HILL EYEING HISTORY AFTER WINNING FIFTH 20 BEACHES CROWN

Cory Hill is becoming somewhat of a surfski historian.

As the 34 year-old builds on his glittering, and perhaps unrivalled, resume of results, he’s found himself learning more about the races that deliver them.

Even if it’s not always by choice.

“I didn’t realise until people started to tell me, ‘You have this many of these titles,’ and that sort of thing.

“It really emphasises that people care about the wins,” Hill laughs.

“I’m more about being the best paddler I can be, I guess. Just consistently being on the podium, I’m very happy with that.

“But the wins do feel that little bit more special. Today felt a bit more special.”

Hill didn’t need to be told of his history at the Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches.

He walked across the finish line with his hand raised in the air, proudly showing five fingers to celebrate his fifth victory at Australia’s longest-running race.

Only one of Hill’s idols, Tim Jacobs has won more, with his name on the Steve Wood trophy seven times.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool,” Hill told The Paddler moments after the race.

“We spoke last year about the fact that I’m starting to become more aware of it.

“It’s cool for the family, they sacrifice a lot for me to be here. This is for them as much as it is for me.

“Hopefully I can keep going long enough for them to understand that Dad is paddling well.”​

Wind forecasts earlier in the week turned a few entrants away, but when race day rolled around, the field of 242 paddlers was greeted by a light southerly, whipping up small runs. 

Organisers had made the early call to scrap the planned course of Manly to Palm Beach, instead reverting to the Long Reef to Station Beach line that’s been used for the past few years.

An all-star line-up had assembled for the race, the strongest the Shaw and Partners Australian Ocean Racing Series had seen so far this season.

Headlining the list was Hill, the only elite athlete who competed at the 2024 ICF World Championships in Madeira a fortnight ago, claiming the silver medal.

That race fitness was on show from the start. Hill was prepared to attack from the outset.

“I felt great out there, actually.” Hill says.

“Starting out the back, it was a much better course. We were straight into the runs and it was actually quite quick. 

“All of the talk before the race was that it wasn’t going to be that, so it was great.”

The big names all fought their way to the front early in the race.

Hill held a slight lead over Tom Norton, Oscar Jones, Jackson Collins and Michael Booth, with the likes of Harrison Taurins and Mitchell Trim not too far behind.

But at around 12 kilometres into the race, what assistance they had from the ocean started to disappear.

Cloud cover arrived overhead and the wind died off.

“It was quite glary, you couldn’t see the runs very well,” Oscar Jones recalled.

“I just lost a bit of focus and Tommy [Norton] kept it up. I couldn’t get him back.”

The last two kilometres of this course, around Barrenjoey Headland and into the flat of Pittwater, has served up some memorable finishes over the years.

This time around, however, there was no late change.

Cory Hill crossed the finish line in a time of 1 hour, 20 minutes and 27 seconds for his win.

That was 35 seconds ahead of Tom Norton [1:21:02] who claimed second, with Oscar Jones [1:21:50] a further 48 seconds behind.

Paris Olympics silver medalist Jackson Collins [1:22:18] made a solid return to ocean racing, after some years away. Michael Booth [1:23:43] rounded out the top five, after making the trip across the country from Western Australia.

To view the full results of the Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches, click here.

Danielle Richards starred in her return to the sport, claiming the women’s title ahead of Jemma Smith and Hannah Sculley.

To read about Richards’ win, and why she’s reflecting on her racing future, click here.

For Hill, the win provides reassurance that he’s on the right track heading into the typically busy end of the racing year.

“Yeah I feel really good,” Hill says.

“Worlds was really tricky, it was tough conditions. I felt great going into it and was really happy with my result.

“Last week, I felt off the pace at the Coolangatta Gold [where he finished second to Norton]. 

“To come back this week and reassess, realign… it’s good to be back to how I feel like I should be paddling.”

By contrast, Norton’s season is, really, just getting started.

With the arrival of his second child, Zoe, in June, the 30 year-old has spent most of the year away from racing.

That’s not to say he hasn’t been keeping an eye on it, though.

“It was nice having those occasional sleep-ins knowing everyone else is training.

“But once I started seeing everyone there and, especially when the race was on… I really wanted to be there,” he laughs.

“I’ve had a bit of a different year, not going to Worlds. It’s been more of an off-season than I’d normally have. I didn’t race the Bridge to Beach and I didn’t race the Chucky, either.

“It is starting to build now, though. I feel fit and I feel like I have the pace to get the win. I just need to iron out a few things and put it together.”

Oscar Jones is in a similar position.

The Sydney product moved to Perth for work earlier this year.

And after enjoying a breakout season last year, 20 Beaches was his first major race of 2024.

“I’m stoked,” he said at the finish. “I’m about 10 weeks into training and I’m where I want to be. I feel good.

“Training at Grinders with the North Cott crew and at Sorrento with Boothy, the culture has been great. It’s pushing me along and I’m really enjoying it.”

Before the surfski world comes to his new home next month for the Shaw and Partners WA Race Week, Jones is heading abroad.

He’ll line up at South Africa’s iconic Pete Marlin next week, racing both the single and the double with Epic teammate, Mark Keeling.

“I’m really looking forward to that, and today was a really good set-up for that. It’s exciting.”