The successful staging of Queensland's barefoot waterskiing championships in western Queensland at Barcaldine this month means the likelihood of further spectacles in the outback town is high.
The event took place on Barcaldine's recently completed water recreation lake just a month after it was opened to the public.
According to Central Region Waterski Club president Luke Van Den Heuvel, an equal record number of skiers, 40 in total, from as far north as Lake Tinaroo and south to the Gold Coast, took part.
"Being a different venue, people wanted to check it out," he said. "A couple of people came out of retirement to have a go and a couple of locals got their feet wet too."
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Mr Van Den Heuvel described the venue as "unbelievable", saying it couldn't be faulted.
It was its design, featuring an island that makes for two almost separate channels, that he was so complimentary of, saying the two sites allowed event managers 'breathing room' if wind made the water rough.
"The way the banks are angled, there was no roll-back," he said. "That meant there was zero time for water to settle, so you can do two runs with zero turnaround time, and get through a lot of skiing."
He speculated that designers had drawn on lots of knowledge before any earth-moving machines were started.
The lake and surrounding park, begun in 2019, was not built without controversy, related largely to plans to make use of the town's water supplies for recreational purposes, especially during drought, and the availability of licences.
Its regional council proponents were adamant that a recreational water venue would put the town on the map, bringing in dollars and and interest from possible new residents.
Mr Van Den Heuven said the venue, along with the hospitality of the locals, meant everyone walked away with smiles.
That was even though the championships were wind-affected, meaning only half the program was able to be completed.
"There was a storm on the Saturday afternoon - we were hanging onto gazebos like they were flags," he said. "Then on Sunday there was no smooth water until 1pm, but we got a result and handed out trophies and medals."
Although the event christened the lake, Mr Van Den Heuvel said a national barefoot skiing championship had been held further west, on the Thomson River at Longreach sometime in the previous decade.
He said a night jump spectacular was now planned for Barcaldine in October.
At a come-and-try held a month before the championships, 19 people attended, with two going on to compete in the division opened up for locals who wanted to take part in the titles.
Mr Van Den Heuvel hoped they would now see a few western Queensland faces at future waterskiing events around the state.
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Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
