WARILLA-BARRACK Point Surf Club's Ben Carberry has caused the upset of the 2014 NSW Surf Life Saving Open Championships after downing heavy favourites Nathan Smith and Kendrick Louis to win the open ironman title.
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In a day that culminated in dramatic fashion with some big upsets and plenty of action under perfect sunshine at Ocean Beach/Umina, Carberry stunned the big crowd to take the brilliant win.
TV cameras, photographers and cheering fans lined the beach for the premier event of the state championships - the open ironman and ironwoman races.
It is just the second time in 20 years a country athlete took out the open ironman.
Carberry produced quite possibly the biggest surprise of the weekend to everyone on the beach but himself and his team who had faith in his abilities from the start.
"I knew I was capable of something special against these guys and it was just up to me to prove it. To battle side by side with a living legend in Nathan Smith for most of the race and to come out on top - oh man, I'm just over the moon," Carberry said.
Manly SLSC has taken out back-to-back wins in the grand slam women's event with superfish Georgia Miller, fresh off a gold medal in the under-19 ironwoman final, winning over Bulli's Hannah Minogue.
