Wheelchair basketball to feature again
The wheelchair basketball competition is once again included in the Suncorp North Queensland Games, since its inaugural inclusion in 2004. The Northern Challenge will be contested between teams from Cairns, Townsville and Mackay, and it is still hoped that the team from Rockhampton be able to come to Cairns to take part. Garry Parker, a stalwart of wheelchair basketball in Cairns, expects to see a high level of basketball especially from the smattering of Queensland representatives in the squads.
Skateboarding included in the Games
A late inclusion in the Games is the sport of skateboarding, which is an exciting addition to the list of sports that in the Games. The skateboard park at the Cairns Esplanade is reputedly one of the best venues of its kind in Australia and attracts many enthusiasts on a very regular basis. The competition will be coordinated by Adam Walker from the Compound shop, and the competition will be fast, furious and frenetic in three age divisions. In the under 12, 13 to 17 and 18+ years there will be bowl individual runs, and street runs in jam session format. Competition will be on Sunday 11 in the early afternoon. Skateboarding has been included in the last two Suncorp North Queensland Games in both Mackay 2006 and Townsville 2008.
The Wild Wild West is alive in Cairns!
Cairns is very pleased to be hosting the Single Action Shooting for the 2010 Suncorp North Queensland Games. Single Action Shooting is the fastest growing shooting discipline in Australia. The aims as interpretive living historians and competitive shooters are to preserve, promote and respect the skills, traditions and the pioneering spirit of the historic American Old West. Not only does it involve accuracy and a skill to be able to remember the shooting order it also requires the shooter to shoot as fast as possible.
One of the unique aspects of Single Action Shooting is the requirement placed on costuming. Each participant is required to adopt a shooting alias appropriate to a character or profession of the late 19th century. Each shooter then adapts their costuming to suit their chosen alias.
Single Action Shooting is a multi-faceted shooting sport in which contestants compete with firearms typical of those used in the taming of the Old West: single action revolvers, pistol calibre lever action rifles, and old time 12 gauge double barrel side by side shotguns. The shooting competition is staged in a unique, characterised, “Old West” style. It is a timed sport in which shooters compete for prestige on a course of different shooting stages.
Single Action Shooting competitors shoot a variety of calibres including .38’s, .357’s, .44’s and .45’s in their six shooters. Single Action Shooting is one of only two pistol disciplines able to use the larger calibres of .44’s and .45’s as it is an international shooting discipline.
As the game of Single Action Shooting has evolved, members have developed and adopted an attitude towards their participation called “The Spirit of the Game.” It is a code by which they live. Competing in “The Spirit of the Game” means you fully participate in what the competition asks. You try your best to dress the part, use the appropriate competition tools, and respect the traditions of the Old West. Some folks would call it nothing more than good sportsmanship. We call it “Spirit of the Game.”
A recent addition to Single Action Shooting is Cowboy Fast Draw. Cairns City Cowboys club member Andrew Denyer (alias Rooquero) is the current 2009 Cowboy Fast Draw State Champion as well as the 2009 National Champion. Cowboy Fast Draw is a timed event using a single action .45 calibre revolver. Cowboy Fast Draw will also be shot during the Suncorp Games.
Single Action Shooting is regarded as a very family and social shooting sport, with many couples and families competing together. Juniors as young as 11 are welcomed and coached by club members.
Results to be included in the Cairns Post
Another boost to the Games is the agreement with The Cairns Post to print all the results from the many sporting events in the newspaper after the Games. Look out for the confirmation of the date for printing.
