No rescheduling of Bondi ocean swim

The inaugural Bondi Bluewater Challenge — which was called off midway through the first of two races on the Anzac Day public holiday — will not be rescheduled in the 2009/10 season.

Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club’s race organising committee, as event hosts, met after the postponment and determined, for a number of reasons, that it was not feasible to stage the event again until next season.

The Bondi races were to be the 14th and final events in the 2009/10 Hahn Super Series organised by Ocean Swims NSW.

Waverley Council lifeguards, who have the final say on the safety of surfers at Bondi Beach, made the decision to stop the competition while the first of two races, a one-kilometre swim, was in progress because of dangerous surf conditions.

Several of the competing swimmers had to be rescued by lifesavers and lifeguards when they got into difficulty in rip currents on an outgoing tide in the developing strong swell and choppy surf.

The 40-44 years and other categories over that age of the one-kilometre swim and the 2.4km swim over a triangular course in Bondi Bay were called off.  Federal Opposition leader Tony Abbott, who had entered for the 50-54 years ocean swims, was among many of the 809 entrants who turned up at Bondi and were unable to compete.

As is general practice with ocean swims, online entry fees are non-refundable, reflecting the substantial costs organising clubs face preparing for the events. However, the Bondi club decided, as a one-off gesture of goodwill because it was its inaugural ocean swim, to offer a 50 per cent reduction of fees to late entrants. To get the reduction for the second Bondi Bluewater Challenge next season, swimmers must register their entry online. Those who enrolled on the day this year were charged an additional late entry fee levy.

The Bondi club honoured its agreement with Can Too and made a significant donation to the charity from the online entry fees. All remaining funds, after recovery of the expenses associated with hosting the event, will go to the club to support its volunteer surf lifesaving activities.

Bondi lifesaver Tom Miller put local knowledge to advantage to be the first of the group of elite swimmers to finish the one-kilometre race, in 10 minutes and 38 seconds. Quakers Hill teenager Stacey Hansford led the field of elite women swimmers home, finishing runner-up overall to Miller in 10 minutes and 55 seconds.

More information about the 2010/11 Bondi Bluewater Challenge will be posted at a later date on the websites www.oceanswimseries.com and www.bondibluewater.com. Contact Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club at admin@bondisurfclub.com, PO Box 7007, Bondi Beach 2026 or call 9300 9279.