Kiwi stars line up in Australian ironman trials

Two of New Zealand’s brightest surf lifesaving stars will line up in Australia this weekend, attempting to crack the sport's richest series at the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman trials.

Four-time New Zealand ironman champion Daniel Moodie and national board race champion Madison Boon will be chasing one of 11 spots in each of the men’s and women’s fields of the A$250,000 ($320,000) five-round series.

Moodie, 22, shifted to Australia to train last year and finished 19th in his first crack at the trials, narrowly missing the cut-off.

He’s since won a gold medal in the board race at the 2009 World Games in Taiwan, beating world ironman champion Shannon Eckstein, and is backing himself to make the grade this weekend.

"Over here, everyone’s always looking to capitalise on those little mistakes people can make - you just don’t have the luxury of getting anything wrong in a race," Moodie said.

"That’s been the major benefit of the time I’ve spent training in Australia – learning how to eliminate mistakes. A lot of the guys I will be competing with are pretty much on a similar level to me so it will be tough. It’s going to be pretty cut-throat."

Australian-born Boon, meanwhile, broke into the New Zealand team this year after an eye-catching performance at the national championships in Gisborne. As well as the board race, she finished second in the ski race and helped her Midway club dominate the relays.

Boon was also the best-placed New Zealand finisher at the Kelloggs trials last year, finishing 20th, a spot ahead of Muriwai's Jess Parr.

Parr will also be back for another attempt to qualify, as well as talented Tauranga athlete Mike Janes and New Plymouth’s Daniel Nelson.

They’ll join 130 other hopefuls at the trials, including Ironman legends, Olympian Ky Hurst and the ageless Dean Mercer, Coolangatta Gold winners Hayley Bateup and Rhys Drury at Tugun on the Gold Coast.

The 12 qualifiers from last year’s series will join the top-22 (11 men and 11 women) from this weekend and four selector’s wildcards for the series, which starts at Kurrawa on January 16 and 17.

Former Muriwai star Lucy Pengelly was the last New Zealander to compete in the Kellogg’s series in 2007, with New Plymouth Old Boys coach Glenn Anderson completing the last of his three seasons in 2006.