Three junior Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Club members travelled up to Coolangatta for the short and long course races on the weekend.
Cam Bohan finished sixth in the under-19 short course with a time of 2.38.40, Jesse Coulson was 12th in 2.2.43.54 and Briely Wright finished 13th in the under-19 female event in 3.17.25.
The race was broken up into ski, swim, board and a run at the end – an exhausting total of 32.4km.
For the first time in years the race was an ‘out and back’ course all off the Coolangatta beach.
“The endurance event was an excellent experience for the young athletes who spent most Sunday mornings since May completing 1.5-to-two-hour training sessions in preparation for race day,” head coach Sonia Kinsey said.
“This is particularly hard considering that we have yet to be able to swim in the ocean due to the temperature in Victorian waters. These athletes would then participate in further swim, board, ski and run training during the week combined with their study loads.”
The Victorian weather can make it difficult for southern athletes to get enough kilometres under their belts to complete such an event. The harsh winter conditions and lack of light after school hours are a deterrent.
These athletes will now focus with the rest of the squad on the Victorian Endurance Championships which will be held at Half Moon Bay in November before the short course season of surf beach racing starts in early December. At present the majority are training twice a day.
Athletes can choose to complete either the short or the long course event over the two days either as an individual or as a team.
The major event, the Elite open male and female was won by Queensland atheltes Ali Day (elite male) and Courtney Hancock (elite female).
