A high-octane event, inflatable rescue boat (IRB) racing has a large following in Queensland, as competitors from clubs around the state fight it out for surf rescue supremacy.

Aside from the thrills of the competition, the event is a real reinforcement of lifesaving skills. The races are all about simulating rescue situations and testing the abilities of drivers and crew as they’re transferred to a competitive setting.

SHARKSKIN Ocean Roar is the dedicated IRB competition series, featuring five rounds of competition throughout the season with each round attracting about 280 competitors. The competition works on a cumulative point-based system with the winning team awarded the Premiership Title at the end of the series.

The event is a popular precursor to the SHARKSKIN Queensland IRB Championships, which sees over 300 competitors go head to head in the pinnacle event of the season.

The Australian Surf Life Saving Championships is an annual event where members from Australia’s 314 surf clubs come together to compete in more than 480 beach and ocean events. It is the largest event of its kind, only comparing in size to events of the scale of the Commonwealth Games.

Surf Life Saving Queensland pool rescue competition has grown from strength to strength in recent years.

Competitors test their rescue skills with events such as manikin tows, obstacle swims and tube swims carrying patients. The event has expanded to include under-11, under-12 and under-13 athletes, and it is hoped the event will encourage youngsters into the sport and maintain their involvement in lifesaving, whether in the pool or in the surf.

Pool rescue competition has been beneficial for regional clubs in particular, giving them the potential to attract pool swimmers and other members who might otherwise not have competed in surf sports because they were uncomfortable in the ocean. Further, it is now deemed virtually essential for athletes to have pool rescue skills among their credentials for consideration to be selected for Australian teams, enhancing the importance of this competition in rounding out a competitor’s skill set.

The State Pool Rescue Championships attracts more than 450 competitors and is an important precursor to the Australian Pool Rescue Championships.

Lifesavers bring their patrol skills into the competitive arena when they take part in the Laerdal Queensland Surf Rescue Championships.

The Championships, supported for more than a decade by equipment manufacturer Laerdal, is an integral component on the surf sports calendar, focusing not only on the athleticism of lifesavers, but also on their knowledge and the vital skills required to excel as a patrolling member.

Lifesavers compete in three areas including patrol, first aid and the Champion Lifesaver competition. Competitors combine a theory paper with water events and beach sprints for the Champion Lifesaver event, while those in the open patrol and first aid competitions are given simulated rescue or accident scenarios and are judged on their handling of them.

Laerdalis an official partner of SLSQ and proudly supports the Queensland Surf Rescue Championships.

For more than 50 years, Laerdal Medical has been dedicated to supporting the advancement of Resuscitation Science. Our lifelike and durable products have prepared generations of medical professionals and lay responders around the world to save lives and improve patient outcomes.

The State Board Riding Championships were introduced as an important tool to recruit new members and retain members who traditionally left lifesaving to pursue other sports such as surfing.

These championships typically see more than 160 competitors from Under-11 right through to Masters hit the waves and showcase their surfing skills on both long and short boards in their quest for state glory.

The Queensland Endurance Championships is the culmination of Surf Life Saving Queensland’s endurance surf sports season.

Open to competitors from Under-11 to Masters, athletes compete in long-distance disciplines, including ocean swimming, board paddling, surf skiing, beach running and a surf boat marathon.

The best surf sport athletes in North Queensland from Hervey Bay to Port Douglas compete in the North Australian Championships.

Athletes compete in the full suite of surf sports events, including beach flags and sprints, belt rescue, ski, surf, ironman and ironwoman events. The competition also features an inflatable rescue boat (IRB) competition, surf boat competition, pool rescue competition (U13-U17) and Champion Lifesaver.

As the most prestigious competition for northern members, the event not only demonstrates SLSQ’s commitment to regional sport but also the strength of surf sports competition across the state.

This event is proudly supported by Mackay Regional Council.

The Queensland Youth Surf Life Saving Championships is the blue-ribbon junior surf sports event in the state and showcases future champions in the making.

The largest and most prestigious event for U11-U15 age categories, the Queensland Youth Surf Life Saving Championships sees the finest talent from around the state go head to head. This event showcases individual events from 1km & 2km beach runs, beach flags and sprint, surf race and surf board events. This event also hosts the qualifying teams from Branch Championships for the beach Rrelay, surf teams, board relay and Cameron relay events.

FINZ is SLSQ’s Official Swimwear Partner.

Surf Life Saving Queensland acknowledges the Sunshine Coast Council and Visit Sunshine Coast as major sponsors of the 2022 and 2023 QLD Youth State Championships.

The pinnacle event on SLSQ’s sporting calendar, the Queensland Surf Life Saving Championships. See more than 2,000 competitors from all across Queensland line up each year to battle the surf, sand and each other in their quest for state glory.

Some of surf life saving’s greatest rivalries will be reignited when the state’s top Senior and Masters surf sport athletes contest the Queensland Surf Life Saving Championships across three days in March.

FINZ is SLSQ’s Official Swimwear Partner.

Surf Life Saving Queensland acknowledges the Sunshine Coast Council and Visit Sunshine Coast as major sponsors of the 2022 and 2023 QLD Senior and Master’s State Championships.