Matt Poole finished just metres ahead of Shannon Eckstein in the final race of the season to win the IronMan Series by the slimmest of margins.
Eckstein, hospitalised on Friday with a shredded toe and on painkillers, and Poole came into the Eliminator Round locked together on 194 points.
Poole and Eckstein were neck and neck for the majority of the eight-man grand finale, including the opening ski leg and the swim.
Poole, arguably the best board paddler in the field, went for broke in the final leg to open up a lead, only for Eckstein and 2015 Series winner Ali Day to surge down a wave and make for an exciting sprint finish.
It was Poole that crossed the line first ahead of Eckstein, with Day third on North Cronulla Beach.
"It's like winning the Super Bowl, Wimbledon and the Grand Final, it means the world to me," Poole said.
"In the end a 45 minute race to decide the Series all came down to half-a-metre on that sand bank, getting up before Shannon, half-a-metre was going to win you or lose you the title and today was my."
Meanwhile, a fourth place finish in the final round gave Harriet Brown her maiden IronWoman Series crown.
Manly schoolgirl Naomi Scott won the race ahead of New Zealander Danielle McKenzie and Courtney Hancock, who finished the series second overall.
2017 Finals Series overall placings:
IronMan: 1. Matt Poole, 2. Shannon Eckstein, 3. Kendrick Louis, 4. Ali Day, 5. Luke Cuff
IronWoman: 1. Harriet Brown, 2. Courtney Hancock, 3. Karlee Nurthen, 4. Maddy Dunn, 5. Georgia Miller
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