When Emiliqua East began cracking a whip at six years old, it was simply a childhood challenge; a $50 red hide yard whip bought on a family holiday by her mum and a determination to make it crack just once.
Two decades later, the 26-year-old is Australia’s reigning whip-cracking champion and preparing to perform at the Berwick Show.
Emiliqua, the current Australian Ladies Title holder with the Australian Whip-crackers and Plaiters Association, claimed back-to-back national titles in 2024 and 2025 at Brisbane’s Ekka.
She also competes in the demanding bullock whip division, open to men and women of all ages, handling a five-foot stock and eight-foot lash in high-speed routines that require strength, stamina and precision.
Her journey began in regional Victoria, where local agricultural shows introduced her to competition.
“I remember only being able to crack in one hand,” she said.
“The judge told me to try the other. It was terrifying but I got one crack, and that was a lightbulb moment.”
Largely self-taught, Emiliqua sought advice from seasoned competitors while developing her own style.
By age 15 she was winning state titles; at 16 she secured her first Australian bullock whip championship and at 20, she earned her first national ladies title.
Whip-cracking, she explains, is far more physically demanding than many assume.
Competitors perform 10 set routines followed by a minute of freestyle, often with movements above shoulder height.
Training intensifies two to three months before competition, focusing on upper-body strength, stamina and mental resilience.
“If I can perform my full routine twice over and still have energy, then I know I’m ready,” she said.
She began professional shows at 14 and now incorporates hands on workshops into each appearance, inviting children to learn the basics under careful supervision.
Each crack of the whip, she tells audiences, breaks the sound barrier, the tip travelling faster than 1,100 kilometres per hour and creating a miniature sonic boom.
“It’s the first man-made object to do that,” she said.
While whip-cracking remains a niche sport, Emiliqua believes it deserves wider recognition.
“It has all the elements of any elite sport, discipline, strength, travel, preparation. It takes years to master.”
The national champion will be performing at the Berwick Show this weekend on 21 and 22 February, at Akoonah Park, spectators will see the art form at its highest level and perhaps a few future champions inspired to chase that first exhilarating crack.
More information about the show schedule and tickets can be found at berwickshow.org.au.
