Water Ski Racing Queensland

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

After a long break, Ski Racing Queensland is returning to the lake.

We're excited to announce that the 1st event incorporating Ski Racing, Lane Challenges, Marathon and Showtime Ski Events will be held at Lake Coolmunda on 26-27 September 2026.

Located in South West Queensland, Lake Coolmunda is within easy reach of many of Australia's ski racing heartlands:
📍 250km from Brisbane
📍 275km from the Gold Coast
📍 220km from Grafton
📍 750km from Sydney
📍 1440km from Melbourne

With camping and caravan facilities right on the water's edge, it's the perfect venue to reconnect with old friends, introduce new people to the sport and begin the next chapter in Queensland.

For many of us, ski racing and lane racing has always been about much more than competition. It's about friendships, families, teamwork and the memories created along the way.

That's exactly what we're aiming to build at Coolmunda.

Whether you're a former ski racer, lane racer, wakeboarder, barefooter, disc rider, slalom skier or someone who's been sitting on the sidelines for a few years, or a family looking to become involved for the very first time, we'd love to see you there.

🎯 Our Goal Is Simple
✅ Get people back on the water
✅ Reconnect the ski community
✅ Build the sport from the grassroots up
✅ Create opportunities for the next generation of skiers, drivers, observers and officials.

The response so far has been incredibly positive and we're excited about what lies ahead.

🏁 EVENT CLASSES Across 2 Days
🏁 Social 55mph
🏁 Social 70mph
🏁 Junior Under 14
🏁 55mph
🏁 65mph
🏁 70mph
🏁 70mph 2-Up
🏁 Invitational Events

LANE CHALLENGES, MARATHON, SHOWTIME, are coming back with Finless, Doubles, Singles, Planks & Freeboard, Barefoot, disks and wakeboards for all our skiers from Seniors to Juniors, Junior/Senior partner and Skier Revenge events.

EVENT DISTANCES will be a maximum distance of 15km.
The 70mph 2-Up and Invitational events will be approximately 30km each.

Lane Challenges will be 500metre courses

The format has been designed to provide plenty of on water action while keeping the focus on participation, enjoyment and getting as many people involved as possible.

HOW ARE SRQ DOING IT?

Insurance
✅ SRQ has obtained its own $20 million Public Liability Insurance policy, required for authorities permitting.

- No Personal Accident Insurance available

- This is not a SRA sanctioned event.

Membership & Entry Fees
✅ $300 per team for the 2026 season (up to 5 season meetings).Teams can consist of multiple competitors, provided each team member competes with that team at least once during the weekend.
✅ No entry fees for Lake Coolmunda.
SRQ reserves the right to introduce entry fees at future events.

Rules
📘 SRQ Rulebook and event guidelines apply.
📘 Rulebook and Policies for Racing, Technical and Equipment where applicable to be advised.

Specific Requirements

Wetsuits
✅ Fluorescent colours required
✅ Non-fluorescent wetsuits must have a fluorescent vest worn over them
✅ Float test applies

Helmets
✅ Subject to SRQ approval

Medical
✅ Competitor self-check medical declaration

First Aid / CPR
✅ Refresher course required

Boat Scrutineering
✅ Step 1: Self-checking
✅ Step 2: SRQ Scrutineer review

Equipment Scrutineering
Includes:
✅ Skis
✅ Ropes
✅ Handles
✅ Helmets
✅ Wetsuits
Two-step process:
✅ Step 1: Self-checking
✅ Step 2: SRQ Scrutineer review

Everything about this event has been designed with one key objective in mind:
✅ Making it as easy and affordable as possible for people to return.
The future of our sport depends on participation, and we want to see as many people as possible involved.
So dust off the skis, uncover the race boats, give your old ski and lane racing mates a call and start making plans.
The countdown to Coolmunda Ski Fest has officially begun.
🌐 For nominations and further details visit:


http://www.skiracingqueensland.com.au/latest_news.html

📅 COOLMUNDA Ski Fest
📍 Lake Coolmunda, Queensland
🗓️ 26-27 September 2026
🚤 Get back on the water. Bring the family. Be part of the next chapter of Ski Racing Queensland.
Exciting times ahead. 💥

🏆 QSRA Southern Region Outright Champions
1997 Season Champions – Double Trouble

Some championship wins mark the end of an era.

Others signal the beginning of something special.

After Grant Dipple became the last member of the Dipple family to ski on an outright championship-winning team in 1996, the following season saw another family begin its own remarkable chapter in Queensland ski racing history.

🏆 1997 Southern Region Outright Champions

🚤 Double Trouble
👨‍✈️ Driver: Don Gulley
👀 Observer: Gerry Gulley
🎿 Skiers: Robbie Penny & Chad Hicks

For the Gulley family, this was the first of many major victories that would follow.

Don and Gerry Gulley had built a team that combined speed, reliability and consistency, and in 1997 everything came together. Their reward was the Southern Region Outright Championship, one of the most sought-after titles in Queensland ski racing.

The crew behind Double Trouble was packed with talent.

At just the right time, they had secured the services of 1997 World Junior Champion Robbie Penny, one of the sport's rising stars. Alongside him was Chad Hicks, claiming the first of what would eventually become two outright championship victories skiing with Double Trouble.

The result was a team capable of competing with the very best.

What makes this championship particularly significant is that it marked the beginning of a period where the Gulley name would become synonymous with success in Australian ski racing.

Over the years that followed, the Gulley family would go on to win many of Australia's premier ski racing events, building a reputation as one of the sport's most successful and respected families. Their contribution to ski racing would continue well beyond Queensland, with Ben Gulley eventually claiming multiple World Championships, further cementing the family's place in the sport's history.

Looking back, it's easy to see 1997 as more than just another championship season.

It was the start of a legacy.

Like all great championship teams, Double Trouble was built on teamwork. Drivers, observers and skiers all had a role to play, and throughout the season Don Gulley, Gerry Gulley, Robbie Penny and Chad Hicks proved to be the benchmark crew.

Almost thirty years later, Double Trouble remains one of the standout championship teams of the late 1990s and the beginning of a remarkable journey for one of ski racing's most successful families.

As we continue counting down to the Coolmunda Ski Fest stories like Double Trouble remind us that today's competitors could become tomorrow's legends.

Every great team starts somewhere.

Now it's time to create the next chapter.

Whether you're a former competitor, a supporter, a family member, or someone looking to experience ski racing for the very first time, we'd love to see you at Lake Coolmunda.

🚤 Get back on the water.

📅 Coolmunda Ski Fest
📍 Lake Coolmunda, Queensland
🗓️ 26-27 September 2026

For nominations, membership information and event details visit:

🌐 Ski Racing Queensland

Do you remember Double Trouble, Don and Gerry Gulley, Robbie Penny or Chad Hicks? We'd love to hear your memories and see any photos from the 1997 season.

🏆 QSRA Southern Region Outright Champions
1996 Season Champions – Springwood Marine
Every championship team has its own story.
Some are built around dominant boats. Others around standout individuals.
The 1996 Southern Region Outright Champions, Springwood Marine, were a combination of both, bringing together experience, talent and consistency to claim the season's highest honour.
🏆 1996 Southern Region Outright Champions
🚤 Springwood Marine
👨‍✈️ Driver: Hayden Wyld
👀 Observer: John Dawson
🎿 Skiers: Troy Penny & Grant Dipple
Following the remarkable three-year reign of Strategy, Springwood Marine emerged as the team to beat in 1996.
The Southern Region Outright Championship has always rewarded more than speed alone. Reliability, teamwork and the ability to perform throughout an entire season are what separate champions from contenders, and Springwood Marine delivered on all fronts.
With Hayden Wyld behind the wheel, John Dawson in the observer's seat and Troy Penny and Grant Dipple on the end of the rope, the team put together a season worthy of outright championship honours.
The victory also marked the end of a remarkable chapter in Queensland ski racing history.
Grant Dipple became the last member of the Dipple family to ski on an outright championship-winning team.
For well over a decade, the Dipple name had become synonymous with championship success, appearing time and again throughout the Southern Region record books. From Anthony, Brett, Ray, Brendan, Ian, Steven and Grant, the family's contribution to Queensland ski racing is woven throughout the sport's history.
By 1996, a new generation of teams and competitors were emerging, but Springwood Marine demonstrated that championship success still came from the same fundamentals that had always defined the sport: preparation, teamwork and consistency.
Looking back today, Springwood Marine's championship victory stands as an important link between two eras of Queensland ski racing. It followed one of the sport's great dynasties in Strategy and helped usher in the highly competitive years that followed.
More than thirty years later, the names Hayden Wyld, John Dawson, Troy Penny and Grant Dipple remain firmly part of Southern Region ski racing history.
________________________________________
As we continue counting down to the Coolmunda Ski Fest stories like Springwood Marine remind us of the teams, families and friendships that have helped build our sport over generations.
Now it's time to create the next chapter.
Whether you're a former competitor, a supporter, bringing the family along, or simply curious about getting involved, we'd love to see you at Lake Coolmunda.
🚤 Get back on the water.
📅 Coolmunda Ski Fest
📍 Lake Coolmunda, Queensland
🗓️ 26-27 September 2026
For nominations, membership information and event details visit:
🌐 Ski Racing Queensland
________________________________________
Do you remember Springwood Marine, Hayden Wyld, John Dawson, Troy Penny or Grant Dipple? We'd love to hear your memories and see any photos from the 1996 season.

🏆 QSRA Southern Region Outright Champions
1993, 1994 & 1995 Season Champions – Strategy

Some boats win championships.

Some become legends.

Between 1993 and 1995, Strategy joined one of the most exclusive clubs in Southern Queensland ski racing history, becoming only the third team to win three consecutive Southern Region Outright Championships, following in the footsteps of The Executioner (1974-1976) and The Mechanic (1985-1987).

🏆 1993 Southern Region Outright Champions
🏆 1994 Southern Region Outright Champions
🏆 1995 Southern Region Outright Champions

🚤 Strategy

👨‍✈️ Driver: Noel Le Grand
👀 Observers: Rob Titmarsh and Warren Maudsley
🎿 Skiers: Justin Titmarsh & Derek Mountney

What made Strategy's achievement even more remarkable was the boat itself.

In an era where many teams relied on bigger engines and more horsepower, Strategy was a beautifully presented 6-litre boat that consistently punched well above its weight.

Week after week, season after season, Noel Le Grand and his crew proved that preparation, reliability, teamwork and determination could overcome larger and more powerful competitors.

Anyone who raced against Strategy will remember just how immaculately it was presented. Noel took enormous pride in the boat, and that attention to detail was evident every time Strategy arrived at a race meeting. It wasn't just quick, it was one of the most respected boats in Queensland ski racing.

Three consecutive outright championships don't happen by accident.

The Southern Region Outright Championship rewarded the team that could consistently perform throughout an entire season. It demanded reliability from the boat, precision from the driver and observer, and consistency from the skiers.

Strategy delivered all of it.

Throughout the three-year championship run, the team established itself as the benchmark of the era. While rival teams came and went, Strategy remained at the top, cementing its place alongside some of the greatest championship teams Southern Queensland ski racing has ever produced.

Adding another chapter to the story, Strategy still exists today, with Rob Titmarsh continuing to own the boat. It's a wonderful reminder that one of the sport's most successful championship boats is still part of Queensland ski racing history.

More than thirty years later, when discussions turn to the great boats of Southern Region ski racing, Strategy will always be part of the conversation.

Because some boats win championships.

But only a select few become legends.

As we continue counting down to the Coolmunda Ski Fest it's stories like Strategy that remind us of the incredible history, friendships and rivalries that have shaped our sport.

Now it's time to write the next chapter.

Whether you're a former competitor, a supporter, a family member, or someone looking to get involved for the first time, we'd love to see you at Lake Coolmunda.

🚤 Get back on the water.

📅 Coolmunda Ski Fest

🏆 QSRA Southern Region Outright Champions
1991 & 1992 Season Champions – Supafortruss

Some boats win championships.

Some become legends.

Throughout the history of Southern Queensland ski racing, few boats are spoken about with the same respect and admiration as Supafortruss. Combining speed, consistency and an exceptional crew, Supafortruss claimed back-to-back Southern Region Outright Championships in 1991 and 1992, firmly establishing itself as one of the great boats of its era.

🏆 1991 Southern Region Outright Champions

🚤 Supafortruss
👨‍✈️ Driver: Peter Berndt
👀 Observer: Lance Ripley
🎿 Skiers: Ray Dipple & Ralph Merchant

🏆 1992 Southern Region Outright Champions

🚤 Supafortruss
👨‍✈️ Driver: Peter Berndt
👀 Observer: Lance Ripley
🎿 Skiers: Ray Dipple & Ian Dipple

By the early 1990s, Queensland ski racing had evolved into an intensely competitive sport, with championship-winning teams requiring the perfect blend of boat performance, teamwork, preparation and reliability.

Supafortruss delivered exactly that.

At the heart of both championship campaigns were driver Peter Berndt and observer Lance Ripley, a combination that provided the consistency and experience needed to compete at the highest level. Behind the boat, some of the sport's finest skiers contributed to a period of remarkable success.

The 1991 championship paired Ray Dipple and Ralph Merchant, while the following season saw Ian Dipple join Ray as Supafortruss successfully defended its outright title.

Back-to-back championships are never easy to achieve. Every season brings new challengers, changing conditions and increasing expectations. Yet Supafortruss continued to perform when it mattered most, earning its place among the great championship teams in Queensland ski racing history.

For many competitors and supporters from the era, Supafortruss is remembered as much for its presence and reputation as it is for its results. It became one of those boats that everybody knew, and everybody wanted to beat.

More than three decades later, its place in ski racing folklore remains secure.

As we continue counting down to the Coolmunda Ski Fest stories like Supafortruss remind us of the incredible teams, rivalries and friendships that helped build ski racing in Queensland.

Now it's time to create a few more memories.

Whether you're a former competitor, a long-time supporter, bringing the family along, or simply curious to see what ski racing is all about, we'd love to see you at Lake Coolmunda.

🚤 Get back on the water.

📅 Coolmunda Ski Fest
📍 Lake Coolmunda, Queensland
🗓️ 26-27 September 2026

For nominations, membership information and event details visit:

🌐 Ski Racing Queensland

Do you remember Supafortruss, Peter Berndt, Lance Ripley, Ray Dipple, Ralph Merchant or Ian Dipple? We'd love to hear your memories and see any photos from the 1991 and 1992 seasons.

🏆 QSRA Southern Region Outright Champions
1990 Season Champions – Simsmetal

In sport, there's always something special about a team that can return to the top.

Just two years after claiming the 1988 Southern Region Outright Championship, Simsmetal once again proved they were one of Queensland ski racing's elite teams by securing the 1990 Southern Region Outright Championship.

🏆 1990 Southern Region Outright Champions

🚤 Simsmetal
👨‍✈️ Driver: Ross Tanner
👀 Observer: Stewart Purvis-Smith
🎿 Skiers: Steven Dipple & Darryl Bailey

By 1990, Queensland ski racing was enjoying one of its most competitive periods. Teams throughout the state were pushing harder than ever, making consistency and teamwork just as important as outright speed.

Simsmetal combined all three.

With Ross Tanner behind the wheel, Stewart Purvis-Smith in the observer's seat and Steven Dipple and Darryl Bailey on the end of the rope, the team put together a championship-winning campaign that saw them emerge as the benchmark team of the season.

One of the great strengths of ski racing has always been the balance between experience and emerging talent. Championship teams are rarely built around one person. Success comes from every member of the crew doing their job, race after race, throughout an entire season.

That's exactly what Simsmetal achieved in 1990.

Looking back through the history of Southern Queensland ski racing, Simsmetal's return to the top reinforces just how competitive and resilient the team was during this era. Winning one outright championship is difficult. Returning to claim another only strengthens a team's place in the record books.

More than three decades later, the names Ross Tanner, Stewart Purvis-Smith, Steven Dipple and Darryl Bailey remain an important part of Queensland ski racing history and another chapter in the long list of championship-winning teams that helped shape the sport.

As we continue counting down to the Coolmunda Ski Fest stories like Simsmetal remind us of what made ski racing so special. Great teams, lifelong friendships, family involvement and the excitement of race day.

Now it's time to create the next chapter.

Whether you're a former competitor, a supporter, a family member, or someone looking to experience ski racing for the first time, we'd love to see you at Lake Coolmunda.

🚤 Get back on the water.

📅 Coolmunda Ski Fest
📍 Lake Coolmunda, Queensland
🗓️ 26-27 September 2026

For nominations, membership information and event details visit:

🌐 Ski Racing Queensland

Do you remember Simsmetal, Ross Tanner, Stewart Purvis-Smith, Steven Dipple or Darryl Bailey? We'd love to hear your memories and see any photos from the 1990 season.

🏆 QSRA Southern Region Outright Champions
1989 Season Champions – The Baker

Sometimes the record books tell a story all on their own.

After just one season under the revised outright championship format, 1989 saw a return to tradition, with the Southern Region Outright Championship once again being awarded to the winner of the Open 2-Up Championship.

And in 1989, no team did it better than The Baker.

🏆 1989 Southern Region Outright Champions

🚤 The Baker
👨‍✈️ Driver: Peter Rankin
👀 Observer: Brendan Dipple
🎿 Skiers: Ray Dipple & Ian Dipple

The Baker assembled a formidable combination of experience and talent, and over the course of the season proved to be the team to beat.

For the Dipple family, the 1989 championship added another chapter to an already impressive ski racing legacy. Skiing together behind The Baker, Ray and Ian Dipple formed one of the strongest combinations in the sport and helped guide the team to outright championship honours.

By this stage, Queensland ski racing was entering a highly competitive era, with teams constantly developing faster boats, stronger crews and more professional approaches to preparation and racing. Winning an outright championship required far more than raw speed. Reliability, teamwork and consistency were just as important.

The Baker delivered on all fronts.

With Peter Rankin behind the wheel, Brendan Dipple in the observer's seat and Ray and Ian Dipple on the end of the rope, the team put together a championship-winning season and secured their place in Queensland ski racing history.

Looking back today, The Baker represents another example of the strong family connections that have always been at the heart of the sport. Ski racing has never simply been about boats and trophies. It's been about friendships, families, teamwork and the memories created along the way.

More than three decades later, the achievements of teams like The Baker continue to be remembered as an important part of Queensland ski racing history.

As we continue counting down to the Coolmunda Ski Fest stories like The Baker remind us of the incredible people and teams who helped build our sport.

Now it's time to create some new memories.

Whether you're a former competitor, a long-time supporter, bringing the family along, or looking to experience ski racing for the very first time, we'd love to see you at Lake Coolmunda.

🚤 Get back on the water.

📅 Coolmunda Ski Fest
📍 Lake Coolmunda, Queensland
🗓️ 26-27 September 2026

For nominations, membership information and event details visit:

🌐 Ski Racing Queensland

Do you remember The Baker, Peter Rankin, Brendan Dipple, Ray Dipple or Ian Dipple? We'd love to hear your memories and see any photos from the 1989 season.

🏆 QSRA Southern Region Outright Champions
1988 Season Champions – Simsmetal
Every championship team leaves its mark on the sport.
Some through outright dominance.
Others by adapting to a changing era.
The 1988 Southern Region Outright Champions, Simsmetal, did exactly that.
🏆 1988 Southern Region Outright Champions
🚤 Simsmetal
👨‍✈️ Driver: Ross Tanner
👀 Observer: Richard & Stewart
Purvis-Smith
One of the reasons the 1988 championship stands out is that it marked a significant change in the way the Outright Championship was calculated.
Prior to 1988, the outright title was determined under a different points structure. For the 1988 season, teams accumulated points from all races contested at each series race day, with the team accumulating the most points throughout the season crowned Southern Region Outright Champion.
The new system rewarded depth, participation and consistency across an entire team.
No team embraced that challenge better than Simsmetal.
The strength of the team could be seen across multiple categories throughout the season:
🎿 Engine Class 1 Up – Darryl Bailey
🎿 Women's – Sandy Cleaver
🎿 Junior Girls – Sandy Cleaver
🎿 Under 19 Girls – Sandy Cleaver
🎿 Junior Boys – Grant Dipple
🎿 Open 2 Up – Darryl Bailey & Damien McKenzie, Steven Dipple
🎿 Under 13 Boys – Steven Johnson
🎿 Skier's Revenge – Grant Shaw
Looking at those results, it's easy to understand how Simsmetal accumulated enough points to secure the outright championship.
The team wasn't reliant on success in a single division. Instead, they demonstrated strength right across the program, from junior classes through to open competition.
Particularly impressive was the contribution of Sandy Cleaver, who claimed multiple class victories during the season, while competitors such as Darryl Bailey, Steven Dipple, Grant Dipple, Steven Johnson, Damien McKenzie and Grant Shaw all contributed valuable championship points.
The 1988 season demonstrated exactly what the new outright championship format was designed to reward, a complete team effort.
More than thirty-five years later, Simsmetal remains an important part of Queensland ski racing history, not only for winning the outright championship but for doing so during the first season under a new championship structure.
As we continue counting down to the Coolmunda Ski Fest stories like Simsmetal remind us that ski racing has always been built on teamwork, participation and the willingness of competitors to support one another across every class.
Those same values continue to drive Ski Racing Queensland today.
Whether you're a former competitor, a family member, a supporter, or somebody thinking about getting involved for the first time, we'd love to see you at Lake Coolmunda as we begin writing the next chapter of Queensland ski racing.
🚤 Get back on the water.
📅 Coolmunda Ski Fest
📍 Lake Coolmunda, Queensland
🗓️ 26-27 September 2026
For nominations, membership information and event details visit:
🌐 Ski Racing Queensland
Do you remember Simsmetal, Ross Tanner, Richard Purvis-Smith or any of the competitors who helped secure the 1988 championship? We'd love to hear your memories and see any photos from the season.

🏆 QSRA Southern Region Outright Champions
1986 & 1987 Season Champions – The Mechanic

Some championship teams win once.

Some go back-to-back.

Very few manage three in a row.

Following the unique dead-heat outright championship of 1985, The Mechanic cemented its place in Southern Queensland ski racing history by claiming the 1986 and 1987 Southern Region Outright Championships, matching the famous three-peat achieved by The Executioner between 1974 and 1976.

🏆 1986 Southern Region Outright Champions

🚤 The Mechanic
👨‍✈️ Driver: Peter Berndt
👀 Observer: Eddie Stroekes
🎿 Skiers: Brendan Dipple & Ralph Merchant

🏆 1987 Southern Region Outright Champions

🚤 The Mechanic
👨‍✈️ Driver: Peter Berndt
👀 Observer: Ralph Merchant
🎿 Skiers: Ian Dipple & Derek Mountney

The Southern Region Outright Championship recognised the 2up team that accumulated the most points throughout an entire season, rewarding consistency, reliability and performance across a full year's racing.

By the end of 1987, The Mechanic had done what few teams ever achieve, securing three consecutive outright championships and placing itself alongside the great teams of Queensland ski racing history.

The journey wasn't without its challenges.

In the lead-up to the 1987 season, Brendan Dipple suffered serious injuries following a fall in Darwin, forcing a change to the championship-winning line-up. Despite the setback, The Mechanic adapted and continued its remarkable run, proving once again that successful championship teams are built on depth, teamwork and determination.

Looking back through the record books, what stands out most is the consistency of the team. While crews, conditions and competitors changed from season to season, The Mechanic remained one of the benchmark teams of the era.

Three consecutive outright championships is a rare achievement in any form of motorsport, and it's a record that still deserves recognition today.

More than forty years later, The Mechanic remains one of Southern Queensland ski racing's great championship teams.

As we continue counting down to the Coolmunda Ski Fest stories like The Mechanic remind us of the commitment, teamwork and friendships that have always been at the heart of our sport.

Now it's time to create the next chapter.

Whether you're a former competitor, a supporter, a family member, or someone curious about ski racing for the very first time, we'd love to see you involved.

🚤 Get back on the water.

📅 Coolmunda Ski Fest
📍 Lake Coolmunda, Queensland
🗓️ 26-27 September 2026

For information and event details visit:

🌐 Ski Racing Queensland

Do you remember The Mechanic's three-peat championship run? We'd love to hear your memories and see any photos from the 1986 and 1987 seasons.