Open Men's Boat Crew selected as NSW ASRL Reps
Congratulations to our Open Men's Boat crew on NSW selection, another achievement for this mighty crew.
Last weekend 160 crews competed at North Steyne carnival, with the winners of each category selected to represent Surf Life Saving NSW State Team.
Open Male – Bulli
Open Female – North Cronulla
Reserve Male – North Bondi
Reserve Female – Collaroy
Under 23 Male – Wanda
Under 23 Female – Collaroy
Under 19 Male – South Curl Curl
Under 19 Female – North Cronulla
Unlucky were our U19 Male crew who finished 2nd in the final & our Reserve Women who got smashed by a wave in the final!
2021 Australia Day - busy day @ Bulli Beach
AUSTRALIA DAY - WHAT A DAY
Thank you very much patrol teams 1 & 2 for your voluntary commitment on a massive Australia Day yesterday.
Big shout out & thank you to those diligent members who organised and accepted shift swaps. Like on previous weekends we were lucky to have a large number of non-rostered members who supported the teams, some on very short notice.
This included even members who interrupted their celebrations at Bulli Beach Reserve to help out. Thank you so much, every single hand was needed. Additional resources included a second RWC (jetski) that operated out of Bulli for the day and additional WCC Lifeguards.
This Australia Day was huge and we had it all:
- 17 rescues
- 7 first aid provisions
- 1 member injury
- 500+ preventative actions
- 1 IRB motor recovery
- party of 10 person's removal due to inappropriate behaviour & racial abuse (couple of young males offending) NSW Police in attendance
- 1 shark sighting and subsequent beach closure late in the afternoon
- Hundreds of people having a happy Australia Day on the beach
This was another huge effort by everyone involved, all volunteers doing a great community service.
It seems safe to say the fact that all beach visitors went home safely while we were on duty is a direct result of your hard work, diligence and professionalism
The most disappointing aspect is people still swimming outside the red & yellow flagged area...a couple of rescues in particular at the southern end of the beach, thankyou for the assistance of Woonona SLSC IRB & SLSI RWC, plus having to initially deal with the anti social behaviour of a few, taking away our duties of helping keep people say in the water
Also wish to acknowledge SLSI Duty Officers support during the day.
Well done to all of you and thanks again for the passion and all that you do at our club.
Members were at the beach from 7am until 7.30pm
Regards
Keith Caldwell President &
Markus Meier-Lindner Director of Lifesaving
24 January 2021 - massive day for our patrol teams
BULLI SLSC LIFESAVERS STAND TALL.
Today was a massive day, thank you very much teams 3 & 4 for your service this weekend.
Many thanks to members who organised and accepted shift swaps as well as the small army of non-rostered volunteers who supported the teams with a extra ‘hands on deck’ and boy oh boy they were needed
Overview of the weekend....
On Saturday we had - for the last time this season - 3 BMs supporting WCC Lifeguards. Thank you Grant Joy, Jay Townsend and Paul Brightwell, much appreciated. That is another seasonal lifesaving milestone successfully completed and done!
Today was beautiful, hot and busy right from the start with crowds growing huge towards the afternoon
36 rescues were performed, mostly between 12 and 1pm in challenging and changing conditions using rescue tubes, the IRB as well as the RWC together. One of the rescue basically a mass rescue of 8 persons.
After the flags were move about 50m to the south the afternoon focus was on literally hundreds of preventions and roving patrols constantly engaging with swimmers and visitors to move them between the flags and off the rocks.
500 preventative actions, 10 first aids (bluebottles) plus an elderly lady having breathing difficulties, oxygen administered & NSW Ambulance in attendance.
A huge effort and very well done by everyone involved our club is very proud of your efforts, today our lifesaving team led from the front Markus Meier-Lindner, Jamie Thorpe, Dave Kohler, Jamie Caldwell & Dean Dudley
Thanks also to SLSI RWC operators & Wollongong City Council lifeguards with their assistance on the day.
Few people will be sleeping well tonight
Wollongong City Council Australia Day Awards - Club & Open Men's Boat Crew were nominees
Wollongong City Council 2021 Australia Day Awards were held today at the Villa D'oro Function Centre in Wollongong.
Our club was fortunate to be nominated for Community Group of the Year & our Open Men's Boat Crew for the Sports Achievement Award.
Congratulations to our Open Men's Boat Crew on winning the award...Shane Geloven Dean Roberts Heath Mercer Ben Lowe & Fraser Worthington.
Club President Keith Caldwell accepted the award of behalf of the crew. Keith in some media commitments acknowledged that this crew deserves all the accolades, they train hard, row exceptional & are all good blokes. We should be proud of their efforts & achievements, they inspire more people to join our club, which is a good thing.
Good to see Surf Life Saving members in the nominee's list across various categories.
* Senior Citizen of the Year 2021 – Laurence 'Larry' Jennett OAM (WINNER)
* Sports Achievement Award 2021 – Open Men’s Boat Crew, Bulli Surf Life Saving Club (WINNER)
* Community Group Award 2021 – Bulli Surf Life Saving Club (Nominee)
* Citizen of the Year 2021 – Peter Evert, SLSI President (Nominee)
Woonona SLSC
Well done to all nominee's & award winners on the day, wow there are some selfless people out there doing great work in the community.
Covid-19 update at club level
Dear Members,
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATES & RESOURCES FOR SLSNSW CLUBS
SLSNSW & BULLI SLSC is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our members & along with our management committee we will continue to aligned to official sources including the Australian Government Department of Health, NSW Health and NSW Sport.
As of today we will require all members, visitors, organisations, basically any organised club activities including patrols, training education, nipper activities, social events TO SIGN IN with the Service NSW QR code check-ins when you attend the surf club at any stage, this is compulsory...no excuses please. Our worst case scenario is closing down surf club activities if we don't comply!
As a club we are doing our bit to maintain our records for any contact tracing that may be required. Our membership base is from all areas in Wollongong & parts of Sydney.
Laminated NSW Public Health QR code sheets have been placed all around the surf club (replacing our BULLI SLSC QR code sheets) including function room, gym, lifesaving area, patrol room, downstairs club room, junior activities area, surf sports areas.
We are presently updating our COVID-19 Safety Plans to reflect these new requirements.
This is how we need to operate as a surf life saving club please work with us not against us.
Thankyou in advance.
Regards
Keith Caldwell
President
New Year long weekend patrol washup - thankyou members
Great work patrol teams.....big thank you very much to Patrol Teams 2, 3, 4, 5 & 7 for your voluntary service this New Years’ Day long weekend.....Friday Saturday & Sunday
Thank you very much to all our members who had organised and accepted shift swaps as well as non-rostered volunteers who covered the Saturday.
New Years’ Day, was mostly overcast with Team 5 performing 2 rescues and Team 7 doing another 3 rescues. They included a dad trying to save his 2 kids and got into trouble himself. All were rescued through the swift team response including one of our very new patrolling members, Paul Barrett.
On Saturday we had 2 BMs supporting WCC Lifeguards. Thank you Grant Joy and Noel Freeman for being there on a very rainy day.
Today (Sunday) started with steady consistent rain, but improved in the afternoon. Team 2 did a bit of training with a mock rescue scenario in the morning and Team 3 closed the beach for an hour as a precaution due to a creature sighting at Woonona. No further incidents were to report.
This wraps up the one of the busiest times of the patrol season over Christmas and New Year with a total of 21 rescues and 283 preventions performed.
Thanks again to everyone who has helped – you have truly helped to make a difference to people and families!
Xmas Patrols were kept busy
THANKYOU TO OUR PATROL MEMBERS
4 consecutive days of voluntary patrol from 9am to 6pm....Xmas Day, Boxing Day, Sunday & Monday.
Here is a run down....thank you very much to all 7 patrol teams for your service this Christmas long weekend just finished.
Thank you very much also to those members who organised and accepted shift swaps as well as to additional volunteers, some of whom attended following a text message ‘call to arms’ on Sunday.
Conditions over the 4 days went full circle – from a closed beach all day on Christmas Day, Boxing Day rain sun & a nor easter blowing in the arvo, to a most beautiful day on Sunday – back to the beach being closed all day on Monday.
There were massive crowds on Sunday spread all along the beach with Team 7 (Jay Townsend Capt) performing 5 rescues during the morning shift and Team 1 (Paul Brightwell Capt) another 11 in the afternoon. In some of these rescues our junior members and newest SRC members were actively involved.
How great to see their level of confidence and their training already helping to save lives. What a huge effort and thankfully no additional emergency services, e.g. ambulances, were needed. That takes the total rescues for this season to 22!!
Some great commitment by our members, some behind the scenes work done thankyou to all. Shout out various people for different things: to Lachlan O'Grady and Jason Colquhoun who pulled double shifts on Christmas Day, to Damien Parsons (Michelle Parsons) who assembled the new vacuum cleaner, teams 7 and 1 for performing all those rescues on Sunday. Scott Ashcroft, Alex Kirkland, Tanya Allen, Grace Krittenden, Kylie Roodenrys and Sienna Tracey for backing up team 1 on Sunday afternoon, to Grahame Bilton (Bilko) and Jack Bilton for battling 3 hours of traffic from their home at Penrith on Sunday to attend their shift and to teams 3 and 6 for doing 2 shifts each over the 4 days.
Thank you all again - it is amazing how you rise to the challenge when it matters!
Our DOL was one happy lifesaver
Xmas Greetings from Club President
Hi All,
From our Board of Directors & Management Committee we would like to firstly thank our hard working members for your efforts so far this season. Truly inspirational, motivated, committed & all are volunteers to make the club what it is. We are blessed to have you in the maroon & gold colours!
Our No 1 priority is Life Saving & we have been very busy and everything is running well. We would like to acknowledge and thank all patrolling members and the wider Bulli SLSC community for their contributions. Saturday patrols commenced last weekend for the duration of the summer school holidays.
As of Sunday, 20 December our members have conducted
• 1,331 patrolling hours
• 6 rescues
• 376 preventions
• 11 first aid provisions
Two of the big long weekends of the season are before us with a total of 15 shifts between tomorrow (Christmas Day), 4 days straight Xmas Day 25 Dec, Boxing Day 26 Dec, Sunday 27 Dec & Boxing Day Holiday 28 Dec all 9am to 6pm, then the next period including New Years Day 1 Jan through to Sunday 3 Jan all 9am-6pm. WCC Lifeguards will be operating as well during this Xmas holiday period.
With the festive season well & truly upon us we would like our volunteers to continue their efforts, vigilance and service during this, the peak holiday period, but you as the community can play an important part as well....PLEASE ONLY SWIM AT PATROLLED BEACHES & BETWEEN THE RED & YELLOW FLAGS....IF WE CANT SEE YOU WE CANT SAVE YOU!!
It has been a challenge so far in 202 but please continue to support our volunteer lifesavers. With COViD-19 overseas travel restrictions this Christmas period could be one of the busiest that we have ever experienced on our local beaches. Please look out for each other & let our lifesavers or WCC lifeguards know if you spot a problem.
Wishing our members, families & the local community a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. Hope you get to spend time with loved ones & friends. Don't drink & eat too much LOL.
Hope to see you on our beach.
Yours in Surfing
Keith Caldwell
President
Xmas Day Swim - and the winner is Casey Primmer
XMAS DAY SWIM
Tradition continues...
So grey skies greeted 60+ swimmers aged from 7 years to 67 years yesterday for our annual Xmas Day Swim.
Our beach was closed so we went over into the corner of Sharkies Beach.
Athletes, social swimmers, non athletes marshalled & were given their start times, hmm few whingers, snips at the handicapper, normal suspects..they should know by now the rules;
- to have their start handicap time looked at & possibly changed prior to start, a crisp $20 note handed to President, no guarantee it will be tabled
- if any dispute, protest or unhappy with course or any incident, written submission needs to be lodged on club letterhead 30 secs prior to event or 30 secs immediately after race has been completed.
Hmm...dont bother
So with water safety in place IRB (Markus Meier- Lindner & Simon Jones), rescue board ( Lincoln Costello) & 2 tube rescuers (Patrol members) plus eyes on the headlands Russ Jones with binoculars, the swimmers entered the balmy 19 degree water...RACE ON!
This is a tradition that has been going for a very long time ...Noel Freeman one of our Life Members remembers swimming in it at age 10yrs, he is now 62. Chris Mercer amother Life Member is our oldest swimmer at 67 years.
How good was it to see smiling faces, members enjoying this time honoured tradition, some new members for the first time. All about families getting together prior to their Xmas festitves.
For the record...240m total distance;
Adults
1st Casey Primmer (female)
1st Ian Timbrell (male)
U18
1st Lucas Kirkland (male)
2nd Blake Sweeny (male)
1st Imogen James (female)
2nd Maddy Jones (female)
Random prizes
Jai Marshall
Harper Barlow
Craig Lunney
Alita Ashcroft
Noel Freeman
Seb James
Jamie Caldwell
Chris Serfortein
Anthony Marshall
Nicola Barlow
☆Best Dressed Lincoln Costello
Highly Commended Lachlan O'Grady & Coen Taylor
Shout out to our members on patrol yesterday on Xmas Day & the next 3 days...thankyou for your commitment.
Hugh Carpenter retires the schooner club book
This is what legends are made of, one of our esteemed Life Members Hugh Carpenter. Hugh was awarded Life Membership in 1974-1975 season & as we know was best known for his fund raising prowess in any surf club activity. Held positions on the management committee including Vice Club Captain & was our Club Treasurer for 14 seasons. Still maintains a keen interest in the club & is very proud of our achievements.
Tonight he hangs up his Schooner Book....see below his efforts, outstanding & committed, he was always on the lookout for you if you owed money
Hugh Carpenter ~ The Schooner Club
Friday 18th December 2020 will be the end of an era where Hugh Carpenter will be drawing his final Schooner Club for the Sea Lions. The Schooner Club has been an institution and commenced in February 1984 raising funds to assist the Sea Lions and the Community. Over this time it has been conservatively estimated that he has raised over $70,000 plus. He has filled 3 of his brown covered books, each with a list of the drinkers and local personalities around over this time. Anybody who has seen the copperplate writing is in awe of the order and neatness. Many a drinker has been hounded to pay their outstanding money as soon as they walk in the club and many have gone short of their anticipated beer count as Hugh always gets his money in.
On behalf of an appreciative community we all raise our glasses to say thank you to Hugh Carpenter and the Schooner Club Come up on Friday and have a beer and say thank you to a great man.
New SRC members graduate
GREAT NEWS!!!
13 new young lifesavers for the club
Surf Rescue Certificate presentation happened on a Sunday morning in December. Thankyou to our DOE Jamie Caldwell & DOL Markus Meier-Lindner for facilitating this course.
Well done Age Managers Michelle Parsons (has been with the kids right through the ages) & Seb James assisting in the process.
The young lifesavers received their patrol uniform plus a wet bag with FINZ peak cap, sunscreen & Responder 1 keyring face mask.
Northern Stars Swim School - new sponsor of BULLI SLSC
New Sponsor Alert
has become an official partner of Bulli Junior Activities and has also become the official Swim School of Bulli SLSC.
Established in April 2010 and is operated by Siria and Mal Thomas and Cheryl Grose. Cheryl had a vision of owning her own swim school with daughter Siria, and within the space of 10 weeks they transformed an empty shed in the northern suburbs of Wollongong into a purpose built swim centre offering swimming lessons for babies through to adults, a mini-squad program, aqua fit classes and school holiday accelerator programs.
Located at Watts Lane Russell Vale, right next to Bunnings - 42858700 info@northernstars.com.au
International Volunteer Day - 5 December 2020
International Volunteer Day
We are a proud surf life saving club celebrating our quality volunteers. We have been around for 107yrs.
Its all about thanking our members, who have & continue to dedicate countless hours towards making our club what it is today....proud 2020 Surf Life Saving Illawarra Club of the Year, 2020 Surf Life Saving Illawarra Patrolling Club of the Year & 2020 NSW Sport Community Club of the Year
Our members continue to patrolling Bulli Beach to keep everyone safe, our educators provide training to our members, coaches who look after our surf sports athletes, committees that have the job running the club, age managers & water safety, surf sports officials, BBQ workers & any member that has volunteered time...the list is endless.
So as you see many people putting their hand up to rack up some impressive achievements.
Keep up the good work people, it doesn't go unnoticed people!
NSW Sport 'Community Sports Club of the Year' - BULLI SLSC wins award
Wow.....we have just recently been announced as the ‘Community Sports Club of the Year’ by Sport NSW (Office of Sport). There were 4 clubs that were finalist for this award, this is a massive achievement.
Great acknowledgement & recognition for all our members that work so hard as volunteers and achieved so much in our past season (2019-2020). Everybody that takes on roles from club management, volunteer patrol member, nippers age managers, water safety duties at club activities, surf sports athletes, he list goes on…..this is for every member of the club.
We are one big family club.
Bulli Surf Club goes Solar!
Our surf club recently had solar panels installed at the surf club by Platinum Solar Designs.
Thankyou to SLSNSW & NSW Government, supporting our surf club through funding from the 2020 SLSNSW Surf Club Facility Grant.
Life Saving - Patrols have been busy to the start of the season
Patrols have been busy at the start of this 2020/2021 surfing season.
Conditions have varied over the first 6 weeks or so.
Only last weekend our volunteer lifesavers were busy with 2 incidents -
Our future lifesavers in training for their Bronze Medallion, witness an unfolding drama with a male calling for help after been caught in a rip current, 150 metres from the flagged area. The male was rescued on a rescue board and returned to waiting lifesavers on the beach before first aid and oxygen therapy was administered. NSW Ambulance was called and treated the person.
A few minutes later another drama was unfolding with a female caught in another rip current, at the southern end of Bulli beach which was also an unpatrolled location. A member of the public assisted the female prior to responding lifesaver on a Jetski (RWC) and lifesavers from Woonona & Bulli SLSC’s on ATV’s.
Other assets including Surf Life Illawarra Duty Officer and Wollongong Council Lifeguard Supervisor attended the incident.
Woonona lifesavers provided first aid and oxygen therapy was administered, before been transported in the Lifeguard ATV to waiting Ambulance crews at Bulli Surf Club.
Incidents like today highlights the importance to only swim at patrolled beaches between the red and yellow flags. Not for the quick response from lifesavers , incidents like this can have tragic outcome for individuals in the surf/water environment.
Thanks to the extraordinary work by volunteer lifesavers today and assistance from Wollongong Council Lifeguard Supervisor.
Congratulations Keith Caldwell awarded Life Membership of Surf Life Saving Australia
Congratulations to Keith Caldwell, President of Bulli SLSC.
Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) recently announced that Keith has been awarded SLSA’s highest honour of Life Membership.
SLSA Life Membership is given to members who go above and beyond in their duties and responsibilities in Surf Life Saving (SLS), and who have shown distinguished voluntary service to the movement over a sustained period of at least 20 years.
Keith has been actively involved in the surf lifesaving movement for 44 years. During his career as a surf sports athlete he has won Illawarra, NSW & Australian medals in surf, craft, beach, pool rescue, belt in individual and team events.
As an athlete he has represented Illawarra (11 teams) & New South Wales (1 team). He has then continued on his role within surf sports by being Team Manager for Bulli at SLSI, SLSNSW & SLSA Championships from 2001-2018, 17 continuous seasons.
As a coach and team manager he has represented Illawarra (9 teams), New South Wales (4 teams) and been an Australian Team Manager on 8 occasions touring New Zealand, Japan (twice), France and South Africa. On the last two occasions as Manager of the Australian Open Team at Rescue 2012 & 2014.
For the past 19 seasons, Keith has taken on the roles of Deputy President (2 years) and now current President (17 years & current). Over the past 10 years Bulli Surf Club has moved to the top in administration, lifesaving/education & surf sports whilst continually focusing on ‘a great community volunteer organization’.
Whether it be for Bulli, Illawarra Branch, Surf Life Saving New South Wales & Australia he works tirelessly to maintain high standards and always puts others before himself.
He provides the leadership and direction in all club activities and really likes to have a ‘hands on’ aspect with every club activity. He has over the years used his skills to great advantage in gaining success to our club. He has enthusiasm and confidence, he is a positive communicator, shows outstanding leadership qualities in managing people effectively, he is a worker, listens to the members with any issues, possesses a common- sense approach when dealing with any matters relating to the surf club.
He is very passionate about our local area and loves seeing members achieve personal milestones, whether in patrolling the beach and saving someone’s life, becoming a leader in club activities and in the community or achieving personal goals in the surf sports arena. So much so that he received the inaugural award of 2009 Top Gong for Services to Sport – a community award.
Congratulations Kevin Starling awarded Surf Life Saving Illawarra Life Membership
Massive congratulations to Kevin Starling who was recently awarded Life Membership of Surf Life Saving Illawarra.
Kevin has actively been involved in Bulli SLSC since 1970 when he obtained his Qualifying Certificate....50 years later still doing what he loves.
He is a short overview of his achievements;
- Obtained numerous life saving awards including Bronze Medallion, ARC & Instructors Certificate
- Held club positions Swim Coach, Board & Ski Captain, Gear Steward, Chief Instructor, Management Committee, Senior Vice President, U16 Club Organiser, Life Members Competition & Judicial Committee's
- Awarded BULLI SLSC Life Membership
Roles he has held at Surf Life Saving Illawarra include;
- Branch Team Coach
- Director of Surf Sports
- Coaching Advisor
- Officials Advisor
- Surf Sports Advisor
- Facilitator Officials & Coaches SLSI courses
- Sydney Water Committee
Kevin has been one of Illawarra's leading official's being carnival referee at branch championships, junior development carnivals & Sydney Water Series. Has fulfilled senior roles at NSW Championships as well.
A long sustained & distinguished career, hard working & committed volunteer.
Congrats Kevin
'Dial before you Dig' Open Men's Boat Crew win Ocean Thunder Boat Series
Our 'Dial before you Dig' Open Men’s crew blasts crews away in the last round of Ocean Thunder Boat Series (from last season).
Due to safety concerns for athletes & officials the venue was changed to Collaroy Beach.
With the victory on this day it also confirmed the Open Men as 2020 Ocean Thunder Champions.
SLSNSW Super Teams Series @ Bulli cancelled due to surf & weather conditions
Unfortunately Saturday's round of the SLSNSW Super Teams Series @ Bulli has been postponed due to the predicted surf & weather conditions & of course the safety factor for all involved including athletes, officials, water safety & workforce volunteers.