Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club members mix it with the best in Australian Surf Life Saving Championships in Queensland

SUN, sand and surf.

For the average Aussie, that’s a recipe for a relaxing day at the beach.

But for 13-year-old Tai Kirkpatrick, hitting the beach is about pushing himself to the limit.

The Year 8 St Stephen’s School student recently competed in the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships in Queensland.

Beating 105 competitors, the Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club member brought home bronze for the under-14 male beach flags

He competed in the beach sprints, the four-person male swim team and the beach relay, having won gold in the under-14s and under-15s at recent State Titles.

Tai has been a member of the surf club for five years, patrolling Sorrento Beach and Hillarys.

Other Sorrento SLSC youngsters that performed well were Sydney and Taylah Rafferty, Felicity Starcevich and Hally Beard who came second in the under-15 female beach relay, with Beard also joining Georgia Moss, Alana Humphreys, Hannah Pulsford and Caiomhe Burke to come third in the under-15 mixed five-person rescue and resuscitation.

Successful masters competitions included Aaron Bell who won the 35-39 years male beach sprint, Sue Waite who won the 45-49 female beach flags, Melissa Bove, Jenny Plint, Stef Yujnovich and Claire Rafferty who won the minimum 140-years female beach relay, Leanne Lewis who came second in both the 55-59 female single ski and 2km beach run, then joined Rita Berry and Sandra Herbert in the minimum 150-years female single ski relay and Janie Rowse who came third in the 60-64 female beach flags.

Plint also came second in the 30-34 female beach sprint.

For the seniors, Jackson Symonds won the open male beach sprint, Charlie Rigby won the under-17 male beach sprint, then joined Sam Hodgkin, Jarred Krammer and Caleb Paulus to win the under-17 male beach relay and Annelise Pring, Caitlin Humphreys, Natasha Ireland, Simone Gardiner and Samantha Saunders came third in the under-17 mixed five-person rescue and resuscitation.

See Mullaloo’s results.