Australian Surf Rowers League

Am I the only one who thinks those crash test dummy reserve crews who dnf'd on Wednesday should be thrown into the repecharge on Sunday? The decision to move the event was made because those crews had the cajones to go out on Wednesday, yet they don't get the chance of a second row. And we're not talking 2nd rate crews....quite a few State finalists amongst them

What do people think? Go by the strict letter of the handbook or bring some common sense and natural justice into the equation?

Schemozzle. I recall a certain very talented northern beaches crew ((think royalty/rock/dinosaur) get eliminated at the qtr final stage at state last year. next minute the powers that be (probably from the northern beaches too) rerun a repercharge for them on a sunday. Next minute they are on the podium collecting more bling? When has the sport ever been fair? Im sure a few crews know that come aussies they aint quite fast enough but Kurrawa evens things up and they are more than willing to take it on in the hunt for that aussie gold.

Good answer but your missing the point....the whole event was scrapped/scrubbed/ moved because the conditions were shown to be so difficult.... This isn't about 1 crew... It's about 12 crews...and giving them a second row after spending a shitload of money to get here...

Just because crews used to get knocked out in the first round and there was only one turning can and no pumps and boats weighed half a ton doesn't mean we can't progress beyond those days..

Mark, there is a repechage for B crews. However, the rules state that if you were disqualified you're not eligible. If your crew did not complete the course in the allotted time frame you were disqualified.

In respect of the B's, with the repechage, there will be approx 65 crews left in the B's. In elimination at 3 in & 3 out, that's around 3 hours of racing to get the B crews to a final on Sunday. Can you see that happening??

Further, what about the B crews in the north area? Have you taken them into consideration??

Speaking of the north area, the u23's raced there for a few rounds. The powers that be have decided to ignore those results and throw ALL u23's back into the mix.

The officials are doing it tough especially when you consider the cards they have been dealt. I mean, we should have TWO areas.

Tony - you've just answered my question...so it's ok for the 23 s results to be thrown out and to start again but not Reserves ? Where's the equity in that?

Mark, there are now 2 issues.

The first is the issue of a repechage and the second is the U23's.

Sorry to hear about your crew because they are a dam good crew, but the DQ rule is the rule and you don't qualify for a repechage. it sucks BUT!!!

With the U23's, that bull dust. And based on the 23's with a good lawyer (maybe the Bat) you could get a reprieve. It's only $150.

It is a pretty ordinary rule. Our boys got backshot in round 1 and got a big hole in the boat. 30 strokes and your aussies is over.

Tony B wrote:


It was ONE heat in the U23's in the North, and they were turning the cans when the decision to cease racing was made. All sweeps in that ONE heat were consulted and informed that the race was null and void.

The rules are there to help us... I quite like 2.25 b - Where a competitor fails to adhere to the prescribed course or breaches or fails to follow a rule in this manual they MAY be penalised or disqualified by the ref or section ref at their discretion.

It doesn't say you are automatically out.... It says you may be penalised .... At the refs discretion

Wednesday's first round outcome was like a car manufacturer deciding to recall a model cause of too many crashes...without compensating those who'd already crashed!

Seems a bit inconsistent to me. Stick to the rules for reserves and change them for 23s.

I got sent an email earlier on the year that elimination would see almost all crews progress to round 3. Our crew hasn't even had half a race. Would be nice to see the surf boat panel represent the rowers in this case.

Easy way around this .........and we all know it ........give Kurrawa the arse and move the Aussies around the country like the AUSSIES should be done. It's not the Qld Titles, it's the Australian Titles - it needs to be moved around the country more.

It's a shite beach, it's had more than it's fair share of Aussies. What happened to the original plan to move it around the country? It looks like SLSA is only considering one Aussies out of QLD until 2020 - is that right? If it is it's a joke!

The sweep of the winning Colts crew (Mr B Down of Coffs) assures me that he wasn't consulted.

Mark, you are correct. MAY = permissive as opposed to MUST. Fork out $150.

The rest, it sucks to get knocked out early ehh. Plenty of good crews get knocked out in the early rounds because of gear damage, back shoots or even missing gate cans (ask Lyal). The trick is you get down and regroup and train harde for next year.

I think kurrawa is a great surf beach.

Again sweeps have to ensure they know all the rules to be fair to their own crew.

DNF means you don't get a second chance,, I learnt the had way at Manly cval few years back.

The reggies did complete ALL round 1 events so all results must stand to be fair to those that made it.
I am lucky as we won our heat and guys are over the moon.

BUT am and very nervous about the cuts on sunday been 6x-boats--3 thru when every other division is given 6x boats 4 thru.
Again it is not fair to reggies division.
Yes why not use 2 areas when map shows board/ski with 2x areas each group. (I don't if this was actually done??)

My young bloke says "great this is the first time he has made it thru to Sunday"

Totally agree with Mark and Rowa.

This is a horeshit decision at best.

To be fair, we were one of the crews affected so our views may be slightly tarnished in that respect. As you can imagine, we're slightly disappointed.

For all the talk about Kurrawa being a great surf beach, at the end of the day it's ridiculously unfair.

Our crews honest enough to say when we stuffed up and I can guarantee our axing on Wednesday morning was purely bad luck, there was nothing we could have done about it short of pulling out of the race.

While we got absolutely poleaxed by a decent wave that snuck up from the side (good pics though), the crew a metre to the left sails out untouched.

I have no issues in terms of rowing at Kurrawa for any other carnival, it's good fun and all but when you're searching for the best crew in the country, everyone's trained like dogs all year, you've come up to the Goldy twice in three weeks etc etc and then to be sent packing cause of the ridiculously unfair nature of the beach, that's horseshit.

I don't think the beach should be the sole determining factor in the Aussie Champs.

If we're going to persist in having the titles at this beach then crews need to be given some sort of chance - our crew finished about twenty seconds outside the cutoff after having to swim all the way to shore to recover a boat and oars, surely a trip to the repechage would be suitable punishment.

It's pretty disappointing to be out of the carnival before even starting even moreso when the beach is deemed dangerous or unfair one heat after your demise.

By calling off racing for the day, the officials had admitted racing should not have been taking place, why are the poor bastards forced to row out there the ones that are penalised, it's a joke.

I'm not saying don't have the carnival at a surf beach - just one that's a bit more fair.

The best carnival this year was the Manly ASRL. The Sunday saw good solid surf breaking across the entire course, fair for everyone. Everyone was getting hit and while the surf was a factor, everyone had to fight the same battle.

Too often at Kurrawa we see three crews put at one side of the course and three upside down on the other then this swaps for the next race. If we persist in having titles here then surely something needs to be written into the rules to ensure that every competitor at least has a chance to make the second round, be it through repechage or otherwise.

In saying that I'm sure all the crews that win will be worthy champs!