Women Revive Mackay Surfboat Team 30 Years After Tragedy

Just before sunrise at Mackay's Harbour Beach, four women push a surfboat into the swell and leap aboard in a scramble against the surge. It's the first women's surfboat team this Queensland community has seen in 30 years.

Clare McAlpine helped gather the group over the past year, never imagining how demanding the sport would be. "It's physically hard. It's mentally hard," she said. But the team quickly grew to 14 women training three times a week.

The revival carries weight. On February 27, 1996, avid surf lifesaver Fiona Clyde died during training when a large swell pulled their boat out of control. She was caught underneath trying to protect younger crew members.

"She really loved the beach, anything to do with the outdoors," her mother Joanna Clyde remembered. After Fiona's death, the women's team slowly fell apart, unable to continue after such loss.

For 30 years, Fiona's memory lived on through a scholarship supporting young lifesavers and a room named in her honor at the club. Her absence shaped the community, but so did her passion for bringing women into surf lifesaving.

Stan Ridland, club chairman and sweep for the new team, has spent the past 12 months helping the women develop their skills. "It's about finesse, timing and getting the feeling for everyone in the crew," he said. The sport builds real rescue capabilities through competitive racing.

The women recently earned their Bronze Medallions and fundraised for a new fibreglass boat to replace the heavy 35-year-old wooden models. Modern boats are lighter and safer than the equipment used in Fiona's time.

The Ripple Effect

The team's return has energized the entire club in unexpected ways. Director of surf sports Joshua Grant noticed mothers bringing their children to training, sparking a new generation's interest in surf lifesaving.

The club just returned from Queensland Youth State Titles with a record 13 medals. Young lifesavers from Mackay are thriving with renewed community support and fresh role models on the water.

"I never considered myself someone who would be a lifesaver," McAlpine said. "We've really become part of the community."

Asked how Fiona would feel about the women's team returning, Joanna Clyde didn't hesitate: "It was always important for her to have women represented in the surf movement. She didn't want them having all the fun."