The event will be staged at the Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre for a second straight year with the first class facilities at the venue primed to give the athletes the best possible chance of turning in a memorable performance.
This year competitors from more than 30 clubs will take part with the standard of competition now so high that even competitors from interstate (Queensland and Victoria) will make the journey to the starting blocks.
Pleasingly the entire breadth of NSW will be represented with Broulee Surfers in the south and Cudgen Headland in the north sending competitors.
Last season, Umina Beach claimed the Youth and Open titles and finished runner up in the Masters category and will once again be fielding a strong squad with 40 athletes competing. Traditional powerhouse clubs Elouera, Wanda, and Terrigal will also be boosted by large numbers.
Pool Rescue is a highly technical sport, and is an opportunity for both patrolling lifesavers, and those who are approaching their senior nipper years to hone their skills over the colder months.
One of the highlights of the program is the “200m Super Lifesaver” which is an event that includes a 75m freestyle swim, to recover a submerged manikin followed by 50m freestyle to secure a manikin with a rescue tube to tow to the finish line.
Other events contested are a combination of individual events such as obstacle races, manikin carry and tow, brick carry races and team relay events such as the Line Throw, 4x50m Medley Relay and the 4x25m Manikin Relay.
NSW Lifesaving Surf Sports Events Coordinator Luke Stigter is looking forward to another successful weekend of competition.
“One of the great aspects of the Pool Rescue State Championships is that everyone is under the same roof at the one time which creates a fantastic atmosphere, and we are all looking forward to some fantastic competition.”
There’s plenty on the line for the competitors this weekend with a strong performance for those aged U18 likely to put them on the radar for a spot on the NSW Development Tour of New Zealand later this year, while their older counterparts will be battling for Interstate selection.
The State Championships also represent the final chance the athletes will have to fine-tune their racing technique ahead of the Australian Titles to be held in South Australia in early August.
The following clubs have entered the 2017 NSW Pool Rescue Championships;
Avoca Beach SLSC
Bellambi SLSC
Bondi Surf Bathers LSC
Bronte SLSC
Broulee Surfers SLSC
Bulli SLSC
Caves Beach SLSC
Cooks Hill SLSC
Cronulla SLSC
Cudgen Headland SLSC
Currumbin* SLSC
Elouera SLSC
Forster SLSC
Freshwater SLSC
Half Moon Bay* SLSC
Kurrawa* SLSC
Macmasters Beach SLSC
Manly LSC
Mona Vale SLSC
Newcastle SLSC
Newport SLSC
North Cronulla SLSC
North Curl Curl SLSC
Redhead SLSC
Shellharbour SLSC
Shelly Beach SLSC
South Maroubra SLSC
Swansea Belmont SLSC
Terrigal SLSC
Thirroul SLSC
Umina SLSC
Wanda SLSC
Warilla-Barrack Point SLSC
*Denotes interstate club
Day One action at the 2017 NSW Pool Rescue Championships gets underway this Saturday 8 July at Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre from 7:30am AEST with the competition concluding on Sunday 9 July.
Wednesday 5 July 2017