News
New Zealand’s Surf Stars Make a Splash: Kiwis dominate at Australian Championships
Monday, 3 April 2023Two 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