Seven days, 198kms, rowing from Batemans Bay to Eden - The George Bass Marathon is not for the faint of heart. And for ten locals all above the age of 40, their hearts couldn’t be further from faint.

Competing in the Men's Veterans Surf Boats event, the ten rowers representing Kiama will tackle distances ranging from 19 to 36 km each day, starting on 29 December and finishing on 4 January.

The crew consists of 8 rowers - Evan Westlake (56), Ian Backhouse (65), Alan Swan (56), Matthew Barnes (47), Dave Selby (57), Nathan McInerny (41), Martin Walker (51) and Ben George (48) - as well as a sweep - Steven Swain (79) - and super reverse Reece Gregory (41).

Ian Backhouse is the boat captain and Secretary of Kiama SLSC, and he says that the effort and commitment of the crew has been sensational.

"These guys have made an awesome commitment to a really intense training regime over the past five months, and it's a real credit to them," says Backhouse.

The crew began training in the last weekend of June, initially on the rowing machine in the Kiama Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) clubhouse. But as the weather has warmed up, they have started to train at Minnamurra River and are now rowing out at sea from Kiama Harbour.

The surf boat only allows for four rowers and one sweep at a time, and to give the guys a break they swap over every 20 minutes or so. This involves a complicated maneuver, of the current crew jumping out of the boat, and the other crew jumping in, in deep water. Backhouse says training for this part of the race is essential.

“That's where the race could be won and lost simply through transitions. If you're having trouble getting people in and out of the boat, that slows the boat down enormously,”

says Backhouse

The 2024-25 race will be Backhouse’s second George Bass Marathon and he says the first time he did it was probably the hardest thing he’s ever done.

“I think it’s the hardest thing I've ever done because it's seven days in a row. The first day is 31kms (the second longest leg) and you're exhausted, right? And your body thinks, how did I survive that? And you survive it, and your body does it, and it's all in your head,” says Backhouse.

“Basically, you just tell your body to get on with it. Even though you think you're going to break, you can go beyond that and still function as a human being, and still be effective in the boat. And you learn that about yourself, which is quite a remarkable realisation.”

So, why come back for a second time? Backhouse says the challenge of the race is what brought him back again. The feeling of accomplishing something so great with a bunch of good mates who are all qualified surf life savers - is an unmatched feeling.

“It makes you feel so good. And that level of fitness is remarkable in terms of how positive that is for mental health. I've struggled with mental health issues in the past, and I know that when I'm really, really working hard, that's the happiest I'm going to be. You haven't got time to think about mistakes you might have made, or dwell on issues that

might seem over important or not. You've got a job to do, and you're doing it for the other members of the crew,” says Backhouse.

“And it's just a really beautiful sport for that reason. The other thing is, I was no good at individual sports. I didn't have that sort of internal drive to keep myself honest about what I needed to do physically. But if I'm in a boat crew, I can’t let the other people down, and I can't let myself do that. It's remarkable, and that builds really strong relationships.”

Another part of the George Bass Marathon is the surf ski event over the same course. Peter Gallagher is entered in the surf ski representing Kiama.

Backhouse also expressed his gratitude to Ray White Real Estate and Kiama Lions Club for their financial support of the Surf Boat Rowing Program at Kiama SLSC off the ground. 

He would also like to mention and give a thank you to Boab Commercial Marine for supplying them with their support boat which will be skippered by David Griffin who is currently the Junior Activities Coordinator (Nippers) at Kiama SLSC.

The Bugle wishes the Kiama crew the best of luck as they take on this incredible challenge.