Spills and thrills of Thundercats in action

THUNDERCATS are set to take over Coolum Beach this weekend as the fourth annual King of Coolum kicks off.
Coolum Beach is set to host the event, welcoming the nation’s top Thundercat crews in an epic battle to secure the prestigious title win.
The high-speed surf racing event will be held over two days with a predicted two to four metre swell promising plenty of spectator thrills and spills.
Coolum Business and Tourism Association president Malcolm Chilman said the event had become Australia’s premier Thundercat event and continued to attract the highest-ranking Thundercat pilots and co-pilots to Coolum’s challenging beach break as they put their skills to the ultimate test.
“We are very excited to have the Thundercats back in Coolum. They always put on a spectacular show with their high speeds and aerials,” Mr Chilman said.
“The timing of the event coincides with school holidays which gives our tourists and locals something interesting to do, and another reason to visit Coolum.
“We’re hoping for great weather and maybe a bit of swell as well to make things interesting.”
Thundercat racing is a high-speed extreme water sport, featuring 4.1 metre-long inflatable catamaran-style surf boats that can reach speeds of up to 90km/h and jump up to six metres in the air, providing plenty of thrilling action for spectators.
With reigning Kings of Coolum Jacob Gaby and Rob Van der Westhuizen racing in separate crews this year and the usual representation from New Zealand missing, Brisbane Coast Thundercats president and race director John Kerrisk said the 2016 title was well and truly up for grabs.
“It’s going to be an interesting weekend to say the least. Unfortunately, we won’t have any official Kiwi crews racing due to illness, but there’s a couple of ring-ins scattered through the Aussie competitors that will be flying the NZ flag,” he said.
“We’ve got several newly qualified crews racing at Coolum for the first time this weekend and, with the large swell predicted, they’ll certainly be put to the test.
The free King of Coolum event will be held in front of Coolum Beach Surf Club between 9am and 2pm on Saturday 9 July and Sunday 10 July, with boats competing across both A and B Grade divisions. It’s free, adrenalin-fuelled fun for all to watch and a perfect ending to the school holiday period.