No surf, no worries for determined North Queensland nippers
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
IT’S an underdog story worth talking about.
In two days time, 44 North Queensland children will be competing against 1156 of the best nippers at the Queensland Youth Surf Lifesaving Championships on the Sunshine Coast.
Some would argue Nippers from the state’s south get the jump on their northern rivals given they’re able to maintain training for 12 month’s of the year, sometimes in swell of up to two metres. Kids from the Far North, however, are forced into the freshwater of the Cairns Wake Park, for example, to prepare for the state championships from March 2-4.
“The summer months in North Queensland are when the stingers and crocodiles are active at our beaches so our enthusiastic nippers train wherever and whenever they can,” SLSQ North Queensland Branch team manager Alex Rogers said.
“But you won’t see us making any excuses, our kids maintain individual fitness with swim squad training at least three times a week, running, triathlons or bike riding.”
The Great Barrier Reef also prevents waves breaking from Mackay to Port Douglas, adding to the challenge facing the NQ kids when they hit the surf breaks of Alexandra Headland.
However, a 12-week training camp directly following the Far North nippers season has the NQ team well prepared.
“The North Queensland surf sports season ended after the North Australia Championships (North Aussies) in Mackay in November, but those who want to compete at a State level must align their training with the south-east corner where the surf season is in the summer,” Rogers said.
“Our team is unique as all our kids have a go at every individual and team event, whereas the larger southern clubs have many nippers who focus all their training on performing well in just one event.”
Rogers said the NQ team, made up of junior lifesavers from Port Douglas, Ellis Beach, Cairns, Mission Beach and Etty Bay, relied heavily on the support of their local community’s.
“We’d like to thank our sponsors Jayco Cairns, AVIS, Port Douglas Medical, Quicksilver Group, Coral Coast Financial Services, Lotsa Printing and NQ Promo Works for assisting with uniforms, plus the many tourism operators from Port Douglas to Cairns who have kindly donated raffle prizes so the kids can fundraise,” Rogers said.
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