KEY POINTS:
Westshore's Nikki Cox created history when winning five gold medals at the New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships at Ohope beach, Whakatane, yesterday.
The 23-year-old New Zealand team member showed her versatility in winning the open board and ski double for women and then adding the individual ironwoman title and gold in the double ski with Larissa Cowlrick and a second team gold in the taplin relay.
"This is the first time I've won the open ironwoman so it's quite special for me," said Cox.
"I've had quite a bit of bad luck over the past few seasons with people catching waves behind me and I thought it was about my turn," she said. "I just had to get out and catch a wave and hope the surf did it for me this time, and it did."
"It's good to finally get that one. I was second last year, the year before I was injured and the year before I was second," said Cox. "It was quite a long swim and I was just trying to think about my technique and trying to stay up there."
Also outstanding was her club-mate, Daniel Moodie, who won the open ironman for a third successive year and completely demolished the very strong field in the open board race final.
His winning margin in the board race was so emphatic he was able to meander through the finish with his nearest rivals still two waves behind.
The 20-year-old leaves tomorrow to live and train on the Gold Coast with the powerful Northcliffe club, home of present world champion Zane Holmes and Australian stars Shannon Eckstein and Pierce Leonard.
Moodie will attempt to qualify for the rich Kellogg's Nutri-Grain professional series, and hopes to follow in the footsteps of New Zealand ironman legend Cory Hutchings.
"It's the place to be to take it seriously - I've gone over there for the past few summers just for a few months at a time and I've noticed the benefits immediately when I come back," Moodie said. "You grow over there with all the training and racing - you can be in the top-20 but not make a final so it's that much harder."
Moodie, who competes for the Westshore club, leaves after establishing a remarkable record on the beach, which continued with his ironman and open board race titles yesterday.
He became the first athlete to win the open and under-19 ironman double two years ago, retaining both titles in Gisborne last year before moving up solely into the open division.
Hutchings, who won a record 11 New Zealand ironman titles in his distinguished career, was the same age as Moodie when he moved to Australia permanently, but suspects the young star might be slightly more developed at the same stage.
"He's pretty tenacious and has a knack of understanding surf conditions, which is a huge asset," Hutchings said. "If anyone beats the record I set with the ironman, I'd like it to be Dan because there are a lot of things about him that remind me of myself at the same time."
