Aussies: Ky Hurst shows he’s still got it while Shannon Eckstein helps Northcliffe to 10th consecutive surf teams title

KY Hurst showed he had lost none of the skill that took him to 10 Australian surf race titles when he helped Kurrawa to silver at the Aussies yesterday.

Hurst shows he’s still got it

KY Hurst showed he had lost none of the speed and skill that took him to an unprecedented 10 Australian surf race titles when he helped Kurrawa to a silver medal in the surf teams race at the Aussies yesterday.

Hurst flew in from Ber­muda, where he is based with America’s Cup outfit Team Oracle USA, to compete for Kurrawa at the Australian surf lifesaving championships.

He showed it had been no waste of time, bringing the same drive that helped him to multiple national surf race and ironman titles.

“I flew in only a couple of days ago and it’s been a while since I’ve been back here,’’ he said. “To come back for our Australian surf lifesaving championships, it’s really special. And just seeing some old faces, it’s been marvellous.’’

Hurst was fourth in the heats of the surf race on Wednesday and will compete in the semi-final tomorrow in the hunt for an 11th title.

But Hurst warned fans should not expect a lot of him since his sporting switch.

“I’m here just to really enjoy myself and make up numbers for Kurrawa,’’ he said. “We’ve got some really good teams that we’ve put together and I’m quite excited about it.

“Our taplin looks marvellous, our swim team looks really strong, so that’s my main focus and my main goal at the moment.’’

Hurst was sixth across the line in the surf teams – the best of the Kurrawa racers – but it was not enough to help his side to the win, with Shannon Eckstein leading Northcliffe to their 10th consecutive title.

Eckstein crossed the line in first place overall, with Nik Green third, to seal gold for the Northcliffe team that also included Caine Eckstein and Lucas Allan. Shannon Eckstein has been a part of all 10 successful teams.

Meanwhile, Maroochydore beach witnessed a lap of honour from two of the best ironmen in history yesterday when Grant Kenny and Trevor Henry were late entries in the open ironman.

Initially content to watch sons Jett (Kenny) and Trevor Jr race, the pair lodged late entries and headed around the board, swim and ski course before crossing the line hand in hand.

“We’d sort of been talking about it on and off as a joke,” said 52-year-old Kenny, who won the junior and senior ironman double the last time the Aussies were held on the Sunshine Coast in 1980. “When they were marshalling it was like three ­minutes to cut-off time for late entries and I said: ‘If I do it will you do it?’, so we did the very late entry and no warm-up.”

But it was no race for the pair, who were happy to journey around the course in each other’s company, even chatting on the board leg.

“We might have been able to get through that round if we had a go but it means a lot more to other people in the race and Trev said, ‘We’ll keep out of everyone’s way’, which we did,” Kenny said.

“We had a chat, had some fun, it was good.”

Hendy, 47, said competing with Kenny was an “honour’’.

“I love this guy. He’s been my best mate for years and years,” Hendy said.