The Far South Coast Surf Carnival season is underway with the Bermagui Surf Life Saving Club hosting the first event on Sunday.
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The cool morning conditions soon warmed up, and Bermagui Beach provided welcome shelter from the southerly swell and breeze.
Broulee had one of the biggest contingents of carnival, with 40 competitors making the hour and a quarter drive to Bermagui.
Christian Filmer was the pick of the Under 14s, winning the Ironman and Board paddle events.
He said he did his best to make the most of the mild conditions.
“The water was warm but it would have been better with some more swell,” he said.
Filmer combined with Callum Elliott (Under 13) and Rhys Flood (Under 13) to win the Branch Medal for the Senior Board Relay event
Elliott also had a strong carnival in the Under 13 age group, taking out the Ironman and Board paddle events and coming second in the surf swim. Fellow relay team mate Rhys Flood was first in Beach Flags.
Kirra Dale provided the individual standout performance winning the board paddle, surf swim and Diamond Lady events, as well as top three finishes in the beach sprint and beach flag races.
Dale said she enjoyed the swim event the best.
“With no waves, the water was flat and made it a hard swim but I loved it,” she said.
In the Under 12 age group, Keira Lenehan and Abbey Dunn were in fine form, with Lenehan taking out the Diamond Lady and Surf Swim while Dunn was first in the Board Paddle and Beach Sprint events.
The two girls were well in the lead and side by side in the board event as they paddled hard into the beach. Despite exuding effort, they appeared to be chatting as they approached the sand and almost crossed the line together. Dunn, Lenehan and Hannah Campbell were second in the Board Relay event.
Nathan Price was first in the surf swim and third in the Ironman events for the U11s, while Tarren Elliott won the Ironman and swim events and was second in the board paddle for the U11 girls.
Harry Barrington and Makynli Dale were the pick Under 10s with Dale third in the swim and board events, while Barrington came second in the swim and fourth in the board paddle. The two combined with Saul Dolphin to come a close second in the board relay.