Vass vs Gilbert family rivalries continue at Cane Cutting Championship

A strange paddock fire, old champions, new times, and smoked meat. The Australian Hand Cane Cutting Championships has chopped through another year. See who won.

Mark Vass was the winner of the annual Australian Hand Cane Cutting Championships at the Sweet Days, Hot Nights festival.

Old champions returned to set new times at the Australian Hand Cane Cutting Championships on the weekend, with some surprising results.

For the first time the championship was taken out by Mark Vass, a long time competitor but first-time winner, who also helped grow the cane set aside for the event.

“I’ve come third and fourth a few times, and I won my age division (under 35s) years ago, but I’ve never won the championships before,” Mr Vass said.

“I didn’t do any training. You just go for it on the day and I have a pretty sore back to show for it.”

The first, second, and third place times set this year showed the field worked at a blistering pace, Mr Vass cleared four drills of 25m cane in just over 14 minutes, Stuart Gilbert in 15:58, and Adam Gilbert in 16:52.

That’s a big reduction on the 2023 results where Adam Gilbert won with a 23.10 time.

A local sugar cane grower himself, Mr Vass is one of the farmers who volunteers his time to grow the competition cane paddock at the Home Hill Showgrounds

Young kids enjoy the Sweet Days, Hot Nights festival in the Burdekin.

This year, the paddock was drenched by 15mm of rain the day before the famous ‘first fire’ burn on Friday night, and Saturday’s cutting competition.

“It didn’t have enough sun to dry out and so it slowly crackled away, it wasn’t a big fire, but that’s farming,” Mr Vass said.

“Even when the fire does take off, it’s nothing compared to a real commercial cane fire, but it's a really cool experience for people who’ve never been near one.”

Mr Vass said the cane cutting competition was a “family affair” – almost all his relatives have tried their hand at the sport, and his uncle’s farm used to host the event before council the adopted it.

“I do hand cutting because I like to appreciate how far machinery has come and remember what our grandads and great-grandads did,” Mr Vass said.

“They came out here with nothing, and if you were strong and fit you could make a lot of money cutting cane and they started buying up farms. Both sides of my family did that, one side was Italian and the other was German.”

The cane is lit on fire at Sweet Days, Hot Nights.

The Australian Hand Cane Cutting Competition started in 1999 in Dalbeg, where it was run by the Donnelly family, before it shifted to the Vass farm, and later the showgrounds.

“Paul Donnelly used to have it out there and he was a world champion. He could destroy anyone,” Mr Vass said.

“He was still cutting up till a year ago, and he’s in his 70s now.”

The results board shows the friendly rivalry between the Vass and Gilbert families continue at the event, with the surnames dominating the competition.

Other notable winners include Lyn McLaughlin – former Burdekin mayor – winning the Ladies competition with a dominant four minutes, 30 second cut.

In 2015, Burdekin Shire Council adopted the cutting competition and turned it into a tourism event, combining it with the Sweet Days, Hot Nights Festival in 2018.

Burdekin Shire mayor Pierina Dalle Cort said the Burdekin turned it on once again for the festival.

“Our community knows how to put on a show, and the energy across the weekend was incredible,” Mayor Dalle Cort said.

“I couldn’t be prouder of everyone who made it happen.”

Also at the festival was a smoky cook-off, live music, a sea turtle patting experience (yes, live sea turtles), food trucks, kids activities, pie competitions, rum taste testing, and more.

Over 4000 people entered the festival, which was $10 entry for adults, free for kids.

2025 Australian Cane Cutting Championship results

2025 Australian Hand Cane Cutting Championships: Sponsored by Parkside Group (4x drills, 25m long)

1st Place: Mark Vass – 14:08

2nd Place: Stuart Gilbert – 15:58

3rd Place: Adam Gilbert – 16:52

Over 55 Years: Sponsored by Next Gen Building Co (4x drills, 15m long)

1st Place: Wayne Borellini – 10:57

2nd Place: Enzo Codega – 12:26

3rd Place: Joe Gallea – 13:16

35 – 55 Years: Sponsored by Diamantina Lime & Gypsum (4x drills, 15m long)

1st Place: Adam Gilbert – 11:26

2nd Place: Karl Vass – 13:15

3rd Place: Mark Vass – 13:22

Under 35 Years: Sponsored by Wilmar Sugar and Renewables (4x drills, 15m long)

1st Place: Keith Gilbert – 11:29

2nd Place: Stuart Gilbert – 12:35

3rd Place: Angus Gilbert – 18:53

Ladies Novice: Sponsored by Tallai Project Group (1x drills, 15m long)

1st Place: Nichola Borellini – 2:30

2nd Place: Patrea Bojack – 4:41

3rd Place: Laura Gilbert – 5:16

Ladies Cup: Sponsored by Lillie’s Cubby House (1x drill, 21m)

1st Place: Lyn McLaughlin – 4:30

2nd Place: Rosie McLean – 6:45

3rd Place: Krystel Kerr – 7:44

Corporate Team Challenge: Sponsored by Keir Steele Waldon Lawyers (4x drills, 10m long)

1st Place: Vass Engineering

2nd Place: Next Gen Building Co

3rd Place: QSL

Cut, Top and Load Team Challenge: Sponsored by Elders Insurance Ayr (6x drills, 15m long)

1st Place: Gilbert Group – 15:00

2nd Place: Vass Group – 16:21

3rd Place: Codega Group – 20:25

Originally published as Vass vs Gilbert family rivalries continue at Cane Cutting Championship