Australian Surf Livesaving Media Man Australia

Australian Surf Livesaving

Websites

Articles

Bondi fitting finale for year of surf lifesaver - 30th November 2007
(Credit: Gold Coast)

SURF LIFESAVING by Mark Williams and Graham Callaghan

BONDI BEACH, the birthplace of Australian surf lifesaving, is a fitting venue for the intermingling of four major surf carnivals this weekend to wind up the celebrations for 2007 Year of the Surf Lifesaver.

This marks the first time in more than 50 years that Bondi has been the venue for a major surf carnival.

The Trans Tasman Challenge and the Trans Tasman Surfboat Showdown will be decided in the three tests of international centenary competition which started yesterday and concludes tomorrow at noon, with the Australian interstate championships starting tomorrow and finishing on Sunday.

Gold Coast lifesavers are the backbone of both the Australian and Queensland Cyclones teams and are expected to carry both teams to victory.

Australia also has an under-23 team, led by Burleigh Heads' Jacob Lollback, and will compete against Japan, New Zealand, Great Britain, South Africa and the United States -- and don't be too surprised if the Aussies finish one-two.

The Cyclones were beaten by arch rivals NSW by just six points when our beachies were disqualified in the last event worth nine points last season but they won the previous year at Jan Juc in Victoria.

SLSQ president Ken Bird, a former South Coast branch and Kurrawa president, joined the Cyclones at Burleigh Heads yesterday where athletes tapered off their preparation under the keen eye of Queensland coach Rhett Collie.

LIFESAVERS BY the busload will leave the Gold Coast at first light tomorrow and Sunday making their annual trip to Brisbane and surrounds to rattle their tins and collect money in their door knock appeal.

They will visit houses, major shopping centres, sporting venues and in fact anywhere they can collect money for their much-needed equipment used on the beach or for training purposes.

The Channel Nine Surf Safety Appeal actually kicks off tonight at 7pm with Channel Nine continuing their appeal, which raised more than $600,000 last season, until 10.30pm on Sunday night.

Organisers are confident they will raise more this weekend in the Year of the Surf Lifesaver. So dig deep.

SLSQ media manager John Kaarsberg said the clubs were gearing up for a long, hot, hectic summer as school holidays plus traditional festive activities kept the volunteers on their toes.

``The financial ask is a very serious one as it pertains to real life situations where volunteer surf lifesavers selflessly put the wellbeing of others ahead of their own to keep our beaches safe in all situations,'' said Kaarsberg.

Experience shows the more collectors doing their bit means the more money raised, so if you are a surf club member ring your club now and book your seat on the bus and remember the adage: `It's not what your club can do for you, it's what you can do for your club!'

Profiles

Bondi Beach Photography and Multimedia