News

New Zealand’s Surf Stars Make a Splash: Kiwis dominate at Australian Championships

Monday, 3 April 2023

Two Kiwis held their own at this year’s Australian Surf Life Saving Championships in Perth.

Olivia Corrin won her first Australian title.  She took the gold medal in the Open Female Board Race, beating her club mate Harriet Brown in a thrilling sprint up the beach.  “It’s honestly unbelievable, it doesn’t even feel real right now.  I can’t even get the words out to describe how amazed I am,” Corrin said.

“When the three of us were coming in, I knew I just had to keep my head down and rating up. I got a nice little run off the water, and sprinted up the beach, using up what I had left.

“It means the world, I’m so lucky to be over here racing in the Aussies. It’s so good to have all the Kiwi nippers backing me from home,” she said.

And it wasn’t just Corrin who impressed the crowds.  New Zealand Ironwoman Danielle McKenzie finished second in the Ironwoman competition.  She dominated the opening ski leg and held the lead on the board until her Northcliffe teammate Naomi Scott overtook her in the final swim leg. “I really backed my board leg, but I just couldn’t quite hang on in the swim.  Maybe I should have done some swim training in the last few weeks,” McKenzie joked.

Despite missing out on the gold, McKenzie was thrilled to pick up silver at the Aussies. “My history in the Aussies Ironwoman final has not been very good.  A couple of times I’ve snapped a paddle or snapped my rudder, so to stand on the podium – I’m pretty excited,” she said.

Corrin finished ninth in the Ironwoman final.  Meanwhile, Joe Collins and Cory Taylor finished ninth and 10th in the Open Ironman final.

NZ Athlete Results:

Danielle McKenzie (Open Female):

5th Ski

2nd Ironperson

4th Board

1st Board relay team

3rd Double ski team

1st Ski relay team

2nd Female taplin

1st Mixed double ski

 

Olivia Corrin (Open Female)

9th Female ironperson:

1st Board

3rd Board relay team

3rd Open female tube rescue team

1st Board rescue

6th Surf teams

5th Female taplin

 

Cory Taylor (Open Male)

10th Ironperson

3rd Board relay team

14th Double ski

6th Ski relay team

7th Taplin

 

Joe Collins (Open Male)

9th Ironperson

4th Board relay team

2nd Board rescue

8th Ski relay team

1st Surf teams

7th Taplin

 

Thomas Scott (Open Male)

4th Surf race

8th Taplin

 

Max Beattie (Open Male)

15th Ironperson

 

Harrison Bond (Open Male)

1st Open beach relay

 

Michael Hanna (Open Male)

2nd Beach sprint

5th Open beach relay

6th Mixed beach relay

 

Oska Smith (U19 Male)

20th Open male beach flags

16th U19 male beach flags

1st U19 beach sprints

1st Open beach relay

1st Mixed beach relay

6th U19 beach relay

2nd U19 mixed beach relay

 

Summer Rolston (U19 Female)

11th Ironperson

15th Ski

7th Double ski

5th Surf team

4th Taplin

 

Charlize Menefy (U19 Female)

16th Surf race

4th Ski relay

14th Open board relay

8th Taplin

 

Bree McCowatt (U19 Female)

6th Surf belt race open

11th Ski relay

1st U19 2x1km relay

1st U19 Tube Rescue

Kiana O’Fee (U19 Female)

16th Board

4th Ski

Jayden Murphy (U19 Male)

4th Ironperson

7th Ski

6th Ski relay

5th Surf teams

5th Taplin

 

Flynn Hamilton (U19 Male)

10th Ironperson

13th Board relay team

11th Ski relay

7th Taplin

 

Tiago Chamberlain (U17 Male)

3rd Ski

 

Kailen Brackebush (U17 male)

4th Ski

14th Double ski with George Wenman

 

Talitha McEwan (U17 female)

3rd Surf race