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

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 10^th in the Open Ironman final.

NZ Athlete Results:

Danielle McKenzie (Open Female):

5^th Ski

2^nd Ironperson

4^th Board

1^st Board relay team

3^rd Double ski team

1^st Ski relay team

2^nd Female taplin

1^st Mixed double ski

 

Olivia Corrin (Open Female)

9^th Female ironperson:

1^st Board

3^rd Board relay team

3^rd Open female tube rescue team

1^st Board rescue

6^th Surf teams

5^th Female taplin

 

Cory Taylor (Open Male)

10^th Ironperson

3^rd Board relay team

14^th Double ski

6^th Ski relay team

7^th Taplin

 

Joe Collins (Open Male)

9^th Ironperson

4^th Board relay team

2^nd Board rescue

8^th Ski relay team

1^st Surf teams

7^th Taplin

 

Thomas Scott (Open Male)

4^th Surf race

8^th Taplin

 

Max Beattie (Open Male)

15^th Ironperson

 

Harrison Bond (Open Male)

1^st Open beach relay

 

Michael Hanna (Open Male)

2^nd Beach sprint

5^th Open beach relay

6^th Mixed beach relay

 

Oska Smith (U19 Male)

20^th Open male beach flags

16^th U19 male beach flags

1^st U19 beach sprints

1^st Open beach relay

1^st Mixed beach relay

6^th U19 beach relay

2^nd U19 mixed beach relay

 

Summer Rolston (U19 Female)

11^th Ironperson

15^th Ski

7^th Double ski

5^th Surf team

4^th Taplin

 

Charlize Menefy (U19 Female)

16^th Surf race

4^th Ski relay

14^th Open board relay

8^th Taplin

 

Bree McCowatt (U19 Female)

6^th Surf belt race open

11^th Ski relay

1st U19 2x1km relay

1st U19 Tube Rescue

Kiana O’Fee (U19 Female)

16th Board

4th Ski

Jayden Murphy (U19 Male)

4^th Ironperson

7^th Ski

6^th Ski relay

5^th Surf teams

5^th Taplin

 

Flynn Hamilton (U19 Male)

10^th Ironperson

13^th Board relay team

11^th Ski relay

7^th Taplin

 

Tiago Chamberlain (U17 Male)

3^rd Ski

 

Kailen Brackebush (U17 male)

4^th Ski

14^th Double ski with George Wenman

 

Talitha McEwan (U17 female)

3^rd Surf race