Surf Life Saving Country Championships: Warilla-Barrack Point out to break Cudgen’s dominance

They missed out by the narrowest of margins last year, but this weekend Warilla-Barrack Point are hoping to end Cudgen Headland’s reign of dominance at the NSW Surf Life Saving Country Championships.

In recent years they’ve come close. In fact, last year they were very close.

With the NSW Surf Life Savings Country Championships set to kick off this weekend at Cape Hawke in Forster, Warilla-Barrack Point are hoping to go one step further and finally overthrow Cudgen Headland as the state Country Champions.

“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.”

Sheedy has good reason to think that his club is in with a chance.

Last year Warilla-Barrack Point finished the Country Champs on 972 points, a mere five behind champions Cudgen Headland, who claimed their fifth straight title in what was one of the closest finishes on record.

Warilla-Barrack Point coach and competitor Nicole Sims is one to watch this weekend. Photo: supplied.

Warilla will be bolstered by the sheer weight of numbers, with the South Coast club set to send around 90 competitors to Forster, up from 71 last year.

“We have slowly grown to be bigger,” says Sheedy. “I don’t think we’re the largest, but we’d be starting to get into that realm.”

But it’s not just the number of competitors that has the Warilla faithful hopeful. There is also plenty of talent among them.

Jayden Beaumont, Will Fowler and Kynan Burke are all expected to put in a good showing in the under 17 water events, while the club is also home to Storm Balmain, Lucas Krstevski and Cooper Walsh, the trio who won the under 14s board relay at the Australian titles last year.

In the senior ranks there are the likes of Jack Carberry, the brother of Ironman Series star Ben, and Nicole Sims, a three time Australian masters champion who just so happens to be Sheedy’s sister.

“She’s got a few more Australian titles than I’ve ever won,” laughs Sheedy.

Back from the past

A surf life saving powerhouse of the past, last year’s impressive result showed that Warilla is coming back to its former glory.

“For us, we’ve had a lot of competitors from years gone by return to the club,” says Sheedy.

“And when we had some success, all of those people who raced have kids who are coming through the movement again.

“Some of us have a third generation at the club. Our president, Mr Alan Beveridge, who’s been 20 years plus as the president, has grandkids who are now starting to perform at the state level.”

In a sign of just how strong some of the talent to come out of the club is, Warilla juniors Ben Carberry and Ali Day – both representing clubs on the Gold Coast – are currently placed first and second in the 2022/23 Ironman series.

Ben Carberry competing for Warilla Barrack Point at the Kelloggs Nutri-Grain Ironman and Ironwoman series trials back in 2013.

For Day, a four-time Ironman winner and eight-time Coolangatta Gold champion, representing Warilla-Barrack Point brings back plenty of fond memories.

“It was the best, it was literally some of the best times in my life,” he said.

“I had Marty Smith as a coach, his son David was an Olympian, and he was like a hero to many of us.

“We came through a time where there were kids above me and kids below me who were quite good competitors. It was fun and we worked hard, it brings back so many good memories.

“I wish I could go back to those times.”

Ali Day will be keeping an eye on his junior club this weekend. Picture credit: Shane Myers, MonkeyMedia.

And while Day won’t be hitting the water at Cape Hawke, he’ll certainly be keeping an eye on his old club as they look to end Cudgen’s era of dominance.

“I know they’d love to knock off Cudgen. Both have always been strong clubs, particularly with Warilla it has gone in waves, I came through a great era and it’s in another great era now,” he said.

Turning his attention to the weekend, Sheedy says the focus on the team will be key for Warilla.

“One of our mottos is: we’d like you to compete, but the club comes first. So team events make up a big part of our culture. We want people to do as many team events as possible.”

And while it will well and truly be on once they hit the water, he says the club has a good friendly relationship with its Country rivals.

David Smith and Cameron Warren crossing the line to win the under 19 double ski race final at the Australian Surf Life saving Championships at Kurrawa beach, Gold Coast, in 2005. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

“We’ve got good friendships with the guys from Cudgen, who we battle it out with. Our senior mentors have been in Country teams with kids from other clubs, so we’ve always got that mix,” he said.

“Everyone races when they get on the line – don’t get me wrong, it’s on for young and old – but when it’s all done on Sunday arvo, those who can go and have a quiet beer together, mingle, talk and have a good time.”

He added: “It’s one of the best things about the Country titles: you have that competitive side, but it’s about the smaller clubs and more so the younger kids having a go and getting the support of the older kids.

“At the Country Champs, whether you’re coming first or last, everyone is there to support each other.”

The NSW Surf Life Saving Country Championships will take place at Cape Hawke SLSC, Forster, from January 27-29.