Canberra will next month play host to a 10km surf boat race, the most inland race of its type in the country and far removed from the crashing waves that are normally associated with this iconic Australian sport.
The inaugural Burley Griffin Gift will see crews from across New South Wales and Victoria battle it out in a test of endurance on Lake Burley Griffin on Saturday 1 October.
Surf boats, with crews of four rowers and a sweep, normally race each other through surf over 800m courses that test strength and skill. The sport harks back from the days when the surf boat was an integral rescue craft saving lives on Australian beaches.
The calm waters of Lake Burley Griffin might seem far removed from the beach environment, however this time of year, just before the shorter racing season starts, longer races on open water feature on the surf boat race calendar. Long races provide a great training opportunity for crews in the lead up to the George Bass surf boat marathon from Batemans Bay to Eden in the new year.
Boat crews from the Broulee Surfers Surf Life Saving Club, who live and train in Canberra, have been in planning to get a surf boat race on Lake Burley Griffin up and running for some time, to bring the sport to Australia’s inland capital.
“We were set to hold the first race in 2021”, explains Gary Pettigrove, president of the Broulee Surfers Surf Life Saving Club, “but COVID-19 put a stop to that. The Club is incredibly excited that it’s happening this year”.
Boats from surf clubs in Sydney, the NSW South Coast and as far away as Torquay in Victoria are expected to attend and vie for the fastest surfboat on the lake.
The race will be held in time-trial format, with boats starting at the Kingston foreshore and heading out around Springbank and Spinnaker Islands before returning to the finish at Kingston. The race will be contested in the Open, Under 23 and Masters categories.
Race organiser, Steve Moore, says that there will be plenty of vantage points for spectators. “Boats will start from in front of the cafes at the Kingston foreshore at 10:30am, and return about half an hour later, offering people a prime view”, he says. “But either of the bridges or Reconciliation Place will offer good views”.
The Burley Griffin Gift is supported by Cox Architecture, Capital Brewing Co., G-Shock Australia, Canberra Floorcraft and Doma Hotels, which are providing some great prizes to the winners and competitors.
