By Ron Lane
It has been a long time coming but at last more respect in the competition arena is being shown to First Aid, Patrol Competition and Champion Life Saver events. One only has to look at the name to understand that these events are the core of our existence; it is what we do on our beaches.
At the recent Sunshine Coast Branch Surf Rescue Championships Sunshine Beach and Noosa Heads were again amongst the best. This is a continuation of a very high standard that has been created by such coaches as the Redwood family in Sunshine and Lenore Grice at Noosa.
Both named will tell you that there are other coaches on the panels and rightly so, but it is the achievements of these two that has raised the bar for others to reach; and this they are doing.
In the Patrol Competition and Champion Life Saver Events the Sunshine team came home with a total of 4 gold and 3 silver medals; the gold being for the Champion Lifesaver Female u/15 and u/17 and Masters Female and the u/15 Patrol Competition; and the silver for the u/14, u/15Champion Lifesaver Female and the u/15 Champion Male.
To take the gold in the u/15 Patrol Competition is indeed very prestigious as this is a team event and one of the most important. Their performance saw Sunshine finish 3rd overall a really great performance.
The Champion Patrol and Champion Lifesaver are two events in which this club has, over the years excelled; something in which this small club should take pride.
For Noosa they also performed well with their most outstanding results being yet again in the field of First Aid Competition. In this they won4 gold medals the u/15, u/17u/19 and the Open, with the 17, 19 and Open being won by the same team of LillyTindall and Lara Porter. This was indeed an outstanding effort and the first time that a club has won three age groups using the same team. To finish the First Aid they also took the silver in the u/15.Then in the prestigious Patrol Competition Noosa took gold in the u/17catogery.
Apart from winning medals in these core events they have another common factor, both clubs have great family and club support.
On Saturday afternoon on Noosa West Beach, a young girl received a broken nose and severe injuries to her cheek bones while surfing and was treated by Patrol 4.before being handed over to Paramedics. This once again highlights the importance of advanced First Training for our lifesavers; unheralded in competition but absolutely vital on patrol.
On the same weekend at Currumbin in the Ocean 6 Carnival, which consisted of Iron Man, Iron Woman, Open Surf Race, Taplin and Board Relays, Sunshine again performed well winning I gold,1silver and 2 bronze; the gold being for the/17 Taplin Relay.
At Ocean 6 Lana Rogers won the bronze medal in the Open Surf race. This was a follow on from her Gold medal at the Coolum Nutri Grain. “I have always loved swimming and this is my strong leg in the Iron Woman events,” she said.
In the surf board riding Noosa came home with 3gold medals 3silver and1 bronze a great performance. At the state surf boat selection trials at Tugun, Noosa missed selection in the team when they recorded several second place finishers. “Unfortunately you have to win in the trials to gain selection second places leaves you out,” said boat captain Anthony Fox. “However it was great experience for our young crews so we are happy”
