If you would like to provide feedback on the 2008 event Click Here

To catch some vivid images from the 2008 event Click Here

Photos from our 2008 event are viewable from our Photo Gallery

Mark your calendars for this year's Challenge, December 5th, 2009!

2008 Event review by Oceanswims.com

2008 Event photos by Abbey Digital available for purchase

2008 3 Points Challenge Competitor Timings & Placings

2008 Ocean Swim Competitor Timings & Placings

2008 Full Race Results on Multisports site

The Challenge Lives Up To Its Name

Warm sunny weather and a passive ocean greeted over 500 entrants to the 2008 3 Points Challenge and Ocean Swim. Competitors were licking their lips when they arrived at North Curly beach, which looked like a travel agent postcard. As competitors surveyed the calm conditions, you could tell they had a sense that this was going to be a stroll in the park compared to previous years - oh how wrong were they !

As they came out of the briefing for the Definition Health Clubs Ocean Swim, their confidence looked shattered, as they found out the course had been changed, and instead of a simple swim south to South Curly, they were going to turn left near the rock pool, and visit Shark Alley !!!

Even long time club stalwart and champion swimmer, Kathy Langthorne had a look of concern on her face, as she rethought about her morning plans for a leisurely swim, and nervously stretched and restretched her swimming cap on the club balcony an extra 20 times, “There are big fish out there !” she said. But not only did she swim the course, but she came 2nd in her age group, beaten only by masters multiple national record holder Sue Kearney (pictured right), and beating a host of other younger swimmers to boot. In fact she came in 48th position overall !! Must have been the thought of the “big fish” on her heels !! Sue to her credit backed up and took on the 3 Points immediately after.

The Ocean Swim was a great success, and the decision to change the course this year was a big hit with the regular ocean swimmers. To quote Oceanswims.com—”The Curly swim was a ripper, spectacular, on the edge, taking us into new frontier territory. And the ocean swimmers who became aquathletes for the day at North Curly and didn't get to do this swim: eat your hearts out”

Overall winner of the event was 16 year old Joshua Hollard (pictured here), a well known up and coming long distance swimmer from Blackhill, swimming in the Manly colors (no comment !!) He was followed by Michael Fenn from McGraths Hill, with North Curly cadet Aaron Zimaras coming in a creditable 3rd place. First female across the line was champion open water swimmer Shelly Clark.

Attention then turned to the main event of the day, the Bendigo Bank 3 Points Challenge. Competitors were a little concerned at the race brief, when Glenn Slater informed them with a smile about the 400M sand run to finish this year's run home from Freshwater. And the competitors were even less impressed when the walked on to the golden Curly sand to see the swim cans for the first swim leg bobbing up and down half way to New Zealand. This was not going to be an easy day.

But as with the ocean swim, the competitors took it all into their stride, and just under 400 athletes took off with a splash for the first can. As competitors made it back to terra firma, and climbed the boat ramp up to the first transition station in the car park, it was very clear that today was going to be a struggle for most of them judging by the huffing and puffing that was happening, especially given the warm 29 degrees weather that baked them dry as they took off for South Curly and Freshwater and two more swims.

Competitor after competitor took off, providing a spectacular scene for the many onlookers along the way. Feedback from our support crews out on the course indicated that the race leaders were setting a cracking pace, all fuelled by some of the media coverage generated in the lead up to the event. Some friendly rivalry had been generated by a couple of local paper (Manly Daily) articles, and some bragging rights were on the line.

As it turned out, professional triathlete Peter Jacobs (pictured here) was too good on the day, setting a cracking pace in the conditions to win the event from his media created rival, Mitch Dean. And for the other punters, just finishing the race earnt them bragging rights that will last 12 months.

To top off the day's proceedings, the top 6 finishers of both the Ocean Swim and the Challenge then did battle in the Warringah Home Loans Invitational Dash for Cash. This knockout event format pits the best against the best, with cash on the line, and Joshua Hollard backed up his Ocean Swim win to take out a number of heats and the final two man race against Collaroy's Mitchell Trim. There was a body guard on the beach to help Joshua carry his winnings off the sand at the end of the day !!

Special thanks must go to the 100 plus members of the North Curl Curl Surf Life Saving Club who put in a huge effort to make the event happen. The feedback from many of the competitors was just how great an event we put on, and how well we looked after them, so the hard work paid off. We would also like to acknowledge the support of South Curl Curl, Freshwater and Dee Why Surf Life Saving Clubs, and Sydney Northern Beaches Life Saving for providing us support and equipment to run this event.

Congratulations to all competitors for your particpation and enthusiasm, and all club members for your assistance. And special thanks to all our sponsors and prize donators, who made the day possible.

See you all at our next running on the first Saturday in December 2009 !!!