Rumble on the Reef 2020 - Kitefoil Queensland State Championships Wrap Up

Rumble on the Reef 2020 - Kitefoil Queensland State Championships

Photo - Marty Strecker 

The three day regatta held over the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend in Mackay brought competitors from across the state and some as far as Melbourne. The regatta was collaborated with the Rumble on the Reef event, an annual skateboard event that has recently introduced kitefoil racing and wakeboarding, this attracted many spectators to the beautiful Lambert’s Beach where the racing took place.

The racing started 10 AM sharp on Saturday morning with the fleet barreling off the start line into the shifty strong winds and solid waves. The first day surprised the racers with its challenging conditions, from ripping tides & turbulent water moving through the channel.

Over the three days the race committee was able to put on 15 races in total, all without a single rescue or protest. This created an ideal regatta with a very compact and competitive fleet, consisting of riders that were participating in their first regatta to riders that have experienced some of the highest levels of international kite racing. The fleet learnt plenty from the regatta with positions switching daily.

The final results showed Ryan Palk take 1st place overall inches in front of Marvin Baumeister-Schoenian in 2nd and Clint Smith in 3rd. The Grand Master division held Chris de Lange 3rd, Craig Rawson 2nd and Clint Smith on top. The junior fleet had extremely close points with positions only a few points apart after each day, but Oscar Timm from Noosa showed to be the fastest taking home 1st place, Elliot Tobin was following close behind in 2nd and Oscar’s brother Jake in 3rd.

Full results here.

Special thanks to the race committee and VMR Mackay 448, Rumble on the Reef, Mackay City Council, Kitefoil Australia, Duotone Kiteboarding, Red Bull, Seabreeze Hotel and all competitors and supporters to make this event possible and a great success.

Words by 
Elliot Tobin

Photos by Marty Strecker - More available at -  https://www.martystrecker.com/kitefoil200