The Kempsey-Crescent Head Masters 180s surf boat crew have completed their season in scintillating fashion by picking up their third gold medal at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships held at the Gold Coast on Tuesday.
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The crew also claimed gold at the Australian Surf Rowers League, state titles and finished undefeated in the North Coast Surf Boat series Masters 160s division.
Crew member Mick Conomos said he couldn't have imagined a better year.
"The season was as close to perfect as it could be," Conomos said.
The crew cruised through the heats but were fortunate to escape a potential disaster in the semi-finals.
"It was a very tight semi-final. We got off to a slow start and really had to work hard to get back into contention," Conomos said.
"We went around the barrells well and moved into third position and we were neck and neck with the crew behind us but they ended up rolling on a wave which gave us a top three spot."
The result progressed the Kempsey-Crescent Head Masters 180s into the final, where they showcased their superiority and calmness under pressure in the challenging conditions.
"It was a much better start in the final, we were level with a New Zealand crew out in front as we pulled away from the rest of the crews after the first set of waves," Conomos said.
"We slowed up when we reached the next set though and the New Zealand crew got a clear lead, but we did a good turn and finished off the race pretty comfortably."
While the Masters 180s finished in second position in the final, they claimed the gold medal as the New Zealand crew was ineligible.
Not to be outdone, the Masters 240s also earned a podium finish as they secured the silver medal.
The crew was up against six opponents in a three-race round robin. Kempsey-Crescent Head earned a third and fifth in the opening two races but finished off the competition in style with a win in the final race.
It lifted the crew to equal first but they were awarded the silver as a crew from Tasmania was presented the gold on a countback.
"The competition was extremely close in the 240s, the third and fourth place crews were also separated by a countback," Conomos said.
"It was a great carnival for both crews and an awesome way to cap off a near perfect season."
Kempsey-Crescent Head surf boat crews will now break for winter and return to training in September.
The club welcomes community members to participate in the sport in the future, for more information contact the Kempsey-Crescent Head Surf Life Saving Club.
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