Local surf athletes to compete in Interstate Championships

ATHLETES from Anglesea Surf Lifesaving Club (SLSC), Jan Juc SLSC, Ocean Grove SLSC and Torquay SLSC will today represent Victoria at the Interstate Championships in New South Wales.

Competing against some of Australia’s finest surf lifesavers from Queensland, New South Wales, New South Wales Country, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, the annual interstate competition will see 156 surf athletes take to Newport Beach to score a win.

With events including ironman and ironwoman racing, board races, ski races, taplin relays, rescue events, beach flags and beach sprints, the Victorian team is gearing up to come out firing at Sydney’s iconic northern beach.

A prestigious sporting event, participation in the Interstate Championships is by invitation only, with teams being made up of the highest calibre athletes selected by their respective state bodies.

“Competitors see this as a great honour to battle it out and be the superior state in surf lifesaving,” Surf Lifesaving Australia sports manager Wayne Druery said.

“This event is popular because state rivalry is intense and it’s a great opportunity for the athletes to come together to compete to see which state is the dominant force in our sport.”

Hosted over a single day’s competition, the headto- head interstate clash is contested across beach and ocean events, with two male and female sections for open competitors and under 19 youth competitors.

Locals representing the Victorian state team include:
Saxon Beale, Anglesea SLSC
Marli Wilkinson, Anglesea SLSC
Drew Green, Jan Juc SLSC
Henry Van Til, Jan Juc SLSC
Campbell Bohan, Ocean Grove SLSC
Kimberley Gilling, Ocean Grove SLSC
Lexie McNaughton, Ocean Grove SLSC
Grace Harris, Torquay SLSC
Archie Vernon, Torquay SLSC
Jorden Merrilees, Torquay SLSC
Sonia Kinsey, Team Manager/Ocean Grove SLSC