Behind the scenes of surf lifesaving’s ugliest feud

Elize Reilly reveals exactly what has been going on behind the scenes amid surf lifesaving’s maelstrom.

DO you believe in omens?

Because if so surely a lift containing 11 of Gold Coast’s biggest surf stars and coaches grinding to a halt is the ultimate case of foreshadowing.

Surely Iron X was doomed from the start.

Just before 8.30pm on March 21 at the Crowne Plaza hotel, athletes and coaches alike stormed out of the conference room on level two of the building after Surf Life Saving Australia had just revealed plans to integrate stand up paddle boarding and CrossFit style beach exercises into next summer’s Nutri-Grain series. The meeting was labelled as forum ... though critics of the changes claim it was anything but.

Surf Life Saving stars Hannah Sculley, Danielle Mckenzie, Georgia Miller, Maddy Dunn, Harriet Brown and Kirsty Higgison, are all against the changes to the Nutri-Grain series. . Picture: Jerad Williams

Ideas weren’t exchanged, they say, but rather revealed to the who’s who of surf lifesaving as they struggled to come to grips with it all.

They saw it as the ultimate kick in the face.

Your sport doesn’t have a future and we need to fundamentally change it in order to save it, is what they heard.

“It wasn’t really open for discussion,” said Northcliffe women’s coach Naomi Flood.

“We were trying to ask questions but they were on the defensive.”

Northcliffe athlete Maddy Dunn added: “It was them telling us what they were going to do.”

As soon as the meeting finished Flood recalls members rushing out the door, aiming to put as much distance between them and their governing body as quickly as possible.

But what was supposed to be a few seconds trip down a two-level elevator turned into more than an hour as Georgia Miller, Dunn, Hannah Sculley, Michael King, Flood and Tanyn Lyndon, among others, all became trapped in the Crowne Plaza lift.

“First of all, we were struggling to breathe but then we were trying to wrap our heads around it (the changes),” Dunn said.

Flood added: “We couldn’t believe what had just happened.”

Sculley, the smallest of the lot, squeezed out 30 minutes into the ordeal when firefighters deployed the first of multiple airbags to force the doors open. The remaining 10 were all freed just before 10pm and returned home to reflect.

Little did they know five months later they’d still be at war with their governing body.

BMD Northcliffe Surf Club members, Kevin Morrison (Head male coach), Naomi Flood (Head Female coach), David Shields (President), and Mark Williams (Manager of Surf Sport) are upset at Surf Life Saving Australia over surf events. Picture: Jerad Williams

CONFUSION REIGNS

Of the top four female finishers in the 2018/19 Nutri-Grain series, two claim they have yet to be contacted about participating in Iron X.

Two others say they were served an ultimatum by SLSA officials. Georgia Miller was the star of last summer but despite what SLSA says, she’s against the concept.

“I had to explain to people and friends that I haven’t said yes (to competing),” she said.

“I haven’t spoken to anyone from SLSA about Iron X.

“I’ve been lied to and lied about.”

Dunn is yet to be contacted while Northcliffe clubmate Kirsty Higgison received a similar phone call to Lana Rogers from an SLSA official who suggested that Iron X was the way forward for the professional series – and that’s it.

FEAR OF SPEAKING OUT

As Naomi Flood put it in Monday’s Bulletin “when you have issues within your sport, you go to the governing body and they help you but Surf Life Saving Australia are the ones creating issues and drama.”

Athletes, officials and coaches felt hopeless and didn’t know where to turn.

“We’re unsure of what to do next,” added Flood.

Northcliffe officials were the first to take a stand and speak out in the hope their stars would follow suit.

But there was more at play behind the scenes.

The Bulletin spoke to an athlete on Sunday who agreed to go on the record, only to call back 10 minutes after the interview asking for their comments to go unpublished as they feared speaking out could damage their career prospects.

A text exchange earlier in the week revealed another athlete wanted to speak but feared it would have a bearing on their Nutri-Grain deal.

CHANGE THE SERIES AND I’LL QUIT

Later in the week athletes began to change their tune and realised that the only way to make change was to speak out. To put it simply, Surf Life Saving Australia doesn’t exist without their athletes, and those stars rallied in numbers.

Lizzie Welborn, Max Brooks and Rogers were the first to speak. Others followed. “You’re scared to approach the media,” Dunn said. “It shouldn’t have come to this.”

Max Brooks added: “I feel a lot of the athletes are scared to speak out and pick a fight with SLSA given their involvement and it being their livelihood.”

BEYOND THE MEDIA’S EYES

TELSTRA bills must be through the roof this week because behind closed doors was where the drama was unfolding. The Bulletin laid eyes on a vicious text messages throughout the week as both sides of the argument claimed they had 95 per cent support.

It’s also fair to say that the athlete’s views are much stronger than those written.

Stars presented timidly when the media spotlight was on but roared with displeasure on social media, including a subtle dig at injured star Ali Day from one big name.

FOOD FOR IRON THOUGHT

Rumours were swirling earlier in the week that major sponsor Nutri-Grain was putting pressure on contracted athletes to compete in Iron X.

Though later in the week athletes told the Bulletin that their sponsor had since indicated they would support them whatever side they took.

Kellogg’s offered only a wishy-washy statement amid the furore: “Kellogg’s is a committed, long-term sponsor of the Nutri-Grain iron series. We continue to support the athletes and the SLSA as they navigate the best way to take this sport into the future.”

Surf Life Saving Australia also stayed ominously quiet except from stating during the week that there was no compulsion for athletes to compete. “No decisions have been made whatsoever in regards to the series next year,” SLSA national sports manager Wayne Druery said.

TJ Hendy. Photograph : Jason O'Brien

ALL FOR IT

AMONG the vitriol is a group who rose up in support of the changes.

Ironman great Guy Andrews and current stars Kendrick Louis and TJ Hendy all say Iron X could be what the sport needs to regain interest.

Everyone seems to be in agreement that SLSA’s intent is sound but opinions are mixed. Though it has been suggested that athletes who are for the changes are not just motivated by their desire to preserve the sport’s future.