Last updated at 12:38, Tuesday, 07 July 2009

ASHES fever hit Coniston this weekend when an Australian was crowned the winner of the All England Stone Skimming Championships.

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Brave Englishmen fought relentlessly to beat Aussie Craig Mounsey’s distance of 68 metres during Coniston Water Festival.

But the Brisbane man, originally from Staveley, proved to be unbeatable and his 10-year-old son, Finn, also won the junior section with a throw of 33 metres.

This year’s water festival saw over 1,000 people descend on the shores of Coniston.

A special visit from residents of Coniston’s twinned French town of Illiers Combray saw a heated series of canoe races take place. Self-named teams including The Froggies Alcoholics, Raging Rhinos, Hungover Campers and Team France 2 battled it out to race across the water.

Water Festival favourite, It’s A Knockout, was the highlight of the day, with four teams risking life and limb as they braved a mass cake fight and shower of water bombs in a bid to take the crown.

In the end, a team from Somerset restored national pride, as they were announced the winners following the last leg of the competition – a race across the water carrying an inflatable dolphin.

Team Cheese, made up of Simon, Ollie, Rob, Craig and David, travelled all the way from Somerset.

They happily told The Evening Mail: “We are from the Planet Cheese and we are dedicated to this competition.”

Some 162 participants took part in the stone skimming, sponsored by South Cumbria Rivers Trust. Strong winds and the occasional shower failed to put off the hardy throwers but last year’s winner, Phil McChesney, was unable to beat Craig Mounsey’s throw.

Organiser of the skimming championships, Ben Lamb, said he was delighted by the turnout. He said: “Skimdependence Day was great fun and 162 entrants tried their hand on the flooded field of dreams.

“This has raised about £1,000 for South Cumbria Rivers Trust which will help us in our work.

“However, I hope that the father and son antipodean combo victory is not an omen for The Ashes!

“We hope to see last year’s winner, Phil McSkim McChesney, back on form next year.”

David Coxon, chairman of the Water Festival committee and Coniston Parish Council, organised the canoe races and boating sessions throughout the day. His wife Sarah was in charge of It’s A Knockout.

Mr Coxon said: “It all went very, very well.

“There has been a lot more people than last year and we were really pleased the weather stayed fine.”

All money raised during the day will go towards paying for the sailing instructors and equipment.

“Anything left over will be distributed to local charities and fundraising projects.”

First published at 11:37, Monday, 06 July 2009
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk