GUSTY winds and choppy seas could not sour spirits on Easter Sunday, 9 April, as the annual ‘Anything that Floats’ Race was held on South Pindimar beach by the Pindimar Bundabah Community Association (PBCA).

At 10:30am, four teams of raft-racers braved cold water, racing around buoys, then returning to shore… and unparalleled glory.

The line-up included ‘Farrah the Flamingo’, the ‘Unicorns’, the ‘Toucan’, and the ‘Adventure Kings & Queens’ all the way from Chisholm.

The racers pushed, pedalled, and paddled the course, with a tight start dispersing quickly.

The Unicorns suffered a cataclysmic capsizing at the first buoy, despite a valiant effort upon their inflatable steed.

Farrah the Flamingo had busy legs, while the Toucan lost a paddle and was momentarily marooned.

The ‘Adventure Kings & Queens’ led on their home-made assembly of SUP and boogie boards, prevailing as first past the post, and proclaimed winners once ashore.

“It’s a great morning of community fun, despite the blustery conditions,” Vivian Panhuber, President of the PBCA, told NOTA, after calling the race.

“We had concerns about the wind and tides, but overall, there was great visibility,” said SES Stroud Unit Deputy Commander Greg Snape, proud to have supported the Race for the last eight years.

The SES had flood rescue specialists on hand, just in case.

Next were two “first past the thong” Tug-O-War bouts, the kids’ ending in Easter egg prizes, the adults’ ending in a graceful reminder of inertia and gravity.

The kids were then unleashed upon an egg hunt, with some spotting mother lodes while the rest vanished into the mangroves, halfway to Carrington.

The raffle, drawn by SES Dep Cmdr Snape, saw more Easter goodies go out and raised funds for the PBCA.

“Raffle proceeds will go towards the repainting and replacement of windows on the Community Association Hall, and hopefully to some outdoor space paving… and a new toilet, if any is left over,” Ms Panhuber told NOTA.

By Thomas O’KEEFE