SURF RESCUE KIDS SHINE
WHILE the famous Coolangatta Gold captivated the Gold Coast, the Far North’s lifesaving talent was also on show at the weekend.
Ellis Beach Surf Life Saving Club hosted the two-day North Queensland Branch Championship Carnival 2017 – the region’s final major surf lifesaving event for the year.
Clubs involved were Ellis Beach, Cairns, Mission Beach, Etty Bay and Port Douglas, with Cairns Surf Life Saving Club the overall winner.
The myriad skills and athleticism required for surf lifesaving were displayed across 25 events.
North Queensland regional manager Rob Davidson said the weekend, which featured about 250 junior and senior competitors, was a success.
“The highlight was seeing the five clubs come together … as a surf lifesaver you develop a select set of skills,” he said.
“This event is a culmination of another year of patrolling these beaches and training.”
Davidson said the historic organisation was doing well in the Far North.
“Surf lifesaving is very inclusive. People think you have to be an exceptional swimmer to take part, but it’s not necessarily the case,” he said.
“It’s a healthy lifestyle and we focus on fun, friends and family.”
A team of nippers was yesterday chosen to feature in next year’s Queensland Youth Surf Life Saving Championships on the Sunshine Coast.