Organisers have put a more community spin on this year’s Goldie Classic with the addition of a free teams event aimed to get more surf club members involved.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But to Isak Costello and Daniel Collins it will be the perfect final hit-out ahead of the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain ironman finals series at North Cronulla from February 24-26.
The Goldie Classic is an ironman and ironwoman event which has been running since 2010 in memory of long-time Redhead competitor, mentor and coach Peter “Goldie” Mackerras.
Costello, 21, is the only local competitor to boast bragging rights in the event.
He won the event in 2014 and his name is etched on the trophy alongside surf-lifesaving elite in Caine Eckstein, Ali Day, Josh Minogue and Matt Poole.
The Redhead pair will be part of a 20-strong field, including Day and Poole, at North Cronulla. They will compete in an endurance race on the Friday, an accumulated pointscore event on Saturday, and an elimination race on Sunday.
The Goldie Classic, on February 19, will comprise a 1.2km ski, 1.2km board and 400m swim.
“It’s going to be good to have a local carnival similar to what we’ll be doing in the Enduro race on the Friday,” 20-year-old Collins said.
“It will be good to see where we are at five days out.”
Collins finished third in qualifiers to secure his spot in the national ironman series final. Costello finished one spot off qualification but was granted a wildcard.
Neither plans to go to North Cronulla to make up numbers and they will use the Goldie Classic at their home break to push each other as they finalise their preparations.
“The event means a lot to the surf club and to take out the Goldie would be a big achievement for the year,” Costello said.
“A lot of my mentors looked up to him as a mentor, so we know how much it means to the club.”
The Goldie Classic individual races begin at 3.30pm. The teams challenge is at 4.30pm and event organiser Boyd Conrick said any patrol member of a surf lifesaving club could turn up on the day and be put into a team.
“We wanted to get some of our patrol members involved and we thought this was a good way to do that,” Conrick said.
“Any members of a surf club can turn up on the day before the race and we can put them in a team with more experienced competitors.”
