Nippers hit the surf in Mission Beach carnival

2014, m

By Melanie Goodman

The Port Douglas Nippers headed out to the first Surf Life Saving North Queensland carnival of the season held at Mission Beach over 19-20 July.

On Saturday, blustery winds saw competitors huddling together for warmth before braving the conditions, testing their surf skills against competitors from as far south as Townsville.

Brighter weather prevailed on Sunday providing competitors the opportunity to also enjoy the experience. Port finished fourth overall on 455 points behind Cairns,1666; Ellis,823; and Arcadia,686. Picnic Bay, Etty Bay, Mission Beach and Mackay took out the last four positions.

New to competition in Under 8s Ruby Colbridge was a sensation finishing first in the wade race, and second in both beach events.

Zara Passlow was third in the wade and placed in all her events while Isaac Lukin also earned points in the wade and beach events.

Keeping it in the family, Daisy Colbridge also made an impression in the U9 age group winning the beach sprint, finishing second in the flags and third in both the wade and surf races.

Sofia Cullen was hot on Colbridge's heels with third place in both beach events however a fourth in the board race placed Cullen first among the Port contingent.

Taylor West scored points finishing fifth in the beach flags before teaming up with Colbridge, Cullen and Lukin to add to the U9 tally in team events.

Under 10 competitor Jonte Revell saw a return to form, winning the flags event and finishing second in the sprint and wade race.

Angus Reynolds took out third place in the sprint and sixth in the surf race in his first attempt at competition.

Corey Bickford and Troy McNeil alongside Revell and Reynolds, were integral in accruing more points in team events.

Oliver Lukin, Kade Bickford and Murray Colbridge all scored points in U11 individual events. Lukin won the flags while Bickford took out the sprint race and all boys came out of the water in quick succession in the board race narrowly missing out on point positions.

Sophie Knight's beat performance of the day was in the swim, finishing second but to follow this up with fourth in the ironman event was notable. Together with Yolanda Passlow the Under 11s proved to be an awesome team.

Under 12s Tilly Lalor, Mia Buls, Harrison O'Gorman-Petrack and Kai Smith scored points in all their team events.

Buls was outstanding in the flags event finishing second in her first carnival representing Port Douglas.

Derek Sorensen was Port's sole U13 competitor.

This didn't deter Sorensen who set about achieving points position in all his water events including fifth in the gruelling Ironman.

Mitchell Knight U14, had a spectacular day finishing second in the run swim run, board race and ironman as well as third in the surf race.

Che Innes-Collins found his niche on the beach finishing fifth in the sprint as did Joshua Lukin who claimed fifth place in flags. Connor McNeill teamed up with Knight, Innes-Collihs and Lukin to accrue more points in team events. Tara Buls and Mia Devine-Cameron both took out first place in their preferred beach events, the flags and sprint respectively.

Kalani Revell was consistent finishing fifth in the sprint.

For a change in scenery, Port's finest female masters athletes competed alongside Irene Cats in the open category.

Nicole Innes, Kelly McNamara and Lynn Butterss were phenomenal up against far younger competition finishing in points position in almost all their events. McNamara and Innes fought for third and fourth in craft events while it was Cats who prevailed in the surf and tube race. Butterss, McNamara and Innes all placed in the top six in the prestigious open ironman event.

In the Masters arena, devoid of Port's women, it was up to the men to gainfully represent the club. Brian Markham was almost unbeatable in his age category, finishing first in all but one event in which he finished second. Grant Knight and John Goodman were bronze medal contenders in their respective age groups with Knight finishing third in four events and Goodman in six of his seven events.

Ed Lukin's training regime paid dividends as he easily won both his tube and surf races while Ashley Buls in his first competition with the club, placed first in flags in both his age group and in the open event before also taking out the sprint race.

Port Douglas Surf Life Saving Club competitors are already making preparations for the next Carnival to be held at Palm Cove on the 16th/17th August. To ensure members can continue to keep up the pace, Rhett Collie and Rebecca Creedy, Nutrigrain Ironwoman and swimming sensation, are again coming to Port to share their wealth of knowledge and expertise to members during the first weekend in August.