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Four
times Australian Ironman champion and 2008 Beijing Olympic hopeful Ky Hurst (Tugun,
Aus) has used his brilliant surf skills to win the Hennessey’s International
Paddleboard Championships in epic paddling conditions on Australia’s Gold
Coast. 
With an elite field of over 80 world-class competitors paddling
the 17-kilometre open-ocean race between Southport Spit and Burleigh Heads, it
was Hurst who reigned supreme, continuing an impressive run of results for the
waterman over the weekend. 
Hurst, 25, earned himself a special place in swimming history
last night, breaking Olympic swimmer Kieren Perkin's record by winning the 1000-metre
Ocean Swim at Noosa for a sixth time. After a wobbly
start to the race, the undeniable champion re-grouped to take the lead halfway
through the course to convincingly win in a time of 1 hour, 27 minutes and thirteen
seconds. 
Competing in his first ever paddleboard race, Hurst crossed
the line ahead of 2001 Molokai to Oahu champion Aaron Bitmead (1:29:41, Nth Burleigh)
and paddleboarding legend Mick Dibetta (1:32:46, Burleigh). “I
started off a bit shaky,” said an exhausted Hurst after the race.
“I actually rolled my board in the first five metres.
My balance just wasn’t there. By halfway I had warmed up and I just got better
and better.” 
“I just tried to keep my line to stay up with the frontrunners.
Luckily I scored a few great runners and just skipped away.” Interestingly,
the experienced ironman’s first attempt at riding a paddleboard was less
than a week ago and coupled as his first paddle on an ocean-based surf-craft in
more than two years. “It was only my fourth time
on this board,” added Hurst. “They’re
a whole new ball game those 18-footers. But it’s just a privilege to be apart
of the race and I’m just elated to win.” In
the women’s open stock race, two-times Coolangatta Gold champion Hayley Bateup
capped off a successful month, crossing the line ahead of top American competitor
Kanesa Duncan (Hawaii) and fellow Gold Coaster Shakira Westdorp (Burleigh Heads).
Bateup, 26, recorded a time of 1:42:12 to finish ahead of
Duncan 1:47:28 and Westdorp 1:50:00 over the 17-kilometre course. The
undisputed king of world paddleboarding Jamie Mitchell (Currumbin, Aus) was unable
to compete in the event due to sponsorship commitments. Mitchell’s
unprecedented domination of the sport has seen him win all but one of the international
events that he’s entered during the past five years, including five consecutive
Molokai to Oahu Paddlbeboard race wins as well as multiple U.S. Championships
. Fellow Gold Coast paddleboarder Bruce Taylor (Nth
Burleigh) claimed the overall men’s stock title with a time of 1:29:00 and
overall second place . Competitors were greeted
with perfect paddling conditions today for the arduous paddle from Southport Spit
to Burleigh Heads. | 
