Since starting to crack a stock whip from the age of eight, Max Kamp, Adelaide, has always believed the art of whip cracking way more than an event to wow patrons visiting rodeos or festivals.
There is a great lifestyle of travel and community between whip cracking competitors.
Mr Kamp was awarded the accuracy champion at the Australian Whipcrackers and Plaiters Association (AWPA) Victorian Championships, held this past weekend at the Seymour Alternative Farming Expo.
But for Mr Kemp, the enjoyment of whip cracking comes from teaching the skill to others who may have never picked up a stock whip.
"I travel around, teach and demonstrate the form of the talent of whip cracking," he said
"At events like the AWPA National Competition you can get quite a lot of people coming along to compete, but smaller competitions like the Victorian State Championships, you would get something around 30-40 competitors,"
But Mr Kemp said those smaller whip cracking competitions allow for a great sense of comradery with the knowledge that a rural tradition is being kept alive.
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"For us, we get to meet so many people from anywhere in the country, and many come out and tell stories of how they came across whip cracking at those events," he said.
"Others sometimes just want to lean about the heritage and what used to happen when we'd used to use stock whips everyday,"
"On a farm, you get to try and make as much noise as you can... here at competitions, our whip cracking are very much based on style, along with how much noise you can make, and execution,
Mr Kemp started whip cracking during a holiday when he was young picking old whip when he was "probably only eight or nine," with his Dad.
"We kept meeting people from around Australia which was awesome to teach us more and more and we got onto contact with another previous South Australian whip cracking champion Luke Fritsch who got me coaching to where I am today," he said
Competitors from across the country headed to championships, which awarded winners in a number of categories, with Victoria's Thomas Jordan winning the novice category, Beau Jervis from NSW taking out the juvenile category and Jesse Jervis, also from NSW winning the junior category.
Emiliqua East, Bairnsdale, who has been cracking whips since she was ten years old, won the ladies category and was also lucky enough to recently compete at the World Championships in Los Angeles.
She agrees that while competing has given her worldwide opportunities is a great sense of community within the whip cracking community in Victorian alone and fellow whip crackers like Kiera and Maddi Buzza are doing great things locally.
"Many of us compete nationally too, but I have found this to be a great safe environment... and it keeps me coming back and there are always more things you can learn and you can always get better," she said.
"As a 23-year-old now, I look back on all the years as a kid persevering and seeing champions, looking at their tricks and asking for help.
"People can pick up a whip at any age though, and while it's easier as a kid, you are relatively fearless to a level... but it's just time and practice which can allow anyone of any background to do it."
Ms East said that "it was great that younger people are in the industry" were teaching even younger generations.
"My mum bought me a whip when I was six and had a few teachers," she said.
"For me as a kid, it's loud, it's fun, it teaches you great mental focus, determination, and getting over the fear of the instrument.
"It's competitions like the ones in Seymour, there is an atmosphere where the Buzzas where we share our passion, everyone has worked hard to achieve on the day, and we support all that hard work on the day."
As well as winning the most accurate award, Mr Kemp was placed second in the Men's competition, being pipped at the post by James Scott from the ACT.
Mr Scott won the bullock whip competition, while Glen Buzza took out the over 45's competition, while
