 Leech remained undefeated over surf's toughest event and in 1989 won the Uncle Toby's version titled the "Gold Coast Gold" which made it his third victory over that distance.By 1989 the sport had now gone professional, making the field assembled for the 1989 race far more elite than when he had won in 1984 and 1985.He also won the World Ironman Championships in Vancouver, Canada, in 1986 and the World Ocean Paddling Championship in Hawaii in 1994.