By RON LANE
With the surf club patrol season drawing to a close, Sunshine Beach executives have been looking back on their season.
Club captain Scott Summers said: “It has been a very productive season.
“We have revised and updated our constitution and, most important of all, we have worked hard at creating depth within our patrols regarding qualifications and training of members.
“This ensures that we will maintain a very high standard of beach safety for the seasons ahead.”
Being one who likes to practice what he preachers, Summers on Saturday completed his Wave Runner Training (Jet Rescue Ski) and on Sunday morning performed his first patrol on the said vehicle.
On 7 May they will conduct an IRB training course for drivers and crewies and all lifesavers are welcome.
During the off season they will also conduct bronze courses.
On the business side, Sunshine Beach Supporter Club had a bumper Easter.
The club sends its sincere thanks to all those locals and visitors who have supported them over the holiday period.
The packed and happy crowds on the clubs sun deck certainly goes a long way to creating an atmosphere of welcome.
The Australian Surf Life Saving Championships are now well and truly under way and both Sunshine and Noosa clubs got off to a great start.
On the weekend all events conducted revolved around what is now referred to as the Youth Division.
Competing for Sunshine in the U/14 surf race on Saturday Jonty Redwood won the silver medal and backed up to win the bronze in the Iron Man.
Olivia Emanuel won a bronze in the U/14 female surf race and then teamed up with Talisa Brady to win silver in the U/15 board rescue.
By winning his silver medal in the surf race Jonty Redwood has created club history. This achievement means that all the children in the Redwood family, Jonty, Molly, Brock and Taylor, have all won medals at both state and national level. A truly outstanding achievement.
For Noosa, the incredible Cooper Williams continued on his winning way by winning gold in the U/15 Iron Man. For Williams this gives him the double.
At the recent state titles he also won the Iron Man in this division.
In the ladies, Electra Outram won the U/14 Iron Woman and then combined with Riley Dixon to win the silver medal in the board rescue.
The medal tally is good. However the most satisfying aspect for both clubs is the fact that, in the words of one Noosa Coach Clint Irwin, “there were many more that made the finals, in both water and beach events.’’
If we can maintain our coaching staffs and keep our youth involved there is no doubt that in the seasons ahead Noosa and Sunshine Surf Clubs will be among the finest in the nation.
The results achieved by the two local clubs in these, the Youth Championships of Australia, are to say the least truly outstanding.
There are four dates in May that will be very important to a lot of little people within our community.
They are 2, 9,16 and 23 May. The reason that they are so important it that on these days the children of the Noosa Seahorse Nippers will once again return to Noosa’s Main Beach to take part in their Special Nipper Activities.
To those surf club people who are interested in doing their bit to once again make these dates the success of previous seasons, the induction night will be Thursday 30 April at 6pm in the committee room of the Supporter Club.
For interested parties requiring further information call the club on 5474 5688 and ask for Zoe.
