The smile on Kobe Sims' face said it all as the emerging Warilla ironman talent walked off his home beach on Sunday afternoon, tired and sore but utterly triumphant.
The 16-year-old proved the standout performer across the opening two rounds of the Sydney Water Surf Series, delivering a spectacular display of endurance and skill that left spectators in awe.
Home Beach Dominance
Saturday marked a true coming of age for Sims, who conquered challenging blustery conditions to secure impressive scores in both the open ironman and board double events. The young athlete didn't stop there, adding victories in the under-17 ironman, board, and swim categories to his growing list of achievements.
Sims continued his dominant form into Sunday's competition, securing four under-17 race wins that further cemented his status as one of the region's most promising surf sports talents.
"Getting the results on my home beach was pretty special," Sims reflected after his outstanding performance. "I had a solid winter focused on training consistently and improving my technique which gave me a lot of confidence. Seeing everyone down there and having all the people in my club together helped me."
Fellow Champions Rise
While Sims stole the spotlight in junior events, other Illawarra athletes also made their mark during the weekend competition. Will Fowler, fresh from completing his HSC, claimed victory in Sunday's open ironman event and featured prominently in both board and surf race results.
In the women's competition, Newport's Sarah Locke demonstrated her class by winning both rounds of the open ironwoman and surf race categories.
The female craft events provided particularly tight racing, with multiple winners and placegetters ensuring the series points will be hotly contested throughout the season. Illawarra athletes Kyah Shipley and Tarren Elliot were among those securing places in their respective events.
Beach and Water Action
On the sand, Wollongong City's Nick Aivailotis proved the fastest in beach sprints, securing victories over Ryan Andrews of Stanwell Park. However, Andrews turned the tables in the explosive beach flags competition.
The under-15 water events saw intense competition between Darcy Stepanovski of Wollongong City and Callum Ardita from North Wollongong, with the duo engaging in multiple tight finishes across both competition days.
The Sydney Water Surf Series continues with round three scheduled for Wollongong City Beach on Saturday, December 6, followed by the season finale at Bulli Beach on December 13.
