Pittwater Life May 2019 Issue

Newport rides King tide
News
It took Michael King 37
years to taste gold medal
success again as a boat
sweep at the Australian Surf
Life Saving Championships.
While sweeping the Newport
junior men’s crew to
victory at Aussies at Moana
Beach in South Australia in
1982 was special, this one on
the Gold Coast in April was
even more memorable.
Why? It just so happened
that the Newport under-23 female
crew (Thunder) created
club history.
“I have had some really
good women’s crews over 22
years, won state and worlds
but couldn’t crack it at the
Aussies,” said the Newport
SLSC Life Member.
But this all changed when
Claudia Harris joined Abby
Ballesty and Tara Doyle, who
both won a state title in their
first year as under-19s two
years ago, and Meagan Barr.
And to think the four university
students have another
two years together rowing in
under-23s.
While Michael is passionate
about the sport and has been
since his late father (Bert
King OAM) introduced him to
surf boats as a 15-year-old, he
can’t help but sing the praises
of the four girls.
“As students and working
part-time as well, they fit in
training and work exceptionally
hard at that and are a
great inspiration for me,”
Michael said.
“All season we came either
first, second or third at every
carnival we competed. It was
quite remarkable.
“There’s no way I feel like I
am 62. I certainly like to challenge
myself and with other
people in the surf.”
Michael said he always
lived in hope that he’d win
another gold medal at Aussies
before the day arrived
when he would become “just
a spectator” at surf boat
carnivals.
“I consider myself very
fortunate to have stayed involved
for so long,” he said. “I
started sweeping in my early
20s. It’s (surf boat racing) a
wonderful thing.”
In three generations of
Kings over 70 years, the late
Bert King, and Michael’s son
Lachlan and daughter Zoe,
have won Aussie medals in
surf boats – but Michael is the
only one to have won gold.
Michael does have one
regret though – he said he
was disappointed he couldn’t
get to see club member Max
Brooks become the new
Australian open ironman
champion on the final day of
Aussies at Broadbeach.
“I was in the boat area
naturally but word soon
travelled about Max’s result,”
Michael said.
“It was a massive achievement.
I have known Max since
he was five. He’s such a nice
young bloke, always has been
and the same goes for his
younger brother Charlie.”
Max would have been at
long odds to win the ironman
after his indifferent season.
But despite sickness and,
more recently, a lower back
injury, Max said he always
felt “he was ready to go”.
“I felt the race would come
down to the ski (second leg),”
Max said after the greatest
moment in his career.
All Queenslanders would
have been hoping for the
great Shannon Eckstein
(Northcliffe) to finish his
career with a ninth Aussies
title.
But Brooks, who has always
said he would never cross
the border like several New
South Wales athletes have to
concentrate on the iron, took
it to Eckstein in the ski leg.
“I was lucky enough to get
a great board wave, so I really
attacked the transition and
was then fortunate to sneak
out on the ski and sit on
Shannon’s wash,” Brooks said.
10 MAY 2019
The Local Voice Since 1991