Sisters pumped for new season - The Australian

PRE-RACE tensions have emerged between sisters Courtney and Bonnie Hancock before tomorrow's opening round of the ironwomen series in Perth.

Normally close travelling companions, Courtney revealed they checked into their hotel room on Thursday night and an argument developed straight away.

"Bonnie and me are pretty much best friends. We always room together," Courtney said.

"We did have one little tussle last night. I wanted the fresh air and Bonnie wanted the airconditioning on. So we had our first battle of the trip.

"That's kind of the most rivalry we ever have. Come race day, we'll always be supporting each other. I love it when we are drawn to race next to each other. I feel really confident and comfortable with her beside me.

"I hope she has a really good series. She's improved so much."

Bonnie, 22, is a former Australian junior ironwoman champion but has had to contend with being in the shadow of her 24-year-old sister.

Courtney is the first woman to win surf lifesaving's triple crown -- the gruelling Coolangatta Gold, the national ironwoman title and the Kelloggs series title all in the one season (2010-11).

That earned her the number 1 painted on her swimsuit throughout the 2011-12 series, where she finished third overall. But the two women who finished above her -- Northcliffe teammates Liz Pluimers and Kristyl Smith -- have both withdrawn to take short sabbaticals from elite competition.

It's a similar story in the men's event, with reigning champion Caine Eckstein stepping away from the ironman surf series to take up triathlon.

Five-time Kelloggs winner Zane Holmes, who finished fifth overall last year, has retired while rising star Cory Hill -- Coolangatta Gold runner-up two years ago -- has withdrawn from Perth due a bone marrow infection in his right foot.

It leaves four-time Australian ironman champion Shannon Eckstein, who picked up his fourth world title in Adelaide last month, as the man to beat.

Eckstein has had some clean-up surgery in the off-season and withdrew from last September's Coolangatta Gold. He finished third in the last Kelloggs series behind brother Caine (Kurawa) and Ali Day (Mooloolaba).

At 29, he is in the veteran class but points out he is not the oldest in the field. "I've still got Ky Hurst (31) and Wes Berg (31) who are a little but older than me so I'm not the oldest yet," he said.

"Last year I didn't race too well but since then I've won the Aussies and the worlds. So that's a positive step."

The series starts at Perth's Scarborough Beach tomorrow and moves to Newcastle (R2: January 12), Portsea (R3: Jan 27), Surfers Paradise (R4 Feb 9), Coolum (R5: Feb 17), Noosa (R6: Feb 24).