DIM Sims’ stellar surfboat season came to an anti-climactic end at the National Surf Life Saving Championships at Scarborough in WA on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Broulee Surfers Surf Life Saving Club’s under 19s crew failed to make its only final of the season in a bittersweet finale.
Jack Dunn, Jeff Gamble, Hayden Connor, Ewen Pollock and sweep Rob Pollock missed out on the final by a “couple of inches” after hauling themselves to the line.
Pollock said it was a disappointing end to a “phenomenal season”.
“It was pretty heart-breaking,” Pollock said.
Dim Sims’ final run was halted by a restarted race.
In the semi-final the crew shot out to a boat-length lead when race officials decided to recall the race after another crew missed the start.
When the race was restarted, backwash hit the boat as the gun went off and threw the stroke on to his back.
“He failed to make the first three strokes and when he got to his seat his oar had swung around,” Pollock said.
He said the boat was two lengths behind and that he put his hand up to signal a recall, which never came.
The crew rowed furiously to catch up, Pollock said, and they were confident of sneaking through to the final.
“The boys did a miraculous job getting back but it was pretty devastating to miss out so closely,” he said.
“The boys should have been there; I’m not sure if we would have won but we had beaten every crew in the final before.
“You have got to cop it on the chin at times but it is heart-wrenching.”
Pollock said Dim Sims’ rowers would no longer race together as they had deferred university courses to compete over summer.
“I think that will be the end of their involvement as a group,” he said.
“It’s hard for young people to stay down here.”
Dim Sims’ season included an undefeated South Coast Surfboat Series run, rowing for NSW at the Australian Surf Rowers League Open and a NSW championship.
Pollock said he was proud of the crew’s achievements.
“We all knew it would be our last row together but it has been a great ride and a lot of fun.”