Good fortune shone on three nude swimmers at Alexandria Bay last week in the form of a visiting Argentinian lifeguard named Micaela Guacci (known as “Mica”), those ubiquitous surfing Smales brothers, Kaiden and Landen, and Noosa Heads lifeguard Tim Mulder.
Hey, it was a beautiful, sunny spring day at A-Bay, so who wouldn’t you whip the clobber off and plunge in, despite the heavy swell and treacherous rips that were keeping other swimmers on the beach? A bit like the male models throwing lighted matches in the air as they chased each other around the petrol bowsers in Zoolander, fun at the time but it was always going to end in tears.
Fortunately holidaying lifeguard Mica, 31, was one who decided to stay out of the waves, opting to soak up the sun with friend Melania Morales. Melania took up the story on social media: “Mica, who was observing the sea, spotted two people in distress. Soon, more people noticed the emergency and called for help, but she was the only one who could enter the water. She turned to me and said, ‘I’m going in; go find some surfers.’ ( We couldn’t see any on the beach.) I was paralyzed by fear, watching my friend risk her life in that situation, but I rushed to find surfers. Meanwhile, Mica had reached the two drowning people. One of them had some swimming ability, but the other was in a state of absolute panic. Mica got closer to the frightened person, attempting to calm her down as much as possible and helping her stay afloat. They were in the water, struggling for more than 15 minutes. During this time, they lost sight of the other person in the waves.”
Melania found champion local surfers Kaiden and Landen Smales surfing at the northern end of the beach and signaled urgently to them. As soon as she got her story out they were off, running down the beach and then launching into what Kaiden described as one of the most intense rips he had ever seen at A-Bay. Soon they were holding the naked swimmers above the waterline while an exhausted Mica made her way to the beach.
Lifeguard Tim Mulder had been alerted and arrived on a jet ski soon after to ferry the exhausted nudists back to the surf club. Surf Lifesaving Queensland regional manager Aaron Purchase said later lifeguards were called after an emergency beacon was activated. A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said three swimmers were taken to Nambour Hospital from the beach, all in stable conditions.
A happy ending thanks to the bravery and fast thinking of Mica, Kaiden and Landen. But the message is clear: A-Bay is unpatrolled and often dangerous. Give the gonads an airing by all means if you must, but don’t go in the water unless you know what you’re doing.
Old dog out of the fog at ‘Bu
Heavy fog disrupted the start of the WSL Longboard world finals day at Malibu, but it wasn’t going to stop veteran Hawaiian stylist and shaper Kai Sallas from taking his first world title at age 42.
Kai, who has always been a threat in waves of consequence, took his precision act into the tiny sets at Malibu’s First Point once the marine layer had cleared and won a hard-fought three-set final from Kaniela Stewart who is not only half his age, but also Kai’s beach-mate and protégé. Ratings leader Kani, who is always a stand-out in Noosa, was a firm favourite to win the title, but despite a strong start, he couldn’t find the power that Kai seemed to extract from every turn.
He told WSL: “I’ve been doing this for so long, and all I can say is, finally! I’ve been trying for over 20 years, and to add my name to that list of Hawaiian world champions is a dream come true. I’m very proud.”
In the women’s title battle, Californian Soleil Errico claimed back to back world titles at her home break of Malibu after overcoming Hawaii’s Kelis Kaleopa’a in straight sets. Having won her first world title in Taiwan in 2018, Errico joined the elite group of three-times world champions, which includes Honolua Blomfield, Joel Tudor, Taylor Jensen and Cori Schumacher.
While no Australian women made the final eight to contest the championships, Noosa-based Hawaiian Mason Schremmer gave us plenty to be proud of, leapfrogging competitors with a classy display to move from eighth to fifth in the world in 2023.
In the men’s, Australia’s Declan Wyton was the only finalist, finishing sixth, after Noosa’s 2022 world champion Harrison Roach decided against a title defence.
Sorry
I woke up with a hangover last Sunday, but it was a hangover of the spirit rather than one induced by spirits.
First Nations leaders have called for a week of silence so I’ll respect that here and not go into the what-might-have-beens and where-to-nows, but I can’t help but feel the gut-wrenching pain of missing an opportunity that won’t come again in my lifetime.
I’ve been so fortunate to have experienced life on country with many mobs, and to have met (and become friends with several) ordinary blackfellas as well as the best and the brightest, from the late Charlie Perkins, who came to our house for supper when I was a child in the early ‘60s, to the late John Newfong at the tent embassy in the ‘70s, to the late Galarrwuy Yunupingu, David Gulpilil, Big Bill Neidjie, George Rrurrambu and Aunty Viv Harlow in the ‘80s, Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the ‘90s and Noel Pearson in more recent times.
Known and unknown, they’ve all left an indelible imprint on my psyche, and all I can think to say now is, sorry.
