‘I’m ruing it,’ Eckstein just misses out on fairytale finish

Despite their most valiant efforts, the scriptwriters couldn’t write a fairy-tale to Shannon Eckstein’s career with the all-time great finishing second in the Aussies ironman final.

DESPITE their most valiant efforts, the scriptwriters couldn’t write a fairy-tale to Shannon Eckstein’s career with the all-time great finishing second in the Aussies ironman final.

The man they call the greatest of all time was in the leaders pack for all three legs and was looking good for a win after the board stage but a few slight stumbles saw him take silver just behind unlikely victor Max Brooks of Newport.

Fellow competitors form a guard of honour for Shannon Eckstein at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast. Picture: HARVPIX

“I would have been nicer to be on top of the podium but I raced really well,” he said.

“I’m ruing it. It’s probably the one that got away.”

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Eckstein’s frustration was evident on the finish line as he outlined the two “crucial” mistakes that saw him fall just short of a ninth national ironman title.

“I made one at the start. My legs are no good and I fell over at the start and I fell behind but I worked my way to the front,” he said.

“A wave came through at the wrong time in the ski and I couldn’t go down I had to pull off and 360 around so I gave away 100m and I had to try and make it up and I nearly made it.

“That’s the sport. You try to put yourself in a position where bad luck doesn’t get you, but it got me a bit there today.

“I pride myself on being good enough to come through bouts of bad luck but today I wasn’t.”

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After being the surf lifesaving benchmark for the past two decades, the 35-year-old said that racing with freedom has enabled him to relish his final year in the surf.

“I’ve enjoyed this year a lot more than the last 20 years because there’s been a lot of pressure at times,” he said.

“This year’s been about enjoying it. I started nippers for enjoyment and that’s how I wanted to finish.”

Newport's Max Brooks at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast. Picture: HARVPIX

Max Brooks was speechless following his maiden ironman crown and paid tribute to the man that has inspired so may.

“I’ve loved the sport since I was 10 years old and he (Shannon) was always the one at the top of his game and to be able to race with him for the last four years and then to be in his last ever two races it means a lot,” he said.

“I’m really happy.

“It’s been a really tough season for me and I haven’t got one result yet this season so that’s as good as it gets there.”

Eckstein helped Northcliffe to the club’s 16th consecutive Open Aussies pointscore championship, with Australia’s dominant surf sports club finishing on 391 points ahead of Alexandra Headland in second with 269 points, and Currumbin in third on 188 points.

Northcliffe President David Shields said the results were a team effort.

“It sounds easy but it’s not easy,” he said.

“We’re so proud of everybody who competes for BMD Northcliffe.”