Former Ironman Josh Blair has laid down the challenge for hosts Swansea Belmont to improve next year after their ninth-place finish at the NSW Surf Life Saving Masters Championships at Blacksmiths Beach on Thursday.
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“We’re all going to keep training, get fitter, enter the team events and hopefully have more entries in the individual events next year to keep that club spirit going forward,” he said.
Redhead was the best Hunter club in fourth. North Bondi won the title.
Water events went ahead on day two after dangerous surf conditions forced changes to the schedule on day one. Mainly beach events were run on Wednesday.
Redhead’s Lisa Brown collected dual gold medals on Thursday with success in the female 40-44-years surf race and single ski. In the same age group Swansea Belmont’s Melissa Thurlow won the board race, was second in the ironman and just missed the podium in the surf race.
There was a Hunter clean sweep in the men’s 35-39-years single ski race with Stockton’s Jason Upton edging out Swansea Belmont’s Ryan Cook and clubmate Glen Bernard.
Redhead’s Alan Boyce triumphed in the male 55-59-years ski race.
The home team then combined powers, including Blair, to clinch the men’s 130-years taplin alongside Mark Masia and Martin Rees.
“It certainly wasn’t an easy swim – there was a lot of sets coming through,” Blair said.
“I actually went further to the south than the others to get to the cans first and it paid off. The swell was the biggest I’ve seen this summer but the other guys did a great job to set me up for the finish.”
Opens competition starts on Friday.
