Wave of rivalry as IRB brings out best
LOCAL clubbies will reignite their rivalries this weekend, when more than 320 of the state’s top surf lifesavers flock to Kurrawa and fire up their engines for the Queensland IRB championships.
The high-octane racing will see competitors from 18 Queensland clubs battle it out over two days for surf rescue supremacy and one of the state titles up for grabs.
Gold Coast crews dominated the recent Ocean Roar IRB Series, and SLSQ sports manager Stuart Hogben expects them to feature prominently again over the weekend.
“Kurrawa are coming off a really good win in the Ocean Roar Series and will line up as the defending state champions, so they deserve to be a hot favourite, particularly on their home beach,” he said.
“The conditions at Kurrawa can be tricky and challenging at the best of times, and I’m sure having that local knowledge and experience will be a really big advantage for them over the weekend.
“But North Burleigh are the current Australian champions and have a history of producing their best performances under pressure on the big stage, so you can never rule them out of contention.
“On top of that, the likes of Broadbeach, Kirra, Miami and Point Lookout have all been racing well over the past few months and, when you throw them into the mix, anything could happen.”
The championships will see competitors put their surf skills to the ultimate test, racing off over a series of rescue simulations designed to replicate “real life” patrol scenarios.
“Aside from the thrills and spills of the racing itself, these championships are actually a genuine reinforcement of lifesaving skills,” Hogben said.
“When there’s a life on the line, every second counts, and these races are all about simulating those rescue scenarios and testing the abilities of our drivers and crews to respond as quickly as possible to a lifethreatening situation.
“The skills that might help a club win gold this weekend are the same skills that could potentially save a life on patrol,” he said.
Competition at this year’s Queensland IRB will kick off at 8am today and wrap up at about 3pm tomorrow.
THE CONDITIONS AT KURRAWA CAN BE TRICKY AND CHALLENGING AT THE BEST OF TIMES
STUART HOGBEN