After a spectacular week of competition, during which more than 7200 competitors battled for the glory of an Australian title at the biggest surf lifesaving competition in the world, the championships are now complete, with records broken, friendships rekindled and the spirit of surf lifesaving compeition rejuvenated for another year.

Northcliffe’s Kristy Cameron has been named the female competitor of the 2004 NRMA Insurance Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, and North Burleigh’s Ryan Lysaught the male competitor and Peter Lacey Memorial Award for the most outstanding competitor.

After a spectacular week of competition, during which more than 7200 competitors battled for the glory of an Australian title at the biggest surf lifesaving competition in the world, the championships are now complete, with records broken, friendships rekindled and the spirit of surf lifesaving compeition rejuvenated for another year.

Northcliffe’s Kristy Cameron has been named the female competitor of the 2004 NRMA Insurance Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, and North Burleigh’s Ryan Lysaught the male competitor and Peter Lacey Memorial Award for the most outstanding competitor.

Cameron won the Open ironwoman, the open board, the open board relay, the open surf teams and also won silver in the open surf race. Lysaught, just 15, won five gold medals in the under 16 ironman, surf race, board rescue, board relay and surf teams in an amazing all-round performance.

Meanewhile Kirsty Holmes, the sister of Zane, made it a family double, when she took out the open women’s ski race. She edged out Maroubra’s Holly Heussner after they had approached the finish line locked together. As the pair struggled to reach the line, Heussner’s ski was caught on the wrong side of one of the finish markers and as she battled to get around it, Holmes edged her way home. Brother Zane won the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman, capping off an emotional year, which saw the death of his father, a much-respected legend of the surf.

“It has been my lowest year personally but my best competitively, Holmes said. “It is amazing the amount of support and feedback I have received since my father died. “I have received lots of emails and letters from people saying how much I have inspired them. That has blown me away and given me a real lift.”

Northcliffe ski paddler Nick Crilly made it a winning double at the championships when he took out the men’s open ski championship. Crilly led most of the way but had to hold off the challenge of a fast finishing Simon Martin of Mooloolaba to take home his second gold of the weekend after being a member of the triumphant Northcliffe ski relay team. Martin’s clubmate Steven Meredith was third.

In another stand-out performance, Ky Hurst equalled Bobby Newbiggin’s record of four consecutive open surf swims as well as being a key part of Tugun’s Taplin Relay win. “I only decided to swim just an hour before the race after talking to Grant Hackett and coach Denis Cotterell earlier in the day, said Hurst, who will contest this weekend’s Telstra Olympic Team Swimming Trials in Sydney.

“I had been reading about the feats of Bobby Newbiggen and what a remarkable man so the temptation and my love of the surf finally told in the end. Mooloolaba’s open boat crew celebrated their first year as a team by rowing the perfect race to take out the Australian championship decider. The crew formed two days after last year’s Australian championships and enjoyed the best of the unpredictable conditions to give sweep Steve Davies his first Australian open gold medal in his first open final. In a thrilling race, Mooloolaba and Bungan Beach were never more than a few strokes apart and as both crews surfed their way to the beach the Queenslanders managed to maintain their narrow lead.

Veteran sweep Don McManus guided Bilgola to gold in the women’s open boat race, while Maroochydore claimed the top prize in the under-19 boat final. Maroochydore sweep Rick Estreich almost slipped out of the boat in the run to the finish and had one foot dragging in the water before recovering to defeat Avoca Beach.

The under-19 iron man championship was won by Caine Eckstein of Surfers Paradise, while Elise Gibbons of Kawana Waters won the under-19 iron woman.