A happy Jack Musika with his medals.
Camera IconA happy Jack Musika with his medals. Credit: Supplied/Martin Kennealey d436312

Striking Gold Coast gold

Bryce LuffFremantle Gazette

A COOLBELLUP boy has taken on the rest of Australia and come up trumps after claiming gold at the 2015 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast.

Jack Musika, representing the Coogee Beach Surf Life Saving Club, claimed the win in the under-14 male beach flags division.

A day earlier he had claimed silver in the under-14 beach sprints.

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Musika said he was nervous ahead of his first race.

"There were top level performers there and I just wanted to perform well," he said.

"I went wanting to make the finals but I didn't expect to medal."

The Corpus Christi College student said competition was tight.

"The judges were tough on anyone breaking at the start and with no second chances, there were plenty of disappointed athletes. I didn't really know how good everyone else was or where Id fit in with them, but after the first race I was a lot calmer. I was really happy to win the medals," he said.

Coogee Beach SLSC surf sports director Darren Spencer said the medals were reward for effort.

"There's a lot of natural ability there but he's a good kid, quiet, modest and always competes hard. He's at that age where a lot of the boys drop out so hopefully he can continue on because he's a good role model for our club," he said.

Club mate Wesley Muller, competing in the Masters division, helped complete the two-man contingent from the Coogee club tackling the largest annual event of its kind in the world.

Muller claimed bronze in the 2km beach run for men aged 35-39.

More than 7000 competitors from 311 Australian surf life saving clubs flooded North Kirra Beach for the event's centenary year.