SurfLIFE Magazine - Issue 49, December 2021

SurfLIFE ISSUE 49 – December 2021

President and CEO of Surf Life Saving NSW unveil the new Emergency Response Beacon with the Minister for Emergency Services.

A BEACON OF SAFETY for Manly’s Shelly Beach

Visitors to one of the city’s most iconic coastal locations, Shelly Beach, are now able to swim a little safer with new lifesaving technology installed for use in emergencies, unveiled in October by the NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services, David Elliott.

The Emergency Response Beacon (ERB) in place at the popular swim and dive location is one of 20 new generation units rolled out at key drowning hotspots this year, as part of the NSW Government’s $16 million commitment across four years to Surf Life Saving NSW. The devices have been installed at identified high risk locations which are unpatrolled by lifesavers or lifeguards.

In an emergency, with the press of a button, a member of the public can be connected to the Surf Life Saving State Operations Centre (SOC) for immediate assistance.

President of Surf Life Saving NSW, George Shales said the organisation is always looking for new ways to keep NSW beachgoers safer through enhanced technology.

“The ERB will give visitors at unpatrolled beaches a link to lifesaving services during emergencies, where every second can mean the difference between life and death,” said Mr Shales.

The ERB uses the latest mobile technology to communicate between the SOC and the person on the beach and the SOC operator can quickly gather important information, issue instructions or provide reassurance in an emergency situation.

A camera fitted to the ERB can be remotely monitored by the SOC to provide operators with situational awareness of the incident. Surf Life Saving can then respond using a wide range of Support Operations assets,

including jetskis, inflatable rescue boats, volunteer callout teams from surf clubs, lifeguards, or helicopter or drone services.

The upgrade in technology provided by the NSW Government’s enhanced rescue funding means the new units are solar-powered, can be permanently fixed in position and are easy to install in remote or difficult to access locations. Flashing lights on top of the beacon act as a visual indicator to lifesavers or members of the public that the unit has been activated.

“It is technology like this that I am proud we are rolling out, to ensure beach users across NSW are as safe as possible. This beacon will give Manly locals some extra peace of mind that help is available if they get into trouble,” Mr Shales continued.

Shelly Beach was identified as a hotspot location for the new beacon after lifesavers responded to 49 major emergency callouts since 2008 and three coastal deaths or drowning of swimmers, snorkelers and divers in the last six years. The latest tragedy occurred in August, when a local dive instructor was retrieved from the water and CPR efforts were unsuccessful.

“Unfortunately we can’t be everywhere at once, so these emergency beacons are about expanding our reach and making every effort to protect swimmers at more remote locations,” Mr Shales added.

‘Whipple’ Effect as Far North Coast Lifeguard Leads Way for Females

When Byron Bay Lifeguard, Amber Whipple pulls on the iconic red and yellow, there’s one word that comes to mind.

“Pride. I’m very proud to be a lifeguard, proud to be a part of it all,” she says, enthusiasm brimming from every syllable.

The 23-year-old Australian Lifeguard Service employee lets her actions speak louder than words, meaning that pride manifests itself on the sand every summer, grinning from ear to ear and ready to act should the situation require it.

In fact, Amber’s dedication to patrolling on the Far North Coast bore tangible rewards this year, when she was recognised for her years of service and excellent attitude with the coveted title of Lifeguard of the Year at the 2021 Surf Life Saving NSW Awards of Excellence.

While the title and accompanying award were appreciated, they aren’t the be all and end all. Not in Amber’s world, at least.

For her, there are much bigger factors at play as she prepares for her seventh season servicing the Byron Shire Council lifeguard contract.

“I’ve always been very independent and found myself in male dominant jobs, not on purpose or anything like that, it’s just how it has gone,” she muses.

“It sometimes feels like that at the beach, so being a lifeguard, beyond the enjoyment I get, it’s a job I’d like to stick with and prove what I’m capable of.”

“I feel like there has been a shift, whether it’s in my area or not, but I feel like there’s a lot more females interested than there has been.

Despite being a relative newcomer when compared to many of the long-serving lifeguards and volunteer lifesavers who patrol the coastline, Amber’s experience is without question.

“In a blunt way I felt like we were swimming upstream, and the support wasn’t always there to push further and go higher, so you feel like what’s the point?

From humble beginnings as a youngster in Victoria, participating in her local Nippers program, Amber has grown into a saltwater addict – she loves the beach, the people she meets, and the learning curve that comes with a dynamic working environment.

“There’s a lot more encouragement now, more interest from females and more pathways to success. I think

Unfortunately, Amber will have to sit it out this year – she tore her achilles tendon just days after she was announced the NSW Lifeguard of the Year in late August. The irony of it is, she hadn’t even had the chance to respond to her congratulatory messages before the condolences began rolling in.

She looks back on it with a laugh now, though, and as she works towards rehabilitation and looks forward to joining her fellow lifeguards on the beach in 2022.

I love what I do because I think, with the ocean and lifeguarding in particular, you never stop learning

In her own words, she’s ‘in her element’.

Not only that, but she patrols in a region leading the way for the development and participation of females. This summer, an even split of male and female lifeguards will patrol the Far North Coast Branch beaches.

“I didn’t even know that,” Amber says, jovially.

“It’s so exciting and fantastic it’s getting to that. It obviously depends on the person how long they stay but it’s great to see more equality in lifeguarding.

everything is shifting. It’s not about being the strongest or making the most rescues, it’s about encouraging people to step up and take charge, male or female.”

With easing restrictions across the state and international travel remaining limited, beaches up and down the NSW coastline are expecting big numbers over the summer.

On the Far North Coast, 25 new lifeguards will be on patrol this summer and the region’s highly proactive councils are working round the clock to ensure the safety of beachgoers.

“I love what I do because I think, with the ocean and lifeguarding in particular, you never stop learning,”

she says.

“You can if you want to, but there’s always room to grow.

“At times it feels like you’re on the edge of medicine, then there’s factors like why erosion happens, or why the ocean does certain things. It’s like a bit of a lesson every time I go to work.

“Sometimes you walk away, and your brain is so fried, and it might not have even been a busy day, but it’s because you’re constantly analysing situations.

“I wouldn’t change it though, for anything.”

Enjoy your Dine & Discover Vouchers at your local club.

Dine & Discover NSW has been extended to 30 June 2022.

“We see great synergy in our partnership with Surf Life Saving NSW,” Ingenia Holiday Parks’ General Manager – Tourism, Matthew Young said.

“With so many of our locations coastal, surf safety is paramount at Ingenia Holiday Parks. Kicking off our surf safety sessions in November has already shown how valuable and engaging the message is, especially for the children, and we are excited to continue to educate our guests on surf safety.”

Oakberry Açaí and Ingenia Holiday Parks will be supporting the NSW Championships in 2022.

PERFECT PARTNERS on Board for Summer Surf Life Saving NSW proudly announced that the organisation had welcomed two new members to the family in November, with Ingenia Holiday Parks and Oakberry Açaí coming on board as Official Partners.

Additionally, Oakberry Açaí took up the opportunity to become the Naming Rights Partner for the NSW Country Championships and a Major Sponsor of the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships for the next three years.

One of Australia’s leading brands of Açaí, Oakberry Açaí has bars in beach locations in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia. Oakberry Açaí’s product is uniquely layered with nutritious superfoods, including fruits, nuts, butters, granolas and cereals, and presented in the exclusive Oakberry cups, creating a brilliant, delicious and refreshing offering.

“Oakberry is very excited to be partnered with Surf Life Saving NSW, and to be a major sponsor of the Country and State Championships for the next three years,” CEO, Renan Pinto said.

“We have long admired SLSNSW, so are thrilled to be able to get involved

with such an inspiring and unique organisation, doing such great and irreplaceable work in the community.

“Oakberry embraces an outdoors and active lifestyle, which underscores our love for the ocean and respect for surf lifesaving.”

Ingenia Holiday Parks also came on board, who offer a variety of caravan, camping and cabin accommodation throughout coastal and inland NSW, Victoria and Queensland – ideal for a short break, stop over or holiday.

Their parks are places to relax and have fun in a welcoming environment, where children and families are catered for in a safe and social community.

The partnership with Ingenia Holiday Parks includes Surf Safety sessions for guests and First Aid training opportunities for their staff.

Ingenia is also committed to the future of surf life saving in NSW and will be the Naming Rights Partner for the Junior Lifesaver of the Year program, supporting the development of our lifesavers of tomorrow, to ensure the safety of the community well into the future.

You will also see Ingenia at the State Championships as a Supporting Sponsor.

“Young families love our parks so partnering with SLSNSW for the State Championships and Junior Lifesaver of the Year awards keeps us connected to our guests in a shared love of an outdoor active lifestyle,” Matthew continued.

“We fully support the development of junior lifesavers and will be cheering them on throughout 2022 and beyond.”

“These partnerships make a lot of sense for us and we see great brand alignment with them,” added Surf Life Saving NSW CEO, Steve Pearce.

“Oakberry Açaí’s association with our major surf sports events is a perfect match for that healthy, active lifestyle that we promote within the membership.

“The commitment that Ingenia is making to the safety of their holiday park guests is commendable and it’s what we want for every holiday-maker – to have a great holiday but to get home safely – so it’s great that we can team up together to do that.

We are delighted to have both partners onboard and look forward to working together to support our members and the broader community.

Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott (middle) at Nobbys SLSC.

RADIO NETWORK UPGRADE Improves Beach Safety Surf lifesavers will have state-of-theart communications systems able to respond sooner in an emergency when an upgrade to the radio network servicing the Hunter and Lower North Coast regions of NSW is complete.

importance of having a robust, resilient and far-reaching radio network to meet the needs of Surf Life Saving now and ensure critical agency interoperability into the future.”

The project includes relocating or rebuilding 10 radio repeaters in the region and decommissioning old analogue equipment around Forster and Crowdy Head. Far greater and more reliable coverage will be achieved in key drowning blackspots including Boomerang Beach, Seal Rocks, Catherine Hill Bay and Snapper Point.

The coastal radio network in NSW The NSW Government has provided is not only relied on by the state’s funding of $800,000 to migrate the volunteer lifesavers, it also provides radio technology from 50-year-old critical support for many Council technology to digital in this important lifeguard services and marine users. coastal region and With an increasingly bigger workload for the project is the first in a partnership with lifesavers to respond outside of the red and Resilience NSW and Telco yellow flags, this radio network will be crucial to Authority (NSWTA).

When the project is complete in early 2022, Surf Life Saving will have the benefit of a seamless integration of all communications ensuring the safety of our volunteers The region covered systems, technology stretches for over 270 The current radio fleet includes more and equipment across the state, kms of coastline from Camden Haven than 2,400 mobile and portable units all visible and controlled from the in the north to Catherine Hill Bay in the throughout the state.

State Operations Centre in SLSNSW south and includes 19 Surf Life Saving headquarters in Sydney.

Clubs across five local government “A key objective of this upgrade is to areas which are reliant on good boost volunteer safety and a robust, “This upgrade and the integration communications coverage. reliable digital radio network will across our radio network will mean provide immediate support and less downtime and disruption to “Some of the busiest beaches in response to our lifesavers patrolling communications between our the state are in this popular stretch this stretch of coastline,” George patrolling lifesavers on the beach and of coastline. Last year there was continued. our State Operations Centre,” said over 770,000 visitors to the region’s George. patrolled beaches, volunteers spent “With an increasingly bigger workload 51,000 hours on patrol and successfully for lifesavers to respond outside of “And in emergency situations our responded to 81 major emergency the red and yellow flags, this radio people will be able to connect with incidents and callouts,” said Surf Life network will be crucial to ensuring other key agencies. When it comes Saving NSW President, George Shales. the safety of our volunteers and to saving lives every second counts an integrated response from our and clear, reliable communications “We are pleased to be able to support emergency services to incidents along between our volunteers and other this upgrade and understand the the coast.” emergency services is vital.”

GOLDEN RACE

Yields Valuable Donation

Surf Life Saving NSW was lucky enough to be chosen as a charity partner for one of the runners in the Golden Eagle race, Maximal, at Rosehill in October.

Australia’s third richest race brings together the best four-year-olds in the country and is a signature event on the racing calendar.

Trained by John O’Shea and ridden on the day by Ms Alysha Collett, SLSNSW was one of 16 charities chosen to share in a portion of the prize money of each horse that raced.

Maximal achieved a very commendable sixth place on the day which meant SLSNSW took home $10,000 which will go towards the purchase of vital equipment to assist our dedicated volunteer lifesavers on the beach this summer.

Team building and corporate volunteering rolled into one!

As we begin to re-claim our work environments and crawl out of our home offices, reconnecting with our team will be an important part of our new beginnings, as we all look towards a brighter 2022.

As a charity, Surf Life Saving NSW has partnered with Team Building with Purpose to create a program that not only delivers on the outcomes you seek from a team building program but it also makes a positive contribution to the community.

“The session was engaging and insightful – it allowed us to work together and collaborate” “The discussions continued through lunch so hopefully we can put some of them into life at DHL” DHL employees

The ‘Community Lifesavers Challenge’ is versatile as it can be delivered either online or face to face. Participants will be challenged to selfreflect, explore the different roles within a team and their importance, as well as look at new ideas and how they can use those to improve the world around them. At the same time as they are building team morale and cohesion, they will also learn how they can take personal action to save lives through their own decision making and behaviours.

Is your team up for the challenge? Costs will be quoted on confirmation of numbers. Click here to find out more or contact Team Building with Purpose on 02 9158 9600 or via email at info@teambuildingwithpurpose.com.au

SLSNSW Board Members Re-Elected Surf Life Saving NSW passed on it’s congratulations last month to two Directors who were re-elected to the Board on Saturday, 13 November for a two-year term.

John Restuccia OAM and Kerry Clancy have taken on the roles of Deputy President and Director (unspecified), respectively.

John is arguably one of the most dedicated surf lifesavers in NSW, bringing nearly four decades of lifesaving, surf sports and member services experience to the organisation. John was previously the NSW Director of Lifesaving between 2005 and 2017 and held the Deputy President position for a term.

Kerry, too, is familiar to the role she has been elected to take on, having been the first woman to be elected to both the North Coast Branch as President and then to the Board of Surf Life Saving NSW in her previous role as Deputy President (2011-2017).

She has also previously been the Director of Member Services.

The SLSNSW State Council, comprising the Presidents from the 11 NSW branches, voted on behalf of their clubs and members through an online process.

The primary role of the volunteer Board is to drive the organisation forward to achieve the objectives

outlined in the strategic plan by working with clubs and branches, with support from the staff of Surf Life Saving NSW. Indeed, the first actions of the newly elected Board members will be to assist in the delivery of the new Strategic Plan, Lifesaving Reimagined.

This plan, which was officially launched at the Annual General Meeting on November 26, will help guide the organisation for the next three years and has been developed with comprehensive membership engagement, collaboration, and direction.

fuel yourself with goodness

Oakberry Açaí is Australia’s leading brand of açaí, with Oakberry shops up and down the coast in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia. Açaí is the berry of the açaí palm which grows extensively throughout the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. Turned into a velvety frozen soft-serve, the açaí berry produces a rich superfood packed with vitamins and antioxidants. The Oakberry açaí is uniquely layered with other nutritious superfoods, including fruits, nuts, butters, granolas and cereals, and presented in the exclusive Oakberry cups, creating a brilliant, delicious and refreshing. The relaxed beach community vibe and love of the ocean that hallmarks Oakberry provides a perfect partnership with surf lifesaving. Oakberry is proud to be a major sponsor of the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships and to hold the naming rights of the NSW Country Championships.

Training Course Goes Digital A transition into the digital space has brought tangible rewards for Surf Life Saving NSW’s (SLSNSW) Training Officer Certificate Course, with more participants than ever working all the way through to completion.

It was always the plan to transition to the broad platform of online, which is capable of reaching more people and increasing the consistency of course delivery across the state. In fact, the new online version of the course engages so much more thoroughly with those taking part that up to three times as many people are now completing the course – promoting a completion rate of 85%.

Reimagined through a platform called Canvas, the Training Officer Certificate Course has thrown out the book in a metaphorical and literal sense, doing away with the traditional means of encouraging participants to read from a textbook and come together to discuss it.

Now, regular touch points combined with proactive course material guided by dedicated instructors is proving hugely successful and addressing the need for more Trainers across NSW. Ocean Beach SLSC’s Liam Drake – the current Youth Surf Lifesaver of the Year and a recent course participant – was glowing in his praise for its revamped delivery.

“I have studied online many times before; however, the Canvas platform was way easier and much more intuitive than others I have used making it a much more enjoyable learning experience,” he said.

“The Virtual Classroom and Induction sessions were great, we got to meet our dedicated Facilitator and those in our Branch and team, I felt supported whenever I had any questions and the information we as students requested was always provided.

“Being able to study at any time worked out really well for me balancing an already time consuming (work) load. This enabled me to complete the course at times that best suited.”

Indeed, the flexibility the course now offers is of great benefit in the fast-paced lives of our membership, allowing participants to complete assigned tasks in their own time.

Run on a quarterly basis, following the most recent course which ended in late November, 118 members have obtained the Training Officer Certificate through this process.

Another of those members is Rebecca Austin of Pacific Palms SLSC, who commended SLSNSW on the experience created through the course.

“I really enjoyed the flexibility of being able to fit the study in with busy work family balance,” she said.

“I have actually studied online before, but it wasn’t a great experience, coming into this course I was a bit hesitant, but the Facilitators were very supportive and Canvas was so easy to use and navigate.

“It made it a really positive learning experience and I finished the course with a new qualification I wouldn’t have received otherwise.

“Jo and the team were great, any questions I had were answered promptly and all of the information we needed as students was readily available, if given the option again I would definitely choose to study and learn via this system.”

The first Training Officer Certificate Course of the new year is scheduled to commence on 21 February.

Surf season kicks off at

BATE BAY GOLD Newport SLSC ironperson competitors Jackson Borg and Lizzie Welborn showed they lost none of their form in lockdown when they took out the 2021 Bate Bay Gold endurance event at Wanda on November 20.

NSW’s answer to the iconic Coolangatta Gold, the second year of the event saw around 200 competitors take to the water and sand, racing almost 20kms in ski, swim, board and run legs.

With NSW competitors unable to get to Queensland to contest the Coolangatta Gold the weekend before, race winner Lizzie Welborn agreed the Bate Bay event was the next best thing.

“That was a really hard race and I knew it would be tricky with Jemma [Smith] leading it off in the ski,” said Lizzie, who also won the elite female event in 2020.

“I’m just grateful to be back racing after winter and a long, hard lockdown. We’re all so passionate about the sport so it was cool to realise that nothing would stop us, not even lockdown. We made sure we jumped in the ocean pools, or trained by ourselves at the beach. We did a lot of work over winter that was endurance stuff so that set us up for this event.”

Winner of the elite Male division, Jackson Borg agreed that keeping motivated during lockdown was made easier by staying connected and encouraging each other to train where they could.

“It’s good to get some racing done, we’ve got a good squad at Newport and it’s great to be back racing.

“During lockdown we all banded together, although we couldn’t train together as a group, we were still all talking to each other and training in pairs.”

Wanda’s Director of Surf Sport and carnival director for the Bate Bay Gold, Greg Pierce, was pleased that the race could be run safely and thanked his volunteers for supporting this year’s event.

“We host a lot of carnivals and we have a beach area here that’s conducive to having this sort of event. You can basically watch the race the whole way along the course,” said Greg Pierce.

“We shortened the course slightly this year which meant that we could keep the competitors in view the whole time.”

Many clubs fielded teams to contest the event, making the most of specialist competitors in various disciplines to get the advantage, while a shorter course for the U15 and U17 categories consisted of swim, board and run legs.

While the Newport contingent was dominant in the elite categories, local clubs led the teams events, with wins to Wanda in the Open Male, Open Female, U19 Female and U17 Male and Female teams and Elouera in the Mixed teams event.

In the junior categories, North Curl Curl took out both the U15 Male and Female teams and Olivia Clues won the U15 individual female race.

A south coast contingent of competitors from Warilla-Barrack Point SLSC had a worthwhile trip, with Jayden Beaumont winning the U15 Male and Claire Spiknall second in the U15 Female race.

In the Masters category, Sarah Davis from North Bondi SLSC was the first female across the line, along with Hayden Smith from Terrigal SLSC. Top five winners in each of the elite categories shared in a prize pool of almost $20,000.

that they know what to do to keep themselves save,” a St Joseph's Primary Merriwa teacher said.

Due to ongoing restrictions and COVID-19 uncertainty, Beach to Bush was this year reimagined to be delivered virtually, basing the program out of six coastal hubs up and down the NSW coastline.

Broulee Surfers SLSC, Swansea Belmont SLSC, Shelly Beach SLSC, Cudgen Headland SLSC, Dee Why SLSC and the SLSNSW HQ in Belrose allowed presenters to give more than 100 presentations over the course of the week.

Beach to Bush spokesperson Jenni Clarke said that, after another successful year, plans were already in place to expand the reach to more schools and more students, providing crucial aquatic safety education to those who need it most.

“It’s our vision that every student in NSW has access to beach and coastal safety information, regardless of the size of their school,” Jenni said.

Beach to Bush Program Proves Successful Again November 29 to December 3 was a huge week for Surf Life Saving NSW’s Community Education team, educating over 18,000 students across NSW in coastal and inland waterway safety.

The week, dubbed The Big Beach Week, a whole week of activities, lessons and livestreams, included the flagship educational program, Beach to Bush, which, despite the challenges of COVID-19 restrictions, proved a great success once again, bringing beach safety awareness to rural and remote school students in NSW. Nearly 9,000 students from over 80 schools took advantage of the program in 2021, which focuses on the role of surf lifesavers, why you should always swim between the flags, how to spot a rip current, what to do if you get into trouble at the

beach, the different types of marine life that can be found along the coast and inland waterways.

The 28th year of the program saw NSW’s dedicated volunteer lifesavers reach as far inland as Finley Public School, which is around 700km from the nearest beach.

There was also no school too big or too small – the 415 students of Goulburn West School finished the week with just as much excitement to visit the beach and understanding of safe practice as the six students from Sofala Public School, north of Bathurst.

“As a rural small school, this program is so important for students to be aware of water safety, not only going into the school holidays but for all times being aware around water so

“Children who grow up inland are often at higher risk than those who grow up on the coast because they are less familiar and unaware of potential surf dangers. That’s what Beach to Bush aims to support.

“This year we ran the week to coincide with National Water Safety Day, which is on 1 December, and we encouraged the students to wear red and yellow on that day.

“So many students got behind it and it was wonderful seeing so much colour on our virtual sessions.”

The NSW Government (through the Deputy Premier’s Discretionary Fund) and Your local club were once again the financial supporters of the Beach to Bush program.

ClubsNSW CEO Josh Landis said that the club industry places great value on aquatic safety.

“Your local club is a proud sponsor of Surf Life Saving NSW and the Beach to Bush program. It is incredibly important to educate those in remote and regional communities about water safety and we look forward to continuing our long and successful partnership,” he said.

State’s Biggest Surf Sports Event Hits Northern Beaches Over 21,000 competitors, spectators and volunteer officials will descend on Sydney’s Northern beaches when the 2022 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, proudly supported

by Your local club, returns to metropolitan Sydney after five years based at Lake Macquarie.

Taking place from 24 February through to 13 March, the biggest event on the NSW surf sports calendar will see members from clubs across the state compete over an extended 12 days of fierce competition.

Queenscliff, North Steyne and Freshwater SLSCs will play host to what promises to be the biggest and best surf competition in years, starting with

Junior Championships and moving through Lifesaving, Masters and Open Championships before closing with the always spectacular surf boat competition.

Northern Beaches Council has thrown its support behind this major event and looks forward to welcoming competitors and families from all over NSW to the vibrant and iconic Manly area.

During the official announcement at Queenscliff SLSC in November, Northern Beaches Council Mayor Michael Regan said the event could not come at a better time for the local community.

“We are so proud to host the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, showcasing Surf Life Saving at its very best,” Mayor Regan said. “This major event will drive our local economy and support local businesses as they

recover from the Covid-19 pandemic – especially our hospitality and accommodation providers.

“We expect thousands to attend competitive events across three big weekends and three spectacular locations – Freshwater, Queenscliff and North Steyne. We are so pleased that it will be an accessible and inclusive event so all people in the community can get involved.

“Supporting events like this is all part of our broader plan to grow our visitor economy, while protecting our environment and serving the best interests of our community.”

The NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, proudly supported

by Your local club, is the marquee event for Surf Life Saving NSW and is expected to bring an economic benefit well in excess of $10 million to the host region through accommodation, hospitality and associated local and visitor spend.

“We’re very excited to be bringing this event back to Sydney,” Surf Life Saving NSW President, George Shales said.

“We are looking forward to working with the local community over the duration of the Championships to add to the vibrancy of this historic stretch of beach. With three great beaches preparing to host thousands of people over the three-week period, we’re certain that 2022 will produce the best event we’ve ever had.”

The Championships will showcase the athletic abilities and core Surf Life Saving rescue skills of members from Under 9s through to Masters.

NSW leads the other states in surf sports and the Championships will be packed full of talent across all age categories and race disciplines.

Headlining the Open Championships will be names familiar to the sporting public such as champion Ironperson competitors Kendrick Louis (Manly LSC) and Jemma Smith (Newport SLSC) who both feature prominently

on the national professional Ironperson circuit. They will be joined by specialists across all disciplines including former and aspiring Olympians for whom Surf Life Saving is still their greatest passion.

“Your local club is excited to sponsor the 2022 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate volunteer surf lifesavers and the fantastic work that they do.”

In keeping with Surf Life Saving NSW’s commitment to inclusion and the previous success of such events in recent years, a series of Junior, Youth and Senior inclusion events in swim, board, wade, sprint and flags will be held for competitors aged seven and above who have a physical, intellectual, or sensory disability.

The NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, proudly supported

by Your local club, is expected to bring together more than 6500 competitors, all volunteer surf lifesavers, from over 100 clubs in NSW.

The NSW Championships is proudly supported by Your local club, the naming rights partner for the eighth consecutive year.

“The club industry has supported Surf Life Saving for over 100 years and is proud to continue that strong relationship,” said Josh Landis, ClubsNSW CEO.

With State titles on the line, competitors aged 8 to 70-plus will fiercely contest the full range of events, from swim, ski, board and ironperson racing, through to beach sprints, flags, relays and surfboats. Other events include the Champion Lifesaver, first aid and rescue/resuscitation competition and of course the colourful and spectacular club March Past.

Tip of the Cap to

Newest SLSA Life Members fierce loyalty to both Surf Life Saving and the community therein.

For Michael, Life Member Cap 305, it’s a loyalty forged through more than 50 continuous years of service where he has made a prominent, notable, and outstanding commitment through various roles at Club, Branch, State and National levels.

John Mills OAM

Michael Bate

More than a century of wisdom, experience and dedication has been recognised by Surf Life Saving Australia, with two of Freshwater SLSC’s finest awarded Life Membership by the national organisation.

Both Michael Bate and John Mills OAM have taken their love of the ocean to other clubs over time – Michael began his surf lifesaving journey at Fairy Meadow SLSC in the Illawarra and John is a member of Coffs Harbour SLSC – but they share a connection to the Northern beaches club and a

Cherry picked from a long list of achievements, and using his business and financial background, of note among Michael’s highlights is securing a Branch headquarters for the Sydney Northern Beaches. As a result, Sydney Northern Beaches is the first Branch in Australia to direct SLSA funds back to Clubs.

As a member of the NSW Executive Board, he was integrally involved in the purchase of the new SLSNSW Headquarters and played a significant role in the successful establishment of a long-term future fund to help protect SLSNSW from financial stress.

Michael is also a distinguished Referee who is respected by organisers, officials, and competitors. He has led teams in the international competition arena and was highly regarded by team members, international officials as well as opposing teams.

“Most important for me, however, is the friendships,” Michael said.

“You never go striving for accolades, and while I am humbled by the award (SLSA Life Membership) and the various achievements I have been a part of, it’s the lifetime friends that I started with and still catch up with that make it worthwhile.

“Surf has been very good to me, my wife and my five kids. We went through it together, and we’ve all become better people.

“The longer you’re involved, the more it means.”

If that is indeed the truth, then a man who embodies the very meaning of Surf Life Saving is fellow SLSA Life Member, John Mills OAM. John, Life Member Cap 308, is one of Australia’s longest serving and most successful surf sports coaches.

At 93 years young, he has had an unbroken level of commitment to the movement, actively competing at the highest level for 20 years before excelling as a coach at the highest levels for some 60 years, all on a voluntary basis.

Countless competitors have benefited from his extensive knowledge, versatility, enthusiasm and experience over multiple disciplines. An innovator across disciplines as diverse as R&R, Craft and the art of surf swimming, John has proven himself an elite sporting brain.

John has made an eminent, highly respected contribution to the development of surf lifesavers at all levels over half a century – one that is both significant and influential.

SLSA Life Membership is given to members who go above and beyond in their duties and responsibilities in Surf Life Saving, and who have shown distinguished voluntary service to the movement over a sustained period of at least 20 years.

Volunteer Support for

Hunter Flood Emergency Surf Life Saving NSW is sincerely grateful for volunteer surf lifesavers who stepped up to assist with flood rescue and relief efforts in the Hunter region at the end of November.

For the weekend of 27-28 November and into Monday, volunteers from a number of Surf Life Saving Clubs in the Hunter Branch assisted NSW SES as flood waters continued to rise.

Duty Officers from the Hunter SLS Branch were embedded in the Incident Control Centres as Liaison Officers to help resource and direct Surf Life Saving assets including drones (UAVs) and Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRBs).

Two UAV teams from the Australian UAV Service conducted aerial surveillance, providing vital information to the SES to assist in their response to the rapidly rising flood waters in Singleton. For the first time, the drone vision was ‘livestreamed’ directly back to the big screens in the SLSNSW State Operations Centre.

Two IRB crews from Nobbys SLSC in Newcastle were assisting in the Singleton area, along with a crew from Stockton SLSC who were on standby in the Maitland/Raymond Terrace area. Cooks Hills SLSC also deployed a team of volunteers to Maitland and Redhead SLSC had an IRB crew conducting ferry transfers in Maitland and Lambs Creek.

SLSNSW CEO Steve Pearce was glowing in his praise for those volunteers who responded with speed and self-assurance in particularly tricky conditions.

“I can’t thank our volunteers enough for answering the call to assist, bringing their skills and experience to an extremely challenging situation,” he said.

The capability and agility of the UAVs, too, proved to be a major asset for incident commanders, providing critical, real-time information and situational awareness.

“We can deploy our UAV operators quickly and with minimal equipment and setup, they can be feeding back a very clear picture of the situation in no time,” said SLSNSW CEO Steve Pearce.

“For the first time in an emergency incident, we have been able to link the camera feed directly back to our State Operations Centre in Sydney, where our Duty Officers can see exactly what the drone pilot is seeing, which is incredible.”

“We knew from experience that we have an incredibly generous membership who are willing to step up when disaster strikes, and once again we have been overwhelmed by the reaction of our volunteer lifesavers.”

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Our Mission To save lives, create great Australians and build better communities.

Surf Life Saving NSW wishes to thank the following partners and supporters for helping our volunteers save lives on the beaches each year.

Summary Surf Life Saving NSW is the state’s major water safety and rescue organisation, and with over 75,000 members, is one of the largest volunteer movements in Australia.

The primary role of Surf Life Saving NSW is to save lives on our beaches, while other activities include developing our members through education, leadership and surf sports programs.

There are 129 surf clubs and 11 branches in the state which are affiliated with Surf Life Saving NSW, stretching from Fingal Rovers SLSC near Tweed Heads, to Pambula SLSC on the Far South Coast.

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Contact Us For contributions or suggestions for SurfLIFE please contact SLSNSW Media on 02 9471 8000 or media@surflifesaving.com.au

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SLSNSW endeavours to ensure all information contained in SurfLIFE is correct and true, however accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies or mistakes contained in the publication.

Surf Life Saving New South Wales T +61 2 9471 8000 | E info@surflifesaving.com.au 3 Narabang Way Belrose NSW 2085 | PO Box 307 Belrose NSW 2085 Australia Fundraising Authority No. CFN11033 ABN: 93 827 748 379