THE COFFS Harbour Life Saving Club has achieved remarkable recent success, with local members outshining some of the top competitors from New South Wales and Queensland.

Among the standout performers was Sam Carswell, representing Coffs Harbour, who delivered exceptional performances in both the under 17s male sprint events in Sydney and, later, alongside Quinn Evans in Queensland in the under 14s category.

Dan Backhouse, the President of Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club, commended the athletes and provided insights into their achievements.

“Sam Carwell competed in Round 1 of the NSW Beachstormers event in North Steyne, Sydney.

“Despite only a few people attending the u17s male events, it was a tough competition as it was a race of the best of the best.

“Sam was up against first and second place in the sprint from Aussies last year.

“Despite this, he pulled out second place in one of the four rounds over varying distances and placed third overall in the event.

“In flags, he took on the 2023 NSW champ and in the straight final consisting of two competitors he finished a very close second,” Backhouse said.

In the following week, Quinn Evans and Sam Carswell made their way to Queensland to challenge the best talents in the first round of the Queensland Beach Stormers series.

Backhouse elaborated on their performances, saying, “Quinn Evans was recently crowned third at Aussies 2023, in the under 14s flag competition.

“Sam placed second in the sprint and third in the flags competition whilst Quinn, a little unlucky and was relegated to fourth in the flags event and finished fifth in the sprint.

“Both boys supported by their families and the Coffs Harbour Club are vying for selection in the NSW youth team, at the moment Sam is provisionally selected and Quinn not far away from selection.”

Backhouse concluded by highlighting the significance of the Beach Stormer series as a vital platform for showcasing the fastest beach competitors in Australia, underscoring its importance in the broader context of lifesaving initiatives.

By David WIGLEY