NORTH KIRRA BEACH – Former champion Cam Cole and Coolangatta Gold king Caine Eckstein have been eliminated from the Open Ironman at the 2015 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships.
Cole, from Mooloolaba, the winner at North Kirra in 2013, was an early leader in this morning’s first semi-final but fell back in the ski leg to be out of the top eight placings.
Mooloolaba’s Matt Poole and six-time champion Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe) led the way in the first semi-final, while Nutri-Grain series winner Ali Day (Mooloolaba) needed a big swim to get himself back into the race after being last following the opening board leg.
Day eventually finished third, but his clubmate Matt Bevilacqua, the 2015 Queensland Ironman champion, was a shock elimination, as was 2013 Aussies silver medallist Tanyn Lyndon (Northcliffe).
Caine Eckstein (Northcliffe), last year’s silver medallist in the Aussies final, lost touch with the leaders in the second semi-final when he missed a wave in the swim that put eight competitors ahead of him.
He was unable to make up the margin in the ski leg and was eliminated along with 2014 bronze medallist Dane Farrell (Elouera).
Kendrick Louis (Newport) was a comfortable winner of the second semi-final after getting away from his rivals with a powerful ski paddle. Luke Cuff (Mooloolaba) was placed second and Ky Hurst (Kurrawa) third.
The Open Ironman final is due to be raced at 12:10pm.
The field for the final is:
Hayden White (Mooloolaba), Ben Carberry (Warilla Barrack Point), Jackson Maynard (Currumbin), Cory Taylor (Northcliffe), Pierce Leonard (Southport), Nathan Smith (Manly), Jay Furniss (Manly), Luke Cuff (Mooloolaba), Kendrick Louis (Newport), Ky Hurst (Kurrawa), Tim Schofield (Terrigal), Max Beattie (Northcliffe), Max Brooks (Newport), Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe), Ali Day (Mooloolaba), Matt Poole (Mooloolaba).
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