Aussies 2023

The Portsea Competition team continued with its commitment to send athlete representation to Aussies – which this year was held in Perth. Despite the distance to be travelled and the logistics required to get gear and our surf boat across the Nullabor, we had representation at the Youth, Open and Masters Aussies, plus the ocean swim events.

Youth competitors Mia Horskins and Annabelle Mahon competed for Portsea over two days of competition against 150 under 15 girls. On the first day they both raced in the board, surf race and iron events, with their best results in the surf race; Mia making the semi-final, and Bellsy missing by just one place. On the second day of competition, they both had great swims in the 2km ocean swim, with Mia finishing 11th and Bellsy 17th. Their weekend finished with the team event, board rescue. Both girls loved the racing and the highlight of the end of season Aussies experience.

Next up were our 30 years plus competitors. The Portsea Masters Competition Team has certainly set the bar high with their impressive performance at the Perth Masters Aussies competition! With a refined team of athletes consisting of Sue Crow, Henry Kiss, Brett Croft, Jim Unkles, and Nick Tissot, they took on Australia’s finest athletes in a gruelling three-day competition.

Events kicked off with the open water 2km swim races, where Sue Crow made a magnificent showing, finishing with a SILVER in the female 65-69 years category. She continued her impressive performance by securing another SILVER in the surf race the following day.

On the second day, Henry Kiss, Brett Croft, Jim Unkles, and Nick Tissot competed in their respective age groups in the 70m beach sprints. Henry Kiss made it to the finals, while Jim Unkles and Nick Tissot earnt club points placing 6th and 5th overall, respectively. In the beach sprint relay, the team gave a tough fight, securing a highly respectable 4th position, just one metre behind 3rd and 2nd places.

In the famous Scarborough Amphitheatre, day three saw the team battle it out in the beach flags events. Henry Kiss gave an incredible performance by finishing 6th overall after fighting through six rounds. Brett Croft put up a tough fight against 23 other athletes and narrowly missed out on a finals’ berth, with Jim Unkles unfortunately knocked out in the first round. The Beachies’ celebrations focused on the newest member of the team. Masters debutant Nick Tissot, competing at his first Aussies in the 30-34 age group, won a BRONZE medal in his beach flags event.

Overall, the Portsea Masters Competition team’s impressive performance saw them ranking 4th out of all Victorian clubs, ahead of Jan Juc, Fairhaven, Lorne, Mordialloc, Ocean Grove, and Torquay. The team has made the surf club proud with their exceptional display of athleticism and determination.

As the sun set on the Masters’ Aussies, the Open Aussies and surf boat racing kicked off. Portsea’s open women’s boat crew of Scarlett Blewett, Alex Hagan, Em von Moger and Amanda Rukuwai, swept by Stephen Blewett, showed exceptional promise with first and second placings in their round robin prelim races. The crew moved into the semi finals the next day ranked 5th. Rowing hard in their semi, the crew narrowly missed a finals’ berth but didn’t let the disappointment stop them from enjoying the moment, the camaraderie, and the whole Aussies experience.

Reports from all our competitors are overwhelmingly positive. The club is extremely proud to have had you pull on the red and white to represent our membership on the national sporting stage. Well done, and we hope to have you all back on the Sunshine Coast in 2024.

As we celebrate our club’s 75th year next season, we are planning for our biggest ever Aussies Touring Team. Reach out if you want to be part of it in 2024!!