SHANNON
Trying to explain how good Shannon Eckstein was is similar to a monkey doing maths – ill try but its not going to be right.

Shannon had no weaknesses, made no errors, gave no gifts and was as relentless a champion, as our sport (or maybe any sport) has ever seen.

Some athletes change the sport in certain ways: Robbo on the ski, Trev on the board; Ky in the swim (and Shannon’s transitions) but nobody has elevated the sport like Shannon Eckstein, and he dragged the sport kicking and screaming with him.

Shannon is also the greatest competitive mind in the sport: he knew formats, dates, results, pointscores, sessions, what to do at beaches, how to train and why to do it before the rest of us had sobered up from the offseason..

Racing Shannon made you feel like him winning was inevitable – and coming from a bloke with as much ego and anger as I have, that’s the highest compliment I could pay him. Lots have stood on the same start line as him, very few have raced him.

I judge a champion by his rivals – and his list is as good as it gets: Holmes, Hurst, Doherty, Poole, Day and early on Mercer and Hendy. He’s raced and beat them all.

As I said at the start, I can’t actually explain how good Shannon was; you had to have him crush all your dreams to truly understand, but for further reinforcement please see his resume:

9 x Iron Series Champion

8 x Australian Champion

6 x World Champion

41 Australian Championships

Considered by many (including me) as the greatest of all time.

This weekend you race in his honour; and if ya don’t know, now ya know.

THE GREATEST SHOW IN SURF

The Shaw and Partners Shannon Eckstein Ironman Classic is the greatest surf carnival in the sport; The best athletes with $200k + 2x Subaru cars on the line, live TV on Kayo, the biggest crowd, the best set up – slushies, ice creams, an afterparty and the Matt Hall Redbull Airshow – it does not get any better than this.

OVERALL SERIES
The breakdown of events this summer:

5 x 10,000 point events 

2 x 7,000 point events 

6 x 5,000 point events

Athletes will take their top 5 results into the overall pointscore – Over the last few summers its taken a 10,000 point win and all other top 6 (or a 7000 point win) to claim an Overall Series Title; so it’s now or never.
By Saturday afternoon were going to have some new champions but there is a long road to go before they get the winners cheques.

THE PROGRAM

PRIZE MONEY
This is the richest weekend in Surf Sports – Thanks to Shaw and Partners there will be over $200k in prizemoney and 2 x Subaru cars PLUS tens of thousands of dollars worth of craft donated by Race One. Lets see the breakdown

OVERALL SERIES

SHANNON ECKSTEIN IRONMAN CLASSIC

PREDICTIONS
For the final time this season, lets get into the picks:

WOMEN’S BOARD
Favourite: THE BIG 4 – these board races are going to be the pick of the events over the weeked. Tiarnee Massie, Lizzie Welborn, Hannah Sculley and Brodee Trinca – these 4 women are at the peak of their powers and ruthlessly competitive. One of these four women wins both days.
Next Best: See above
Watch for: Lily O’Sullivan and Emma Woods – if there was a big 6 itd include the world champ and Woods who won at Northcliffe last year, underestimate these two at your peril.
Outsider: Electra Outram – has been flying under the radar all summer in terms of board races but can win one when it matters.
Series Champ: Lizzie Welborn – do I know who is going to win this series – NO – do I know who I want to win this series? YES Lizzie Welborn

Sculley has 3 straight and can deliver on the big stage but I think it’s time for Welborn to finally get what we all know she is capable of… A Series title.

MEN’S BOARD
Favourite: Corey Fletcher – the defending champion has to be the favourite for every board race he starts, it won’t be easy but he is the man.
Next Best: Charlie Verco and Conner Maggs – Newport teammates are sitting on top of the pointscore and could finish with a historic quinella for their club, both are in red hot form.
Watch for: ANY OF THE BURLEIGH BOYS but if I am being honest add in there any of the Northcliffe lads as well.
Outsider: Charlie Brooks – Its been a lowkey season for Uncle Chucky – but there is still very few better on a board, watch out for him.
Series Champ: Corey Fletcher – nobody is more of a big time clutch player than Corey Fletcher – they don’t call him the mailman, but he still delivers. He gets this one.

WOMEN’S SWIM
Favourite: Lani Pallister – Because she is Lani Pallister
Next Best: Naomi Scott – Because she is the best swimmer not named Lani Pallister.
Watch for: Charlotte Cross, Lily O’Sullivan and Pipi Te Pania – because they’ve been the best swimmers overall this summer and are top of the pointscore.
Outsider: Gemma Smith-Welsh – Because she had a breakthrough performance last summer at Northcliffe and is getting better every year.
Series Champ: SOOOOOOO I’m taking Pallister – WOW great pick Josh, BUT she only has 2 results and will only score with 4 overall – essentially giving the field a one event head start…
Does she still win, YES and easily.
If Pallister wins both, Te Pania (2 x 2nds) and O’sullivan (2nd & 6th) can still win, but it’ll be tough..
Lets see if the greatest of all time can do something truly special.

MEN’S SWIM
Favourite: Tough to pick anyone in this men’s swim – the season has been an absolute shambles of winners and near misses. Hayden Cotter has been the most consistent by far but that doesn’t mean he will get the W – but he is the man most likely.
Next Best: Jackson McCleery – The find of the summer; has quickly moved into the top tier of swimmers in the sport – he hasn’t had a big win yet, but there is two opportunities this weekend.
Watch for: Conner Maggs and Ky Kinsela – Maggs is the man most capable of a superstar performance, while if there is a wave on, Kinsela is going to find it.
Outsider: Henry Simpson – young gun who has had a breakout summer, and has come close in every round so far, this could be the weekend he breaks through for a win.
Series Champ: This one is already over – Hayden Cotter by a mile. Mathamatically there are others who can win but realistically it’s already his.
3 x champ: Hayden Cotter.

WOMEN’S SKI
Favourite: Jemma Smith – showed the entire sport who was number 1 at Manly and I don’t think she is done reminding everyone who the best in the sport is.
Next Best: Jenaya Massie and Ally Clarke – Massie is the breakout (or comeback) athlete of the summer and the Olympian Clarke will be desperate to deliver on the biggest stage in the sport.
Watch for: Jasmine Rayward and Claudia Kelly – both already have wins this summer and will be close again.
Outsider: Olivia Clues – Young gun who looked fast at Manly especially over the first 20 doubles. Will need a little luck, but a big time win is on the horizon.
Series Champ: Jemma Smith – despite being well down the pointscore Smith is still short 2 keeper results on the overall pointscore – Smith is the best in a ski right now and into the future, and she will prove it on the gold coast.

MEN’S SKI
Favourite: Jackson Collins – big man, big blade, big wins – Jacko Collins is the most intimidating man in the sport and the favourite for this ski race after his early season performances, oh and Paris 2024.
Next Best: Pat Eley – he won the world championship on this stretch of sand just 5 months ago and could cause just as big an upset here at the Shannon Eckstein Ironman Classic.
Watch for: Carberry, Trim, Havard and Fitzsimmons – any of these boys could smash it out of the park.
Outsider: Lachie Tame – I called the 4 x Australian Champion, Hall of Famer amd Olympic Medallist over the hill last season and he won the Double and Taplin at Aussies. So, I am saying he is done (in the hope he proves me wrong again and wins both days)
Series Champ: Mitch Trim – This is as bias a pick as you will see from me….
I just want him to win and then the whole sport will let out a sigh and celebrate as one. Others deserve it, but Trim is the peoples champ and this event is all about the special moments…
My prediction – Trim beats Corey Fletcher up the beach and wins the title on satruday.

IRONWOMAN
Favourite: Naomi Scott – She is in a purple patch of form and the world champion, but she is still only a marginal favourite. Scott’s been great, but so have so many other Ironwomen, this one is wide open.
Next Best: Lucy Derbyshire, Lana Rogers, Tiarnee Massie and Lizzie Welborn – The level and depth of Ironwoman racing has never been better.
Watch for: Georgia Fitz, Jas Rayward and Emma Woods – see above.
Outsider: Electra Outram – Has won at the top level this summer but we haven’t seen her at the Shaw and Partners World Ocean Series much this year. If there is a time to keep that red hot form going, its now.
Series Champ: Naomi Scott but barely – the weight of points might be too much to overcome for the rest of the field – it’ll take 2 podiums and then some results to fall your way if you want to stop the World Champion from becoming the World Ocean Series Champion.

IRONMAN
Favourite: Ali Day – Despite Conner Maggs brilliance at North Burleigh; Ali Day is still the best Ironman in the world. On any given day his average is better than 99% of the sport – so I like to play number
Next Best: Conner Maggs, Ben Carberry – have been the closest to Day all summer – you add Collins in here and we have ever winner of every major event all summer. These boys are the big dawgs.
Watch for: Joe Collins, Zac Morris and Finn Askew – Generation Now needs to start winning; talkers talk, winners win – which one are you boys?
Outsider: Nick Middleton – After Manly and Maroochy there is no doubt Nick Middleton is the real deal, he will need a little bit of luck but he could breakthrough at Northcliffe
Series Champ: Ben Carberry – (Just) I don’t know if I think he is going to win it or I just want him to win it… A couple of close calls in the past for Carberry has him sitting as the man most deserving of an overall title.. but his former clubmate at Warilla, Ali Day will have something to say about it…
Can others win it? Maybe, but I think the title is going to Warilla via either Surfers or Burleigh.

Shaw and Partners World Ocean Series would like to extend a huge thank you to the following series and event sponsors that have helped make this happen: Shaw and Partners Financial Services, Race One Surfcraft, Surf Life Saving Queensland, JAYD Swimwear, Experience Gold Coast, Tourism and Events Queensland.