Tasmanian Matt Bevilacqua relishing chance to learn from master ironman Shannon Eckstein

WHILE other competitors may view ironman legend Shannon Eckstein’s decision to continue in the sport deflating, Tasmanian Matt Bevilacqua welcomes the challenge to dethrone the king of the surf.

WHILE other competitors may view ironman legend Shannon Eckstein’s decision to continue in the sport deflating, Tasmanian Matt Bevilacqua welcomes the challenge to dethrone the king of the surf.

Matt Bevilacqua at the Australian SLSC Titles at Maroochydore earlier this year. Photo LACHIE MILLARD

Eckstein won a record ninth Nutri-Grain series crown and record eighth Australian crown this summer, and at 32 years of age shows no signs of slowing down.

But rather than wait for the most dominant figure the sport has seen to step aside to get his chance to shine, Bevilacqua believes the opportunity to continue competing alongside Eckstein will only fast track his development.

Bevilacqua, who in December became the only man all season to salute ahead of Eckstein when he claimed his maiden Nutri-Grain series win at Newcastle Beach, returned to Queensland this week after a brief holiday back in his home state.

He said the magnitude of his breakthrough campaign has sunk in, but knows there is plenty of work left to do if he wants to be a challenger year in, year out.

Yet he is in no hurry to see the back of Eckstein.

“I think a lot of people do just think ‘hurry up and retire’ so you can get some good results,” said Bevilacqua, who moved north five years ago to chase his dreams.

“But I don’t look at it like that, I am a lot better of an ironman now because I have raced him in the last couple of years.

“He just pushes all of us to be a lot better, I want to learn his ways before he retires, because then he is gone.

“In the meantime, two more years racing the best the sport has ever seen or ever will see probably, it will be awesome.

“He is approaching the peak of his career at 33, he is almost untouchable but I was stoked to get a win over him.”

After a heavy schedule at the Australian titles the 23-year-old took a three week break to recharge his batteries, and has now started a training block leading into the Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships in Hawaii.

In his first appearance last year the rising star won the 50km event.

“It is a really good base for the summer, it worked for me last year,” Bevilacqua said.

“I want to defend that title, which was a bonus last year. We are approaching 11 weeks out from Hawaii now, that is definitely first up on the list. Five weeks after that are the world championships in the Netherlands.”