In the 2024 NSW Open Championships, the team competed in all disciplines
including the surf, board, ski, ironperson and double ski races, and team
events including board and ski relays, and the female Taplin. The Under 17
Patrol Competition Team won the Gold medal, the Club’s first in the event.
The 2024 Australian Championships returned to the Sunshine Coast,
Queensland. The team was crowned the 2024 Masters Champion Club
and was presented a trophy by SLSA President Jim Baker. The team is now
unbeaten in seven consecutive national point score championships.
In the Australian Open Championships, our competitors negotiated crunchy
six-foot sets and deteriorating weather throughout the week to go up against
the best athletes in the country and advance to the semi-finals.
Club events included the Clubbie Classic, sponsored by Ryan Jenkin of Kinvel
Projects and Jason Taylor of Richardson & Wrench, in December and the Club
Championships in February.
The Sunday Surf Race was well attended with participants trading banter
about handicap times. Peter Quartly requested to rename the A Grade
competition to the “The Keiran Speed A Grade Surf Race”. This is a fitting
tribute to a man who was a constant at the surf race for many years and it
was unanimously endorsed by the Board. Thanks to Peter and Jesse Lockhart-
Krause for organising the Club surf race and tube race every Sunday.
Another highlight of the year was winning the 82nd Stan and Basil McDonald
Relay for the second year in a row. It was an exciting match-up with the lead
changing a few times. Congratulations to our swimmers. Thank you to Kieran
Milne for sponsoring the team shirts.
Sadly, the season was book-ended by the passing of three of our Masters’
competitors, Life Member Louise Santos in September, Edwin Wildie (known to
all as Lord Ted) in April, just days before the Australian Championships and Life
Member Keiran Speed a few weeks after Australian Championships. All three
were Bondi loyal competitors who embraced surf sports as a way of life. Their
achievements and contributions are too many to list here and what they meant
to our team is too hard to put into words. They will be greatly missed.
Thank you to the Board of Surf Sports; Nick Nezval, Steve Hackers, Kieran Milne,
Alex Porebski, Nixy Krite, Noah Kaplan, Michael Delaney and Annabelle Paterson
for their amazing efforts to further grow and develop each of their sections.
There are many moving parts to a successful team, and I’d like to thank those
who work in the background; Gary Emmerton, Steve Hackers, Greg Byrnes,
Noah Kaplan, Annabelle Paterson, Julie Pritchard and Nick Nezval for organising
transport and carnival logistics. Thank you to everyone who helped with loading
trailers, setting up tents, handling, cheering and supporting the team.
Thanks to our coaches Jackson Doolan, Joel Bevilacqua and Jayson Lincoln.
I’d like to acknowledge and thank our team of volunteer coaches; Nixy Krite,
Ronny Krite, Blake Hatton, Brendan O’Mahony, Gary Emmerton, Noah Kaplan,
Jonathan Potts, Max Gonzalez, Michael Hallam and Courtney Date.
Surf sports carnivals rely on Club support to provide IRB water safety and
officials. Thank you to Alex MacLaughlin and Nixy Krite for organising IRB
water safety and to all our IRB drivers and crew who helped at local carnivals,
the Sydney Branch and the NSW State Championships. Thank you also to our
officials Alexis Bell, Mark Fabik, Laura Manuel, Sam Wolf, Samantha Ryan, Steve
Hackers, Mark Fletcher, Marissa Saunders, Dori Miller, Jamie Vueti, Pam Vallis,
Robyn Carr and Peter Burst.
Thank you to Richardson & Wrench Eastern Suburbs for their continued
sponsorship of the Surf Sports section. R&W has been our major sponsor for
many years and we are grateful for their support. Our fundraising was also
supported by the City 2 Surf BBQ and the City Ford Sydney Bondi Blue Water
Challenge. Thank you to all the volunteers at both events.
Thank you to the Board of Management who put in many hours this season
to coordinate education, lifesaving and social events and create a positive,
inclusive Club culture.
47
117TH ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2023/24