Morayfield will host Australia’s best skaters and the hottest inline action for two adrenaline-filled days of racing at the Australian Inline Speed Championships.
It’s state vs state in the race for gold at this all-ages event; with participants ranging in age from six through to 76-years-old.
It’s the first time Moreton Bay Regional Council’s Morayfield Sport and Events Centre (MSEC) will host Australia’s pinnacle speed skating event.
Spokesperson for Parks, Recreation and Sport Cr Koliana Winchester said this event would be another feather in MSEC’s cap, after successfully hosting the Queensland State Judo championships in 2018.
“By mid-2019 Council’s $7.8 million upgrade to MSEC will be complete, more than doubling the size of this amazing facility and creating even more event-based tourism opportunities for Morayfield,” she said.
“The upgrade will boast the construction of two new multipurpose indoor courts and an 1100sq m events space, which could be used for conferences and trade shows, as well as retractable seating for more than 1,000 spectators as well as new amenities including changerooms and a commercial-grade kitchen.
Councillor for Division 12 Adrian Raedel said the event would inject more than $140,000 into the local economy.
“There are more than 300 competitors, officials and spectators coming to town and I know our local hospitality sector is ready to put on a show for our visitors,” he said.
“I’ll be encouraging our visitors to make the most of their week here by suggesting they explore our region, like checking out the stunning D’Aguilar National Park or beautiful Bribie Island beaches and Pumicestone Passage.”
High profile competitors include Youth Olympic Games competitors Giselle Stogdale and Alex Myint, along with several Australian representatives who recently returned from the World Inline Speed Championship in The Netherlands.
Skate Australia president Karen Doyle said the sport was extremely grateful for Council’s support.
“The opportunity to take the Australian Inline Speed Championships to a new audience in the Moreton Bay Region and showcase this exciting sport at the Morayfield Sport and Events Centre was one that Skate Australia and the Australian Speed Committee welcomed,” she said.
“Morayfield Sport and Events Centre is an excellent facility and ideal for inline speed skating events at the Australian Championships. We look forward to great sportsmanship, fast and exciting racing with the possibility of new Australian records and many personal bests over the two-day event.”
Queensland hosts the Australian Inline Speed Championships every five years and the home team has selected 40 skaters to compete.
The event runs from January 13-20 with photos, videos, race results and updates from the events posted on Skate Australia and Queensland Speed Facebook pages.
Follow the action on @skateaustralia and @SkateQLDSpeed.