Crowe was about to fly to Melbourne when he bumped into his friend he hadn’t seen for several years.

The two had gone head-to-head in the surf since they were five and six year old Nippers in different surf clubs. They they enjoyed a couple of beers and shared many memories before hugging and saying goodbye.

Mercer, Crowe and Darren Mercer competed for national and world championships in a golden era of surf life saving. A time when local competitors were regularly contending for state, national and world titles. Often against each other. Despite never giving a quarter in competition or training Crowe described Mercer as having a big heart and a great sense of humour.

At the airport Mercer told Crowe he had been in Thirroul on the weekend for a funeral. After their 5pm conversation Mercer, his wife Reen and their four boys, hopped on a plane  back to the Gold Coast.

At 9.30am on Monday Crowe was reflecting on how great it had been to catch-up again when he took a call from Phil Clayton telling him the sad news. He couldn’t believe it. “I am absolutely devastated. I only saw him last night. We had a few beers and a laugh. He said he had been in Wollongong for the funeral of his grandmother. And that the whole family were there and they spent the weekend together.

“We competed against each other since we were five and six in the Nippers. For a long time when we were in the Nutri-Grain competition. We trained together and we were in the same swim squad since were were about eight. Probably for 20 years we trained together with Rick McKeon and Ron McKeon. We traveled together and trained together on the surf skis at North Wollongong. And even on the boards. The surf club community in the Illawarra has always been tight-knit.”

The two stayed in contact when Dean moved to Queensland although Crowe had not seen his friend for a while. “But when I walked into the Qantas Club there he was last night with Reen and the boys. I just bumped into him and thought “what are the chances of that”. We sat and had a laugh for about an hour. We had a couple of beers and talked about old times. When I got the news this morning it was devastating. I feel for Reen and those four beautiful young boys. I had a good chat to them.”

Crowe gave Mercer a hug and told him how good it was to see him. He described him as an amazing person and tough competitor. “He was tenacious. An amazing athlete.”

“He wasn’t the biggest guy in the world but he had the biggest ticker and the most determination. I remember even when we were training he wouldn’t let you get in front. I would try and take the lead to share the load even in races when he and I would be up the front. On the surf skis he would be leading and I would be sitting on his wash and I would put in a bit of an effort to move up in front of him so he could sit on my wash and have a bit of a rest. But he would never let me. He always had to have his nose in front.”

Crowe said behind the scenes away from the racing Mercer got up to a few humorous things and liked to play practical jokes. “He has a great sense of humour and was always laughing in the showers and change rooms where the banter starts after training and after races. He was always funny. He is someone I have known for a long long time and I am just really shocked that he is gone now. We were always up against one another. He started a little bit earlier than I. And once I finished uni we were competing professionally against each other for a long time.”

Brother Darren Mercer also lives in Queensland as a coach at Noosa. Crowe recalls how the two brothers always had a good rivalry in the surf. They often finished one and two in races and titles with the results going each way. Other Australian Ironmen knew they had competed well if they beaten one or both of the Mercers.

“They pushed each other. Their mum and dad are also amazing. I feel for Maureen and John Mercer, his wife Reen and those four beautiful children. When I was younger I used to stay in Thirroul with his mum and dad. And the years we were doing the Nutri-Grain we were spending six to eight hours a day together six to seven days a week,” Crowe said.

It was a time when Wollongong competitors not only raced together but trained together and often finished on the podium together.

“They (Dean and Darren) were the measure for me because they were from the Illawarra and they were the best. Through them surf clubs in the Illawarra became so strong and we had some many champions come out of the area such as Phil Clayton, Rhys Drury, Lilli Miller and many others such as Wes Berg. The Mercers really started that in the Illawarra and it continued as a result of them for a long long time. We were very dominant at a national and state level.”

Crowe said all the Illawarra competitors were always rivals in the water but had a bond and a friendship that would never disappear after spending so much time together.

He said Dean Mercer was someone everyone looked up to and saw as a benchmark for the level they would need to achieve if they were going to win state, national and world championships.

Crowe said he would always appreciate the influence Mercer had on his career. “For six or seven days a week we were in each others pockets and pushing each other. I appreciate what happened during those years so much. It is tragic that he has gone. I feel so sad for his boys. It is so tragic he has died at 47 years of age and with young children that is even more tragic. He was taken way too soon.”