Matt Poole, Matt Bevilacqua entice Zane Holmes, Ky Hurst out of retirement
IRONMEN Matt Poole and Matt Bevilacqua have coaxed the best 14 athletes in Australia to race for love, not money, in a new Big Bash League-style World Ironman Series.
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SURF stars Matt Poole and Matt Bevilacqua have coaxed two legends out of retirement and Australia’s best athletes to race for love, not money, as they bid to resuscitate the fortunes of ironman surf lifesaving with a new Big Bash League-style World Ironman Series.
The enterprising pair have even enticed surf ironman greats Zane Holmes and Ky Hurst to come out of retirement for the first event of the world ironman series in Bali alongside the best and brightest new talent in surf lifesaving.
Holmes retired from competitive racing six years ago — when Nutri-Grain champion Bevilacqua was still in his teens — with Hurst back in Australia after a stint racing with James Spithill and the US Oracle team in the last America’s Cup.
Along with a new wave of talent, including surf teenager and reigning Nutri-Grian ironwoman Brielle Cooper, the ironmen turned race entrepreneurs will launch their first innovative three-day event at Finns Beach Club in Bali under floodlights in August.
“It’s short, sharp dynamic racing. We want it to be what the BBL and WBBL is to cricket with explosive action and formats that have never been trialled,’’ said Bevilacqua, who like Poole has invested his own money into the series.
Poole said he and his partner are still working on sourcing prizemoney and more sponsors but already have the commitment of the best ironmen and ironwomen determined to help breathe new life into a sport which in its heyday in the 80s and 90s was recognised around the world.
“Everyone just wants to be involved in this. It’s an iconic sport and people love it,’’ said Poole, whose women’s field also boasts former Nutri-Grain champions Courtney Hancock and Jordan Mercer and rising star Georgia Miller.
“We do want to revisit those glory days of ironman. Even today Trevor Hendy is still known, is still an icon.
“It’s do-or-die for the sport. We’re doing this for love, not money.’’
The pair plan to eventually expand their series to numerous locations around the world, including the US, and see it complimenting the established Nutri-Grain series which raced over six Sundays last summer.
“We may not get on Baywatch but maybe we can try for the Kardashians show,’’ joked Poole, of an episode where Australia’s top ironmen were featured in a Baywatch episode.
THE FIELD
MEN: Matt Bevilacqua, Matt Poole, Shannon Eckstein, Zane Holmes, Ky Hurst, Ali Day, Kendrick Louis, Hayden White.
WOMEN: Brielle Cooper, Harriet Brown, Courtney Hancock, Jordan Mercer, Lizzie Welborn, Georgia Miller, Maddy Dunn and Naomi Scott.