By RON LANE
IT was indeed a very busy weekend for some of our surf club people.
For the Noosa Surf Club it started with a delegation attending the annual Salvation Army Red Shield Fund Raising Breakfast held at the Noosa Convention Center on Friday morning. This is a function that Noosa people look forward to attending as it is a great cause and the club always gives its total support.
Following this, the Noosa Surf Club general manager Anton Mogg played host to a thank you luncheon for representatives of the Tewantin Noosa RSL Sub-branch, Noosa Shire Council and sponsors, for making the centenary commemoration Anzac Day dawn service, held on Noosa’s Main Beach, a reality.
On Saturday morning the Noosa Seahorse Nippers were again active. The morning got off to a great start when a group of ladies, some of them being mums, performed a dance routine in front of the Noosa club as a fund-raiser. The group affectionately known as the Flash Mob performed before a crowd that had gathered on the lawn area to watch the Ultraman. It was a fun event which was well received and a substantial amount was raised. This will go toward supporting Noosa Seahorse program.
The 45 helpers and 35 children who were in attendance were indeed blessed with surf and weather conditions that can only be described as perfect. Now in its third year, the Noosa Seahorse Nippers is one of the most outstanding success stories in the club’s 87 year history.
Apart from Noosa members, Marcoola, Sunshine Beach, Mooloolaba and Peregian members were also in attendance.
A Noosa club organiser Nikki Mawby said: “It is all going well and next weekend there is a possibility that Point Lookout representatives will be in attendance. They are keen to see how things are done.”
With a small, very safe one-metre wave running on to Noosa Beach, it was interesting to note the number of Seahorse Nippers, who, having been with the group since day one, are now starting to handle their small craft with confidence. Their laughter and smiles definitely makes it all well worthwhile. At the completion of the morning’s activities a team leader Donald McKill called out to one and all, “Grab a buddy,” and team leaders, lifesavers, Seahorse Nippers and mums and dads did just that. Then with arms around shoulders they gave a very loud and happy chant of Seahorse, Seahorse! A perfect end to a perfect day.
The traditional end of the season barbecue for Noosa was this season held at the Peregian club. Happy to relate it was an outstanding success. With Noosa and Peregian now working in conjunction, holding the function at Peregian was the thing to do.
In the words of a Peregian member of long standing: “This is a good thing; the atmosphere here tonight is really great, all happy and relaxed.”
Patrols at both clubs were at full strength making the workload easier to handle. Most important of all; no lives lost between the flags while lifesavers of both beaches on patrol.
Noosa’s trip to Broadbeach on the Gold Coast for the IRB carnival was for all a great learning curve. Noosa was well represented with the under-23s, opens and masters teams competing in the men’s division and the under-23s and opens teams competing in the female.
For Noosa, the open ladies made the final in their division and when you take into consideration that the girls were aged from 17 to 20, it was a good result. Competing in big surf, the experience was invaluable.
Also, many thanks go to the lifesavers who worked as water safety officers for the Ultraman Australia Endurance Events.
