We Chat with… Jake Lynch

2017 will be one to remember for Newport’s Jake Lynch, having won Surf Life Saving Athlete of the Year for both NSW and Australia, and competing in the International Surf Challenge. We had a chat with Jake about his recent wins and what’s next for the beach sprinter.

How did you feel when you won both the SLSNSW and SLSA Athlete of the Year Awards?
Really surprised was my first feeling. They’re really tough awards to even get nominated for seeing as you have to go through club then branch nominations too and both Newport and Sydney Northern Beaches Branches have such strong athletes. I honestly never expected to win either award, especially the SLSA awards, that was completely unexpected, but definitely such an amazing feeling.

You were recently part of the Australian team that won the International Surf Challenge in NZ – what was it like racing there?
Racing in New Zealand was incredible and being a part of the Australian team is always such an honor and exciting experience. The 3-test series format at the ISRC is different in terms of the format. It’s a team point score system over the 3 tests against 6 other counties, which makes it a bit more unique. And because the races are straight finals and you’re competing as a part of a team for your country it makes the intensity of competition much higher than usual. It also gives us a chance to race against some great athletes from other countries and to top it off, the local scenery at the mount was pretty spectacular.

What’s the most enjoyable part of racing on the sand?
I think racing on sand is a bit unique in the way that running on sand isn’t easy if you’re not used to running on it. I always get strange looks from people when I tell them I’m a beach sprinter, they seem puzzled as to how someone can run fast on sand. For me, it’s just pure enjoyment to be able to run fast across the sand and I’m always looking for ways to improve my speed and power across the sand. I also love beach flags, it’s so exciting to watch and to compete in. I always get nervous when watching flags due to the exciting and sometimes unpredictable nature of the sport, but when I’m in it myself I feel like I enter my own little bubble. The combination reaction, speed, power and tactics are what makes it so much fun.

What do you like the least?
Without a doubt, it’s getting sand in your eyes and ears from beach flags.

You’ve raced on many beaches both here and overseas, what’s been your favourite place so far?
For sprinting it would have to be Manly Beach, it’s just a nice surface to sprint on and the Manly carnival every year is always a really good hit-out. As for flags, it would be the Scarborough amphitheatre in Perth. The flag finals in there are absolutely incredible.

Racing at an elite level can be tough on the mind and body, what motivates you to keep you going?
I just really enjoy turning up to training, regardless if I know it’s going to be a hard session. I also think that knowing that there’s still so much for me to improve on in both sprint and flags is a good motivator. I won’t be doing this sport forever and I’ve probably got about 6-8 years max left in the sport competitively if I play my cards right, that in itself also motivates me to get everything I can out of the sport.

You’ve achieved a lot in your beach career so far. What are you most proud of?
There have been so many moments I’d love to pick but I’ll narrow it down to three (sorry!). The first one was winning the open sprint and flag double at the 2012 world championships in Adelaide and being the first person to win the double. Second, making my first Australian team to compete in the ISRC and Sanyo Cup in Japan and the last one is the world national team’s championships in the Netherlands in 2016 and winning the flag/sprint double then backing up 2 days later to win the world inter club sprint for Newport. The ups and downs in and out of training in the lead up to those made those results particularly special to myself.

You’ve ticked off some big achievements over the past year, what are your next challenges?
Individually it’s to win an Australian title in the open flags and sprint, more so, to complete the sprint/flag double at the same Aussies. It’s never been done before and it’s a major goal of mine. As a part of a team, it’s to win gold in the relay at Aussies with my mates. Something about team events makes it special, you always seem to lift that little extra in a relay and sharing a win with mates would be unreal.

Who are the beach competitors we should be watching out for over the next few years?
There are so many athletes on the rise or already established but are still young and will be around for some time. At Newport, obviously Blake Drysdale, he won the open flags at Aussies in 2017, really tough competitor, Macy Carrothers, she won the under 15 flags at Aussies in 2017.

Kristie Edwards is another. You only see her race at Aussies on the beach (she’s won the junior sprint and flags titles) but she’s a fantastic 100m/200m track sprinter and at a young age she’s got a really bright future. In the water, the likes of Georgia Miller, Maddie Spencer, Max Brooks and Jackson Borg. From another club, Sam Zustovich. He’s only 15 but already matching a lot of the guys in the beach flags and also Alex Rampoldi, she won the under 17 and open flags double at Aussies in 2017 as a 16 year old. Those two young kids are definitely ones to keep an eye on. 

You do a lot of training with the younger Nippers, any tips for the beach competitors just starting out?
It would be the same as starting most other sports, but being patient with training and racing. The results, flagging technique, sprinting technique and speed won’t come overnight, it takes time, effort and continuous practice. Always look for ways to refine and improve what you’re doing. Lastly, just enjoy the process of learning and training, stay committed and have fun.

If you’d like to join or find out more about our Beach Team, contact Leanne Pate – 0425 213 842 or Marty Lynch – 0406 425 525