Several Australian Olympians put up impressive performances during the recent sydney Metropolitan Surf Championships at Wanda Beach.

The championships featured every type of surf carnival event and provided spectacular action in three to four foot (about 1 metre) waves.

Olympic swimming medallist hope, Neil Rogers showed both swimming power and surfing prowess to win the coveted Open Surf title.

He beat two other Olympic swimming aspirants in Max Brewer and Trevor Cracknell.

The double and single ski events--in which competitors paddle from long plywood boards with special feet attachments----were used by Olympic Kayak crews as a break from their still water training.

They claim the long paddle out through the breakers and swirling channels helps build stamina and makes the intricately engineered canals of the Olympics seem easy.

The Open Senior Surf Boat race also provided its usual thrills.

Large waves, breaking close to the shore, swamped several of the large wooden five-man boats and gave the sweeps---the pole man who guides the boat by standing in the back and using a large oar to steer through the calmest water----their share of problems.