The first surfboat in Queensland was obtained by the Kirra Club in 1927. The boat was purchased second hand from the Freshwater Surf Club in Sydney. The money was donated by our longest serving Club President S.W. Winders.

Our first Boat Captain was George Shambrook. Crew members who rowed it over the Tweed Bar to Kirra were George Shambrook, Jack Gordon, Bill Davies and Rod Plowman and either Lindsay Gordon or Percy Davies. When purchased the boat was named Whitewings but the name was changed to Arakoon (Roar of the Surf).

In 1947 Kirra won a brand new surfboat for the top Queensland Club at the Australian Championships held at Southport and Coolangatta due to high seas. The boat was named Allisans. There have been many Kirra boats named Arakoon. Other names have been S.W. Winders “Chugga” Bartlett and Jack Winders all prominent Club Members.

Before 2009 our only placing in surfboats at Australian Championships was at Southport in 1954. Kirra was second in the Junior Boat Championships. The crew was Ron Halpin (Sweep), Barry Hatchett, Harvey Mills, Elwyn Kempnich and Col Neylan.

History was made on Sunday 22 March 2009 when a Kirra crew won the Australian Reserve Grade Boat Championship in Perth. Congratulations to Brian Hurley (Sweep), Tom Dooley, Patrick Dooley, Jonathon Tyson and Nick Williams who achieved Kirra’s first Australian Championships since 1995.
 
Some months ago I said to Brian Hurley it would be nice to have a boat crew on the Australian Championship Board in the clubhouse. Well it has now happened following hard work, dedication and teamwork.