Hundreds of rowers from Australia and New Zealand have completed the George Bass Surfboat Marathon, the world’s longest and arguably toughest surfboat race. This grueling seven-day competition covered 190 kilometers from Batemans Bay to Eden, concluding on Saturday as participants marked the event’s 50th anniversary.
The winning teams, enduring intense conditions of swells, currents, winds, and sun, celebrated their victory with a sense of relief. Vikki Fischer from the Broulee crew triumphantly declared, “We finished! We got here after seven days,” while addressing her team’s battle scars from the oceanic challenge.
The marathon, rooted in surf life saving culture, featured various categories, including open, veterans, and super veterans for both men and women. South Curl Curl Surf Life Saving Club secured the open men’s title, while the Portsea team triumphed in the open women’s category. Notable victories in the veterans’ division went to Tathra and Moruya, with Tallebudgera and Avalon claiming the super veterans’ titles.
Despite the celebration, the marathon did not pass without challenges. A significant southerly wind caused the course to be reversed on two particularly tough days. Participants, including 71-year-old Chris Mercer, who has been competing since the event’s inception in 1975, swapped places in the open ocean, each determined to complete the rigorous journey.
For some, like Gavin Granger of Pambula, this year’s race could mark a poignant final participation. Completing the 190-kilometer slog solo in the surf ski category, Granger expressed the emotional weight of the finish as he embraced his supportive family.
Overall, while injuries included blisters and encounters with marine life like bluebottles, the shared sentiment among rowers was one of mutual encouragement and camaraderie at the finish line. With physical tolls overcome, participants celebrated their achievement, underscoring the marathon’s stature as a formidable yet communal event.
