forbes is another expected to do well in the water events, while the open ladies’ boat crew – the Yamba Boilers – have been rowing well this season.
Yamba also has a number of successful masters athletes backing up again from last year, with Alan Dunne (30-39), Jeunesse Meldrum (40-49), Joe Dougherty (40-49) and Bobbie Winger (60+) among those looking to emulate their success from 2022.
Mollymook
2022: eighth place – 246 points
Another club that punches well above its weight, Mollymook will have around 40 competitors this year, up slightly on last year’s incredible effort that saw it finish in eight place.
“We’re really, really proud of the results that we achieved last year,” says Tony Ireland, the club’s board and ski manager.
“I looked at that eighth-place finish and was blown away. Based on the size of the team we took away, I thought that was very impressive.”
As is fairly common for regional clubs, Ireland says Mollymook is a “bit of a doughnut” in that they have a solid number of juniors and a strong group of masters athletes, but not as many open age competitors as young adults often move away for work or study.
Despite this, the club runs an extensive program for both nippers and seniors.
“When we do the race the focus isn’t so much on results but teaching the kids how to race well, how to win and lose well and how to be good competitors,” Ireland says.
Athletes to watch
Starting off in the younger age groups, cousins Everly Morgan and Joey Morgan, from a renowned South Coast big-wave surfing family, are among those expected to do well. “They just look like they live on a board,” says Ireland.
Meanwhile in the under 15s, Christian Ireland, a state sprint kayak champion, will be looking to improve on his impressive performances in the individual events last year by getting onto the podium.
In the masters, Tony Ireland himself is one to watch after strong performances in the 40-49 male surf race and ironman contest last year, while David Tudor-Jones will likewise be competitive in the single surf ski and ironperson events.
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