WINGHAM’S Fiona Smith has added an unprecedented eleventh national whipcracking title to her collection after flogging all comers at the Canberra Royal Show last month.
The 37-year-old leathermaker cemented her reputation as the nation’s premier female whipcracker with a performance of typical colour and flair – a self-taught style that has seen her dominate the Australian and international whipcracking scene for the past 15 years. Does her 11th title mean as much as her first?
“Definitely,” Fiona said. “I think it might even mean more to me because of the work I have put into it. It’s good to be recognised for doing something you love.”
Raised at Rainbow Flat, Fiona first held a stockwhip when her dad brought one home to help herd cattle on her pop’s property. Fiona entered her first competition under an awning at Wingham’s Bottom Pub when she was 12 years old. Word of her exploits spread, and as a young teenager she was invited to take part in the very first Australian championships. Though her performances were promising, Fiona’s first two trips to the nationals bore little fruit.
“I went home and thought to myself, ‘that’s it – I’m going to practice every day until I win this damn thing,’” she said. “I was out every afternoon and evening practicing my routine, even to the point where I couldn’t see the whips cracking in the darkness around me.”
The hard work definitely paid off, as Fiona won her first Australian title the following year.
On top of her staggering 11 domestic triumphs, Fiona has claimed international titles in Las Vegas in 1998, 1999 and 2001.
Whipcracking competitions involve a number of different skill facets.
“The first thing we do at the nationals is an accuracy test,” Fiona said. “You’ve got a six-foot whip in each hand, and you have to hit Styrofoam cups off a wooden post using alternate strikes.”
Competitors then get out two stockwhips and perform 10 routines of five to 10 minutes each. This is where Fiona really shines.
Marks are awarded for originality, fluency, style, technique and crispness of the crack. This is followed by one minute of continuous double-handed whip cracking.
Fiona’s routines have been marked 20 out of 20 in previous years. In 2009 she introduced a whole new range of tricks she invented herself, resulting in scores of 21 and 22 out of 20.
“I do some of the traditional moves like the Queensland Crossover and the Sydney Flair,” Fiona said, “but I’ve made up a few good ones too. Wilksie’s Wonder, Sudden Impact, Around the World… all sorts. There’s even a couple that I haven’t brought out of the bag yet.”
Fiona’s routines are so good that they are now used by big-name competition whip-crackers around the world.
“People approach me and ask if I can show them how my moves are done,” she said. “I’ve had few people film me performing so they can try and emulate the tricks I do.”
When she’s not competing, Fiona forms one half of the Whiparoos performance team with her father, Jim Wilkes. The two perform together at shows throughout the state and beyond. It is an impressive sight.
“I flick a cigarette from dad’s mouth in one trick, and in another I remove a foam disc the size of a 20c piece off his tongue,” she said.
Fiona’s son Tyee, 5, and daughter Tarla, 3, also look set to follow in her footsteps.
The last 12 months have seen Tyee place second in the pee wee section at the Australian whipcracking titles, while Tarla competed for the first time in the Glen Innes Show.
“(Tarla) is so close to the ground that the whips aren’t really cracking for her at the moment,” Fiona said. “But she still has the style going and her routines are great.”
Email a friend