Arafura Games

Arafura Games will be held in Darwin 11-18 May 2013

For up to the minute details go to www.arafuragames.nt.gov.au

For specific enquiries concerning the Lifesaving events of the 2013 Arafura Games please email us on surf@lifesavingnt.com.au

Arafura Games International Lifesaving - a huge success!

The Surf Life Saving Australia U19 Development Team set a brilliant standard of all-round competition to win the International Lifesaving Champion Team Trophy at the 2011 Arafura Games. The talented young athletes Kyle O'Brien, Samuel Earp, Trent Klouzal, Luke Heery, Jessica Collins, Devon Halligan, Christina Ruiz and Rachelle King were exceptional performers at each competition venue but also gave time to help visiting international athletes.

With around 150 lifesavers, team managers and officials the four days of lifesaving competition were undoubtedly a huge success. Our international teams representing Singapore Life Saving Society, National University of Singapore (NUS), Hong Kong Life Saving Society, Indonesia Lifesaving Society (Bali) and Chinese Taipei Water Life Saving Association (Snr Team & Jnr Team) joined five national/state teams from Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA), Royal Life Saving Society Australia, Surf Life Saving Queensland, Surf Life Saving South Australia while our Northern Territory team proudly represented Surf Life Saving NT (SLSNT) and Royal Life Saving Australia NT Branch (RLSSANT) - John Brown, Moira Wigley, Josh Mitchener, Thanh Thanh Thai, Dominic Goegel, Rachel Chalada, Toby Barnes and Nellie McLean with coach Denise Clark.

Highlights of the week were…

SATURDAY: The week kicked off with a Board and Ski Coaching Workshop followed by a spectacular Opening Ceremony with 40 Surf Lifesavers forming the pathway for over 3,000 athletes and team officials to march into TIO Stadium followed by entertainment from Jessica Mauboy and Icehouse.

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SUNDAY: The 2nd Board and Ski Coaching Workshops conducted by SLSNT and SLSA for Singapore, NUS and Indonesia-Bali at Casuarina Beach. Also Advanced Lifesaving experiences were provided for our visitors by the elite lifesavers of the SLSNT SAR Team using Rescue Jetskis and the Offshore Rescue Boat 'Westpac Rescue 1'.

MONDAY: The all-day Pool Officials course for 18 participants was expertly conducted by RLSSA NT and the third and fourth Board & Ski Workshops were held for Singapore, NUS, Bali and the RLSSA's Junior Barras. Monday night the Singapore and Bali competitors were on ABC TV Darwin!

TUESDAY: The Wave Lagoon Familiarisation Swim proved a huge hit as competitors tried out the Surf Race and Rescue Tube Rescue courses. The session finished off with some great boogie board surfing by SLSA & Queensland competitors and awesome bodysurfing by the Indonesia-Bali team - the best we've ever seen! A big thankyou to Darwin Waterfront Corporation for the use of the Wave Lagoon.

WEDNESDAY MORNING: NT lifesavers were up 5.30am when they joined members of the Bali team to provide all our friends at Swimming NT with water safety for the Arafura Games 5km and 10km long distance swimming events at Lake Bennett, about 80 km south of Darwin - they paddled over 10km with swimmers then the Bali lifesavers carried the Arafura Games flags and medals during the presentation adding a great international flavour to the event. Also in the morning, SLSA help Chinese Taipei with board and ski paddling.

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING: Our first competition gets underway with strong performances by Chinese Taipei, SLSA, Junior Barras and Hong Kong. A huge team of 50 green-shirted officials do a great job of running the comp. A late night for the Protest and Appeals Committees though!

THURSDAY MORNING: Back to the Darwin Wave Lagoon where the officials have a birds-eye view of everything, especially the buoy touch in the Rescue Tube Rescue Race, which DQ'd a few! Media star of the day was SLSA's, Devon Halligan, who was reported by Arafura Games media on the internet as saying "It's great to be here!" and went on to say "It's a big difference to be swimming in a Wave Lagoon, as we're used to training in the ocean. The swells are really close together but it's heaps of fun." The 18-year-old, said her personal highlight at the 2011 Arafura Games was to see lifesaving getting great exposure. "It's awesome to see so many competitors from overseas - that means our sport is getting bigger and better around the world."

THURSDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING: A tropical sunset competition at Mindil Beach for beach sprints and relays glowsticks on the track as the sun was setting. Beach Flags under lights and hundreds of people watching the action in an amphitheatre atmosphere. Awesome performance by the superfast Bali women in sprints and flags. Our first medal presentation is held on the beach.

FRIDAY: We woke up to great lifesaving competition photos in the newspaper! Then a beautiful tropical night of events at Casuarina Pool. Medal presentations for all pool events conclude a highly successful Pool Rescue component of the competition with heaps of thanks to our colleagues at RLSSA NT!

SATURDAY: How hard was it to get up this morning? A low tide competition but a fantastic display of lifesaving sporting skill with great performances by our rapidly improving friends from overseas especially on the skis. The NT Team presents a commemorative gift of a lifesaving kangaroo or koala to an excited crowd. Surf Life Saving South Australia Team Managers, Steve Cornish and Mike Schetter invite everyone to the World Championship in Adelaide - Rescue 2012. Medal presentations follow and the announcement of trophy winners...

Emerging Athlete Trophy: Khoo Yi Lin (Chinese Taipei)
Highest Pointscore International Team: Hong Kong
Highest Pointscore Overall: Surf Life Saving Australia U19 Development Team

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We honoured our champions and we also acknowledged the Arafura Games ethos... Emerging Champions Sporting Neighbours Sharing Knowledge We invite all lifesavers to return for the 2013 Arafura Games!

Thanks for being part of Arafura Games International Lifesaving

Without your fantastic commitment it would not have been possible...

Organising Committee - Tony Snelling, Bob Creek, Floss Roberts, Karon Lamb, Julie Snelling, Kim Clark and Craig Croke.
International Leaders: Tung Shen Chung (CTWLSA), Sim Lye Hock (Singapore), Keith Leung (Hong Kong), I Gde Berata (Indonesia)
Surf Life Saving NT and Referee Craig Croke for organising the beach and surf events.
Royal Life Saving Australia NT Branch and RLSSA Referee Joanne Teagle for organising the Pool Rescue comp
All officials and workforce volunteers
Darwin & Mindil Beach SLSCs - opening ceremony volunteers, the loan of competition equipment
Darwin SLSC - for accommodation for the Indonesia-Bali Team
Darwin High School & Moira Wigley - opening ceremony volunteers
NT Government - esp Sport & Recreation, Major Events
Darwin City Council
Darwin Waterfront Corporation