General News
30 July, 2026
200 dive into carnival
ABOUT 200 competitors have taken part in the first beach carnival of the 2026 surf sports season hosted by Mission Beach Surf Life Saving Club.
The athletes aged eight to 71 from five clubs of the North Queensland branch took part in the Dunk Island Classic earlier this month.
The event kicked off on Saturday morning as the sun rose over Dunk Island for the Dunk Island Classic endurance ski.
Athletes undertook the 4km or 8km course with a strong south westerly providing challenging conditions on the return leg of the course.
Mathys Moolman of Cairns SLSC showed his dominance on the 8km course for the males while Irene Knight of Port Douglas SLSC took the flag for the females.
Over the course of the two days spectators and supporters were treated to some close board racing events, with Mission Beach providing some nice little runners to separate the surf skills of the field.
North Queensland branch surf sports director and carnival referee Mark Bamford said of the competition “for our youngest athletes in the under-8s, this sees their first time in the competition arena that includes wades and sprint events”.
“It’s also a chance to meet nippers from other clubs, who often become friends for life,” he said.
“Our senior and open events, including the ironperson, are always closely contested, while it is great to see our strong contingent of masters, still competing across disciplines, including our 1km beach runs.”
Cairns SLSC came out victorious in the overall club point score.
The next event on the surf sports calendar will be the School Surf League on Friday 31 July at Yorkey’s Knob, with the next surf life saving North Queensland carnival heading to Port Douglas the weekend of the 8 and 9 August.
Read More: Mission Beach