Iron race launches 2022 events

A LOCAL favourite is set to kick off a bumper year for Surf Coast events when the Jim Wall Iron hits Torquay Surf Beach on Sunday.

Dozens of the strongest surf racers from across Victoria and interstate will face off in the 61st edition of the Iron classic, which is the oldest contest of its type in the world.

Competitors will test their endurance and skill in surf lifesaving disciplines – board and ski paddling, swimming and running – with the overall winners to lift the coveted Jim Wall trophy.

The event is named after the Torquay Surf Lifesaving Club legend, whose family remain involved with the club by presenting the prestigious award each year.

Jim Wall Iron 2022 begins a packed calendar of occasions for summer and beyond for Surf Coast Events, with Lorne’s Pier to Pub swim, a surfing GromSearch qualifier and cliff run at Bells Beach all landing in the region in the coming weeks.

Organisers have brought the ironman event forward this year to January 2 to better fit with the national surf lifesaving event calendar and to provide a spectacle for the throngs of visitors in town for the New Year period.

TSLSC competitions manager Peter Quinlan said this year’s Jim Wall Iron would feature a new format aimed at putting on a show for spectators.

“We like to mix things up, and that’s what makes it so exciting – we’re going to do that again this year,” he said.

“Instead of doing the usual M-shaped course, we’ll moving into a series of rounds – whether it’s an eliminator system or a points system.

“We’re guaranteed short, fast, close finishes.”

Predicted low swell on race day will likely keep race fields bunched together during events and ensure nail-baiting sprint finishes.

Mr Quinlan said the club was expecting at least 150 entrants across the Iron’s series of races from under-13s to the open-aged events.

“We’re looking at about 20 competitors in the main men’s race and up to 15 in the women’s, and about 150 to 170 across the whole day,” he said.

“Entries are slightly down on what we usually get, I think people are still a bit hesitant for these events.

“But while the quantity is down the quality is right up, we’ll have most of our favourites starting the race.”

Local products are poised to feature heavily in the final placings.

Last year’s champion Matt Gilling is one of the men to beat in the open male Iron race, while former Torquay racers Grace Harris, who is a national medallist, and Sophie Thomas, who has podium finishes in each of the past two years, will threaten in the women’s event.

The 2022 Jim Wall features 25 events in total, including junior events, ski and surf races, mixed relays, dashes for cash, and culminating in the final Jim Wall Iron round for open-aged racers.

TSLSC hosts the event each year at Torquay Surf Beach, with this year’s races starting from 9am until early afternoon.