Matt Poole’s new role, major recruits and some athlete tension headline The Shore Thing surf column
Retired ironman Matt Poole has joined a new club, a specialist swimmer has been recruited by Burleigh and tensions behind the scenes between athletes has set the scene for a brutal summer of racing. Read the biggest news and delve into the rumour mill of surf sports.
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Retired ironman Matt Poole has joined a new club, a specialist swimmer has been recruited by Burleigh and tensions behind the scenes between athletes has set the scene for a brutal summer of racing.
As we edge closer to a huge few months of racing, with the Summer of Surf already underway and the Nutri-Grain Series just around the corner, we have launched The Shore Thing.
The column will feature the biggest news coming from the clubs across the eastern seaboard, word from the colourful clubbies in the sport as well as the rumours surrounding surf racing.
BURLEIGH’S BIG RECRUITS
Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park have landed a specialist swimmer, international athletes and iron stars looking to break on to the scene this summer.
Mystery still surrounds a paddler from NSW who is yet to be officially unveiled but coach Michael King has assembled an all star cast.
Pool swimmer James Koch, who races across 200m and 400m distances and is part of Richard Scarce’s Miami squad, has joined Burleigh and will compete in major carnivals like states and Aussies between his other commitments.
Will Savage has also made the move from Surfers Paradise to Burleigh in the hope of building on last summer where he got a start in the final two rounds of the Nutri-Grain Series.
Soraya Lee has arrived from Western Australia where she was a swim and iron champion while word is athletes from Britain and France have also put pen to paper on deals.
“Most of our athletes are iron men and women and this year we have put a bit of focus on getting some individual people in as well,” King said.
“We have a younger group and a great developing one while we also have some experienced people in Brielle (Cooper), Corey Fletcher and Ben Carberry.
“It’s a real positive having these people wanting to be involved and be part of the club.
“The whole club at the moment from our nippers through to the 14s and 15s through to the 17s and opens there is a real clear pathway and the numbers are really good.
“It’s really exciting what the future holds for the club.
NEW POOLE FOR RETIRED SURF STAR
Retired ironman Matt Poole has teamed up with fellow legend Ky Hurst in a new role at Mermaid Surf Club.
Poole is already doing some nippers coaching but it’s understood he has also joined fellow mentor Hurst to help with swim sessions and more.
It may just be the recruitment of the summer.
SOUTHPORT STARTERS
All roads lead to the Nutri-Grain trials for two of Southport’s key recruits for the 2023/24 summer.
Chelsea Jentz, originally from Adelaide, finished sixth in last summer’s Nutri-Grain Next Gen Series and will target the trials, to be held on November 11 and 12.
Club mate Josh Patterson will also feature at the trials after making the trek north from Melbourne.
“Chelsea is ready to compete against those open girls and has just been working on her swim leg,” Southport coach Pierce Leonard said.
“She is quite advanced with her ski paddling and got second in the Aussie titles in Perth in the under-19s and won the double ski with Morgan Trinca.
“Josh is in his second year in the opens now and is a great swimmer and has just been working on his craft legs. Being able to link all the iron man disciplines together is his focus.”
The club also has a burgeoning batch of beach athletes coming through the ranks, with Southport bolstering the program with more coaches to help foster the young talent.
FUSE LIT FOR A FEISTY SUMMER
The sand can be a savage place but tensions in the ranks is set to make the upcoming summer of racing a spicy one.
It’s understood tensions have been rising between particular athletes from two of the sport’s biggest clubs, with a switch of allegiances by one of them doing little to calm the waters.
Athletes have questioned the race tactics of the elite iron person who went on to enjoy career best form last summer after switching clubs.
It sets the scene for what could be some controversial moments in the Nutri-Grain Series and Summer of Surf.
Watch this space.
TAPLIN DREAM TEAMS
If you had to create a taplin team and you had the choice of any current or former iron man or woman, who would you include?
That is the task we have set some of the best male and female stars of the surf who are coming up with a list of the best ski paddlers, board specialists and swimmers.
The likes of Ali Day, Matt Bevilacqu and Shannon Eckstein are all submitting teams.
Check back in next week as we reveal their picks and open the voting to the public.
NUTRI-GRAIN DETAILS
The full details of the upcoming Nutri-Grain series are yet to be released by it’s understood the schedule will include three weekends of racing once again.
There will be two double headers featuring dual rounds in NSW before the third and final weekend of racing on the Gold Coast.
Ninety males and 60 females will be racing to try and grab less than 10 spots up for grabs in each category.
The trials will feature a mix of experienced stars and rookies wanting to upset the apple cart.
The likes of Northcliffe’s Harriet Brown will be among them after getting injured last season along with Australian ironwoman champion Naomi Scott and state ironwoman champion Emily Doyle.
Rising star Lily Finati has moved from North Bondi to Northcliffe and will also be among the next generation of athletes hoping to qualify.
In the male ranks Kendrick Louis will compete along side a stellar cast of young guns.
It will be nervous racing for the seasoned professionals who won’t wont be miss out one of the biggest money makers for any athlete in the sport.
IS ALI DAY V CAINE ECKSTEIN BACK ON?
For years the surf sports community cried out for Coolangatta Gold legends Ali Day and Caine Eckstein to go head to head and it may be about to come to fruition.
Eckstein and Day are the two most successful male athletes to compete in the Gold, with Eckstein winning five titles while Day holds the record with nine.
But the duo have never raced each other in the endurance event.
With officials attempting to race the 2024 event over the original course from Surfers Paradise to Coolangatta as part of it’s 40th anniversary, it’s understood Eckstein has told those around him he would consider doing it if the changes are made.
Got a tip? Email tom.boswell@news.com.au
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