Jiu-Jitsu
Good news for those in the sport of Caza Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is that the new club in Cooroy is definitely up and running. Chief Instructor at the Noosa club Professor Yoshi Hasegawa is happy to see the progress.
Situated on 7 Mary River Road Cooroy and known as Caza BJJ Hinterland Club, they held their grand opening on 11 November 2023. Owners are Cheyne Douglas, Noosa’s Caza BJJ Headquarters first black belt, and Marc Jenkins also a Caza BJJ Headquarters black belt. Cheyne Douglas first degree black belt was promoted to black belt on the 15 December 2019 by Yoshi Hasegawa after commencing Jiu-Jitsu in 2011. Since then, he has travelled to Japan, USA and Thailand to train and compete.
Marc Jenkins, who was promoted to black belt 29 January 2023 by Yoshi Hasegawa, also started Jiu-Jitsu in 2011 and followed the path of Douglas by travelling to Japan, USA and Thailand to train and compete. They are now running class groups as followers: 2–4-year-old, parent classes, 4–7-year-old classes, 7–12-year-old and adult classes. Women’s self-defence classes are also on the agenda: and those who join in January will receive a free T-shirt. We wish Cheyne and Marc all the very best in the times ahead.
Outriggers.
At the weekend over 650 paddlers of all agers travelled to Sandgate/Shorncliffe for the second leg of the South Queensland zone Club Challenge hosted by Polynesian AA’A Outrigger Canoe Club. The mighty Noosa club had 18 teams representing us, and we saw some great results.
There was racing in single and double canoes as well as OC6ers.Racing was held over a 10km course and also a 14km course. Amongst Noosa’s successful teams were, Team Lenitschek, who took out the Young Guns challenge in the Juniors. In the 10k OC 1 Golden Masters for Men, Glenn Brown won gold and in the Platinum Masters for Men, Des Mabbott won Silver.
In her race in an OC 1, over10k, Sally Scarce won Silver: this was definitely a great effort by Sally. Other winners were Team Marko in the 8km Golden Masters Mixed, Team Hegarty in the Novice Women, Team Bodo in the 14k Unlimited Senior Masters Men’s, Team Mabbot in the Golden Masters Women and Team Hegarty in the Silver Masters Women.
February 10, will again see the club race at Scarborough and following this many paddlers will be heading to Sydney for the Harbour Race. Once again Colin Jones has kept our community in touch with this sport and we thank him most sincerely.
Surf sports.
In what Noosa’s Director of Surf Sports Alan Rogers, described as a very busy, very hectic four days in Sydney, Noosa took a team of 24 Open and U17 athletes to the Summer of Surf, at the beautiful Manly Beach. This carnival which is held over two days is now probably the second biggest in Australia: surpassed only by the Australian Championships. “The level of competition is absolutely first class. Whilst it was a relative inexperienced team, we did have our core open experienced females. Jordan Mercer and Carla Papac started the day with a second in the female ski, then combining with our open athlete, Courtney Bryant to get a second in the Female Ski Relay. Jordan then got placed third in her single ski: a phenomenal effort considering almost every other athlete in the field, has been competing for the last two months in the Nutri Grain competition. “Her pedigree,” said Surf Sports Director Rogers, “ came shining through.’’
In the Open Men Double Ski, Noosa finished fifth. The U 17 girls went well, with Mikaela Price coming 5th in the surf swim, after winning her heat: these results took her straight to the final. Caitlin Read also won her single ski heat for the U17 girls, which also took her straight to the final. A good effort, finishing 6th in a very tricky, big surf.
In the boys teams and individual events, all did well with most making finals for Noosa in the prestigious events. Perhaps the most prestigious of all, the six- person Mixed Taplin, saw Noosa make the final.
On the beach events our sole athlete Kai Thompson, was at it again: finishing 6th in the Make Open sprint, following up with a second in the flags. The following day he journeyed to the Freshwater carnival, and once again he won the beach flags. This has definitely been a most encouraging carnival for Noosa. With a team structure that consisted of so many young new comers to the big- time carnivals, head coach Darren Mercer and his support team should take a bow. Well done to all.
With the Summer of Surf being major carnivals, our friends over the hill Sunshine Beach SLSC, took to the road: travelling with Head Coach Wes Berg, to Sydney for both the Manly and Freshwater carnivals. It was a very successful journey for their 16 athletes.
Knowing that they would be racing against some of the strongest competitors and surf clubs from around Australia, including top Nutri-Grain Ironman and Ironwomen, the athletes put their heart and soul into their racing: also, being aware of the huge prizemoney on the line. ‘’For some,” said Head Coach Wes Berg, “this was their first- time racing at Northern Sydney beachers.”
Happy to relate there were several standout performances: amongst those was Sunshine’s Electra Outram who won the open women’s board race. Indeed, an outstanding performance. Also, in the Open Ironwomen, Sunshine’s Gemma Welch Smith finished 6th. In the Open Run Swim Run, she finished 4th and out of 75 competitors in the Open Swim, finished in 6th place.
Adding to this there were also two great performances from the youth. In the U17 Dylan Wilson finished 2nd in the Male Surf Race, and Luke Lewis U15 also took a 2nd in the Men’s Board Race. But perhaps for Sunshine the most outstanding result came in the Blue- Ribbon Event, the Open Men’s Taplin Relay.
This is an event that consists of three sections, board ski and swim: with two athletes’ to each section, making it a 6- man team. For Sunshine they finished in an incredible 4th. place. For a small club like Sunshine, this was indeed an outstanding performance. The team consisted of Darcy Lewis, Dylan Wilson, Pat Davis, Hamish Farquhar Selby, Zale Outram and Ollie Dillewaard.
At the competition of the carnival, coach Wes Berg took members on a team building ski paddle in Sydney Harbour: under the Harbour Bridge and alongside the Sydney Opera House. With the great performance from the youth of both Noosa Heads and Sunshine Beach clubs, the results from the Summer of Surf Carnival builds a great future for both.
