The Bondi Surfer No. 133

18 August 2022

Photography by Tim Read

Intro & Welcome

Thanks so much to the team who worked from sunrise to the late afternoon on Sunday to sell sausages and bacon and eggs to the City2Surf crowd.  Special thanks to Dori and Nick for coordinating, Leo for fixing the comms, and to Thomas and Brett for arranging the club hires for the day.  City2Surf day is responsible for up to 10 percent of the Club's annual revenue overall so it was great to see the event back in action, the BBQ sizzling, the Club full and so many volunteers coming down to help from all sections of the Club.

City2Surf is also the annual reminder that the patrol season is almost upon us - only 37 days to go.  Don’t forget to do your membership renewal so you have insurance coverage.  Well done to the Lifesaving team for getting the patrol rosters out. We welcome the new Quartly Patrol to the roster - this 15th patrol will give everyone a few less mandatory hours and a bit more space in the calendar.  

Wonderful to see our IRB Driver training starting again this winter. Thanks to Alex and the whole IRB section for getting this underway and also to Ronny Krite for taking on the coordination of training - there will be a crew course soon so please get your expressions of interest in.  We also have three drivers currently completing their RWC (Jetski) course this winter - great dedication over the cold water days!

We need more people for our first Bronze course starting on Saturday 3 September. If you know anyone that would be a great addition to our team, please share this sign up link.

Also, you would have seen updates from Denise Meuldijk regarding the Higher Award courses. There will be numerous ART courses and other higher awards to build your skills for the coming season, so please discuss with your Patrol Captains and watch for these.  

There will be lots of activity over the next month with Pre-season briefings and Gear Inspection. Please help out where you can so we are ready to ensure “no lives lost” this summer on Bondi Beach.

SYOTB,

Brent Jackson
President

Events & Reminders

Key Dates

• Gear Inspection Preparation Day - 20 August 9am - Volunteers needed
• Board Training with Robert Chapman - 20 August 
• NSW Boardriding Championships entries close - 26 August (see below for link)
• Board Training with Robert Chapman - 27 August
• First Aid Course - 28 August
• NSW Boardriding Championships - 3-4 September
• BM1 (Icebreakers) Induction - 3 September
• Board Training with Robert Chapman - 3 September
• Board Training with Robert Chapman - 10 September
• 2022/23 Patrols Start - 24 September

Find more information via the TeamUp calendar or on the Club Facebook page.

Clubbie of the Month

Clubbie of the month is not usually awarded during the off-season, for obvious reasons! However, SO many people are putting in the hard work now, which will pay off for us all later. Life Member, and until the most recent AGM, Deputy Director of Administration is Leo Hyde. Leo has quietly worked countless hours over the last month fixing the Club telephone systems and internet access after the Pavilion works tore through the Club comms line, twice!!

He also arranged the comms for the City2Surf organisers that allowed us to get a large hire fee, which starts the new lifesaving season off with a great financial advantage, as well as getting the Bondi Teams and tents out and our Community-name-known.

Thanks to Leo, we now have for the first time(!) an NBN connection that is running at a reasonable speed, throughout the building, so the office are very thankful. Thank you Leo for all of your efforts over this month, as well as over the past few years as Deputy Director, and as a Life Member!

Also, a huge shout out to those who stepped up to set-up, cook, and serve the MANY sausages for this year's City2Surf - another amazing fundraiser for the Club to start us off strongly! 

Lifesaving

Pre-Season Information

With just over five weeks until the first patrol of the season starts on Saturday 24 September, the Lifesaving team has been busy getting everything ready. The next couple of weeks will be quite busy as we prepare all of the equipment to be inspected.  If you have some time this weekend, we could use a few extra hands to get equipment out and checked.  Please meet in front of the Club at 9am on Saturday 20 August.  

The contributions of all our volunteers are highly valued and we understand that not every member can commit to their rostered patrol. The Club has different sub-categories of active membership which provide flexibility for patrolling members who, for various reasons are unable to attend rostered patrols.  If you need to change category, please complete this form - Patrol category change.

We have brand new patrol starting this season; the PC is Jesse Lockhart-Krause. With the addition of this new patrol, the number patrols and total hours each member does for the season reduces. There is a great opportunity for being part of starting a new patrol and creating a unique culture,  If you are interested in joining this patrol, please reach out to Jesse.  

2022/23 Patrol Roster

The new season patrol roster has been finalised. You can find it online via this link - Patrol Roster 2022-23. 

If you have any questions about your patrol, please speak to your PC, or reach out to Nixy Krite (Captain of Lifesaving).

IRB Working Group

We have an exciting new opportunity for members interested in learning a new skill. The Bondi IRB Working group is being formed and we would love to see you come and learn and help keep Bondi IRB gear rescue-ready and maintained throughout the season.

You will learn to troubleshoot, workings of motors, servicing, boat repairs and general maintenance of the IRB gear and shed. You do not have to hold an IRB or Lifesaving award to participate in this working group; it is open to all members over 16 years old.

The group will meet every second Thursday starting 1 September at 7.30pm at the IRB Shed. Light dinner, some laughs, new friends, hands on learning and helping our IRB section.  It will be led by Damien Woods. Damien has more than 20 years' experience in the lifesaving power craft space.

The group will also be preparing for the IRB Racing season ahead and, if interested, you will have the opportunity to travel alongside the IRB Racing team helping to maintain the gear required when on tour.

To express you interest in joining the Bondi IRB Working Group 2022/23, click here.

Patrol 15 - "The Quartly Patrol" 

Peter Quartly is lifesaving on Bondi Beach.  Peter ‘Doc’ Quartly joined Bondi Surf Club in 1964 and holds the record as the longest active patrolling member in Bondi history having completed 58 years of patrolling to date.  In the last season alone, Peter completed 100 hours patrolling - only matched by three other lifesavers.  

Peter has served in the role of Patrol Captain/Vice Captain for 42 seasons, been Club Secretary 11 years and Race Secretary even longer, and he’s also been Treasurer/Assistant Treasurer, Chief Instructor, Vice Captain Lifesaving, Resuscitation Officer, and held numerous committee positions including Judiciary, Gear Steward and Archives Officer and also served as SLSS Branch Delegate for numerous seasons.   He has served in countless Branch roles and is a Life Member of Sydney Branch.

He was awarded Open Patrolman in 1984 and has held the title of Lifesaver of the Year seven  times between 1981 and 2007.  He has been the winner of the Cox Memorial four times, and has won the Mic Shearman in 26 seasons. Peter received Life Membership of the Club in 1982.

For the coming year, we continue our steady march towards having 18 patrols - so the Board is delighted to announce that this season we are forming our 15th patrol, the Quartly Patrol, to be Captained by Jesse Lockhart-Krause who is also Peter's Assistant Race Secretary.

Education

Bronze Courses

Time to get into gear and tell EVERYONE you know that there's no better time for them to do their BRONZE MEDALLION at BONDI! 

Sign-ups are now open - get your friends to sign up this link, If you know anyone that would be a great addition to our team, please share the link with them!

If you're keen to help train one of the courses, fill out the EOI form here. Our Bronze Coordinators for this season are Tom Hough and Lina Lygdbäck. And be sure to share the poster!

Higher Awards

Denise Meuldijk is the Higher Awards Coordinator for the 2022/23 Season and has already gotten off to an incredible start! The first ARTC courses of the season (facilitated by Marissa Saunders) are fully booked and more are on the way!  

We've got a First Aid course taking place on Sunday 28 August at the Club and you can sign up for that one here! Lastly, if you're keen to do your Silver Medallion Aquatic Rescue course, we're now taking EOIs for the next intake - complete the form here to register your interest.

Skills Maintenance

This year, Skills Maintenance will be managed by Jonathan Potts! Dates for open proficiencies will be released shortly, but this year we will still aim to run as many of these on patrol as possible, establishing a new Patrol Trainer position on each patrol group. These people will be responsible for Skills Maintenance, upskilling and refreshing the members. Proficiencies for TAFs, IRB, and Surf Sports will be announced to those groups separately.

IRB Training

There's an upcoming IRB Crew Course due to commence near the end of October and will be run by the new IRB Training Manager, Ronny Krite. If you are interested in obtaining your IRB Crew award, please fill out this Expression of Interest form here. If you have any questions about the course, please send Ronny an email.

Keen to see you all on the beach very soon!

Cheers
Mason

Surfsports & Training

Calling All Surfers

The NSW Boardriding Championships are back!

September 3-4, 2022 at Merewether SLSC
Events include: Youth (U13-U17), Open, 30-49, and 50+ Malibu Long Board; U14/U15, U17/U19, Open, 30-49, and 50+ Short Board
Entries close Friday 26 August. Enter here.

Board Training

Competition Board training is on every Saturday from 9am with Robert Chapman (Chapo).

Community

Clubbies with Bubs

Sarah Forde has issued this call-out to all new Mums and Dads with salt water in their veins.

Are you someone who loves salt water therapy? Someone who walks along the promenade, pushing a pram, looking longingly at the ocean, wishing to get your fix of salt water? Alas, salt water therapy and bubs don’t quite mix well. So instead you reminisce of those carefree days when you could just jump in for a dip.

This is me! And I have a feeling there may be a few more of you out there! If this resonates with you, and you fancy joining Emma Savage and I to create a community of like-minded Clubbies with Bubs who want to do some tap in/ tap out ocean dips and watching over bubs on the sand or promenade, then let me know.

We want to set up a group chat (Facebook or WhatsApp), for Clubbies to message when they fancy a dip. The idea is that a few of us could stay with the bubs while the others go for a dip, and then take it in turns. With spring and summer around the corner, sunny days and salt water therapy is only going to become more appealing!

What a fabulous idea - we can already picture you on the beach. Bub Squad with official swimwear a la Love Squad!!

Private message Sarah Forde via Facebook if you want to be included in the chat. 

Catching Up

Pool Rescue Gold

What a wonderful weekend we had at the Australian Pool Rescue Championships at Southport, Queensland.

We did it!! Bondi are Australian Pool Rescue Masters Champions 2022.

The team:

• James Koch (NSW team) - 1 x gold, 2 x silver
  
• Ethan Garland (NSW Team Captain
• Michael Pollard - 2 x silver
• Max Gonzalez (NSW Team Manager) - 1 x silver, 2 x bronze
• Cormac Guthrie (SA Team draft)
• Cyril Baldock
• Rick Van Kampen - 3 x gold, 1 x silver
• Nick Nezval
• Dori Miller (NSW Team) - 4 x gold, AR x 3
• Julianne Desjardins - 3 x gold, 1 x silver
• Jo Delmondes - 4 x gold
• Louise Santos - 3 x silver, 1 x bronze
• Laura Thurtell - 3 x gold, 1 x bronze, AR x 3
• Christie Krenkels - 1 x gold, 2 x silver, 2 x bronze
• Alison Pegg - 1 x silver
• Di Wallace-Ward - 2 x gold, 2 x silver
• Masters point score winners

We had the BEST time and thank family and friends for helping out with timekeeping and support all weekend. Thank you Max for the coaching and Cyril for transporting gear to Southport.

A big thank you to Nick for his team selection mastery (as always).

We are awaiting the announcement of the Australian Team for the world championships in Italy in September and wish James good luck for selection.

Good luck to our small club team of 6 heading to Italy in September 2022 - Denise Meuldijk, Di Wallace-Ward, Alison Pegg, Jo Delmondes, Laura Thurtell and Max Gonzalez. 

Pool rescue is a winter surf life saving event. We welcome new members to the team and hope to build to the World Life Saving Championship on the Gold Coast in 2024. There’s an event for everyone- line throw, manakin towing, obstacle course, manikin carrying and lots of relays.

But beware - it’s addictive!!

Jimmy Dons the Green and Gold

Club member James Koch has just been announced as a member of the Australian Surf Lifesaving Team to represent Australia at the upcoming World Championships in Italy.

James’s swim results at the Australian Surf and recent Pool Rescue Championships where he won Open golds for both Bondi and New South Wales has made him the ideal candidate to receive the highest honour in the surf sports arena.

James now becomes the sixth Bondi member to receive the famous green and gold quartered cap breaking a 50-year drought:

• #2 Asher Hart 1937
• #9 Herman Doerner 1939
• #40 Brian Hutchings 1954 x 2 - 1956
• #47 Barry Smith 1956
• #89 Leigh Emery 1970-1972

Congratulations James !

Bondi Poet

Photography and story  by Tim Read

It may come as a surprise to competitors of the Club’s Sunday handicap surf race to know that one of its most regular and best swimmers, Brook Emery, is an award winning poet, the author of six books of poetry and the winner of many poetry awards. He is also the brother of Leigh Emery, Bondi's most recent Australian Lifesaving Team Member before James Koch.

He is seen here on Sunday 30 July 2022 at the launch of his most recent book, Sea Scale, in the company his poetry-loving friends.

Brook was a part of the Club’s golden run of R & R championship teams during the 60s and 70s.  Fellow club members present, also R&R champions at different times, include Ted Baldock, Martin Greenberg, Bob Leitch, Graham Sellers and Cyril Baldock, Club Patron without whom no cultural event would be complete. Mick Hayes, member and former boat rower and Chris Robinson, a former cadet member and well known Tamarama identity make up the group.

This latest book contains a terrific poem entitled Thirty-six Views of Bondi Beach, too long to quote in full but here is a brief extract:

In the hollow of a wave
     the wink of an eye, the slingshot moment.

A surfboat slews, stalls, digs in by the bow,
    catapults the sweep and oarsmen through the air

Westfiled Local Hero

Rozanne Green is a finalist in the 2022 Westfield Bondi Junction Local Hero, as a volunteer for Bondi Surf Club Silver Salties - SLSA health ageing initiative for community. Westfield Local Heroes is a recognition and awards program that shines the spotlight on individuals and their organisations in Australia and New Zealand who make a positive impact to their local community or environment. The winner will receive $20,000 towards their organisation, so it would be great if everyone could go online and vote for Rozanne so she can develop the Silver Salties programme further.

Voting closes on Monday 22 August.

City2Surf Champions

Photography by Tim Read

The Club occupied pole position for its barbecue tent for the City to Surf and there was a team of volunteers at work well before 7.30am. It was a long day with lots of hard work from a large team of volunteers. Thank you to everyone who helped. We couldn't have asked for better weather or a better crew. It was a massive effort by all involved. Maybe running the race would be less tiring  

The line was constant from 9:30am to 1:30pm and, in case you're wondering what runners eat, we sold out of 2,000 sausages, 100 steaks and 40 dozen eggs and 60kg bacon. We're still reconciling everything, but expect we'll have made a record profit.

Thank you to our sponsor, Harris Farm Markets for their generous and continued support in making this such a successful fundraising day for the Club.

Bondi Representive

Our very own Louise Skjeime will be representing the Australian Defence Force at the World Life Saving Championships in Italy next month. In a world-first, Invictus Australia, with the support of SLSA has been granted permission by the International Surf Lifesaving Association to enter a combined military team into the Riccione 2022 Lifesaving World Championships.

Louise is a current serving member of the Royal Australian Navy and joined Bondi Club to compete in IRB Racing. She completes her patrols at Garie but is a familiar face at Bondi training on boards and in the IRB during and in the lead-up to the winter competition season.

Team Veteran Australia is comprised of eight current and former-serving men and women of the ADF. "This team of unique individuals represent not only themselves, but also the ability to utilise sport as a powerful pathway to rehabilitation and an inspiration to other veterans, to stay active and connected and find opportunities to regain your former self,” said Sean Lawler, Team Manager.

Tunnel Toil

A big thanks to the team who on 21 July  took on the mighty task of clearing up the tunnel after weeks and months of rain and tides.

With 8-12” (that’s 30cm to young-uns) of sand through the tunnel, my Google calculator says that it was about 57 tons of sand to move - so a digger had to be used!

Thanks to our Gear Steward Micheal Delaney for leading the charge and we could not have done without the amazing efforts of Michael Mahoney on the dozer.

Thanks to the team who put in the work moving sand and clearing up - Evie Wheeler, Jonathan Potts, Callum Jones, Denise Meuldijk and Laura Manuel and Gear Steward Emeritus Bruce Wynne for tackling the job. - Brent Jackson

Get On Board with Bondi

Rally your friends and family and get them to jump on board our new Bondi Supporters' Club.

Becoming a Member means you're part of the world's first surf lifesaving club, part of the fabric of Bondi Beach for more than 115 years. As we enter an exciting new phase in our history, upgrading our Clubhouse so it’s accessible, workable and sizable enough to house the equipment and the volunteers who patrol our beach, our Supporters' Club will be an important part of that. 

Supporters' Club Members will get regular updates with member and supporter profiles, stories from our past, community education programmes, training, competition and lifesaving statistics. They'll also have access to community education programs, be able to buy genuine Bondi Surf Club merchandise and get a limited edition Supporters' Club t-shirt when they sign up. To find out more, go to the website. 

Member Benefits

For great Clubbie discounts, look out for the Bondi sticker at friendly local businesses!

Don’t forget to check out the Member Benefits poster in the Club to discover new businesses supporting us.

Director of Marketing, Sponsorship and Merchandise
marketing@bondisurfclub.com

Office

Off-Season Office Hours

Monday to Friday 9am-5pm and Sunday 10am-1pm.

ARTICLES FOR THE SURFER

If you have an interesting article concerning a member, past or present, please direct them to editor@bondisurfclub.com.

Phone:  +61 2 9300 9279
Fax:  +61 2 9300 9596
Email:  info@bondisurfclub.com