Future’s bright as young gun shines and Mckenzie manages the solid swell at Shaw and
Partners Summer of Surf Friday Shootout.
BMD Northcliffe’s Zach Morris fulfilled his potential to claim the 10,000 point Friday
Shootout on his home stretch of sand today but it was an announcement for the future that
really had the crowd excited.
Just moments before the finals package today Shaw and Partners Financial Services co-
CEO’s Earl Evans and Alan Zion announced a three year guaranteed extension to their
support of the Shannon Eckstein Ironman Classic and the Summer of Surf, including a
$450,000 guaranteed prizemoney each year for the overall series.
That would be music to the ears of Zach Morris who won a sprint up the beach with fellow
young gun Joel Piper of Maroochydore. Morris said that was the hardest race he’d ever
done.
“I had nothing left and just emptied the tank.”
Warhorse Kendrick Louis turned back the clock to round out the podium against his younger
rivals.
In the Ironwoman, perennial bridesmaid Danielle McKenzie used her incredible ski paddling
skills to tame the Northcliffe shorebreak and hold off a fast finishing Georgia Miller.
Earlier in the day Mckenzie predicted that if she was going to win it would be a late charge
in the final leg after she had won the individual ski race.
“It’s my strength and I knew I could pull it out when it mattered most, I don’t want to jinx it
but I’d love to do it again tomorrow,” she said
Newport’s Lizzie Welborn rounded out the podium in the Iron, While Karlee Nurthen and
Bonnie Hancock finished second and third behind McKenzie in the Ski race.
Surfers Paradise’s Nurthen had a day to remember taking out the board race 8 years after
winning her first Summer of Surf event; “I cant believe it, I thought I was just going to roll
around, its amazing,” she said.
Northcliffe pair Hannah Scully and Harriet Brown finished up second and third in the board
race.
In the men’s board race it was another Morris who put on a show, with Zac’s brother Jake
finding a way to beat a star studded field home with Corey Fletcher and Adam Palmer racing
to the line for the minor places.
Ben Carberry put the disappointment of missing the iron final to claim the ski race in a
dominant performance, with clubmate Sam O’Connor finishing third, Northcliffe Kiwi Joe
collins split the pair to grab silver.
In the Surf races, the home club dominated again with Nick Sloman grabbing gold and Zach
Morris bronze while Redhead’s Dan Collins grabbed the silver in a sprint to the line while on
the women’s surf race Lani Pallister became the first competitor to claim a bonus with back
to back 10,000 point wins in the surf race – that gives the 4x world swimming champion a
$10,000 bonus and the opportunity to make that $25,000 if she can claim the surf race
tomorrow. Hometown hero’s Naomi Scott and Georgia Miller filled out the podium and look
the women most likely to stop Pallister from taking her bonus tomorrow.
Northcliffe wrapped the day with an almost perfect performance in the 6 person open
mixed taplin relay finishing first and second, with Surfers Paradise rounding out the podium
in third.
Saturday’s racing at the Shaw and Partners Financial Services Shannon Eckstein Ironman
Classic begins at 7.30am with the finals package kicking off at 1pm; all the action will be live
on 7plus
Contact Ben Cochrane for all media enquiries on 0432295257
