On the patrol

Keeping us safe is only the start – lifesavers are bringing their communities closer together, too. Francesca Newby meets the women of the Newport Surf Lifesaving Club.

The surf club is a place that exists in a haze of nostalgia. Growing up, it was the focal point on the beach, the place where the guys hung out and the site of countless memorable parties. Sure we knew the club was about lifesavers – it was hard to miss the patrol in their red and yellow caps, and the sense of history was obvious. From the black-and-white photos to the old guys who seemed to live there, it felt as if the club had been there forever but, like most institutions, it was something you just took for granted – until you needed it. The history of beach life in Australia is inextricably entwined with the history of the Surf Life Saving Association (SLSA). For a century, its dedicated group of volunteers has continued to watch over us as we bound into the crashing waves, making sure we emerge safely back on to the sand again.

The iconic image of a surf lifesaver is that of the bronzed Aussie he-man and for most of the association’s history that image reflected reality. From the local lads who founded the first clubs, to the rise of the Ironman competitions, surf lifesaving was all about the boys. Edie Kieft was probably the first Australian woman to qualify for the Bronze Medallion, awarded to accredited surf lifesavers, taking the test at Tweed Heads, NSW, in 1923. Despite passing all requirements, a ban on female lifesavers meant she had to make do with a ‘bronze number’. No woman was awarded a Bronze Medallion until 1980, when the association finally admitted women as full members.

Lauren Budd, 17, is a qualified lifesaver and surfboat crew member, too young to recall the days when lifesaving was only for men. “I’ve been involved in surf lifesaving since I was seven. I don’t really remember the time before I started,” she says. “I started patrolling on the first day I could.” Qualifying as a surf lifesaver is strenuous and demanding and the training is comprehensive and ongoing. Yet the need for constant vigilance doesn’t mean it’s a life of constant drama. “I’ve been patrolling for three years and so far I haven’t been involved in a rescue, though I’ve had to use quite a bit of first aid knowledge,” says Lauren.

The beach can seem idyllic; Newport, in Sydney‘s Northern Beaches, more than most. But the spectre of danger is never far beneath the surface. “This is a family beach, a safe beach, so it’s usually relaxed,” says Lauren’s mother, Leanne, “but when the surf is rough there’s a lot of responsibility.” The sight of mother and daughter training, competing and patrolling alongside each other may be increasingly common, but it’s a new era in lifesaving. “I grew up in Mount Pritchard in Sydney’s west. I’d go to the beach for a day out, but it wasn’t my environment. I loved it, but I didn’t ‘know’ it,” says Leanne. “My husband, Brett, and I moved to Newport when we got married. We had our kids here. We became part of this community and a big aspect of that is the beach.”

Like many female lifesavers of her generation, Leanne came to the association through her children. “A lot of the mature women got involved because their kids were doing nippers [a surf and lifesaving program for seven to 13 year olds],” says Leanne. Watching her husband, Brett, update his qualifications was an inspiration. “Brett had done his Bronze as a 17-year-old but felt he needed to do it again if he was going to help with the nippers,” says Leanne. “I was 42 years old when I did my Bronze Medallion, which is a little bit late in life.” Joining the association was not just about contributing to her family and community. “Doing my Bronze was partly motivated by wanting to get more involved on a family level,” Leanne says, “but it was a selfish decision, too. We went to a camp for Lauren when she was in the under-13s. It was held at The Basin in Pittwater. I had a go in the boat, and I was hooked. I just loved it; it’s exhilarating and scary.”

Family friend and fellow lifesaver, Sandy Menzies, tells a similar story. “When my daughter, Jess, was five years old, I put her into nippers and that’s where it all began,” she says. “I’d be bringing Jess to her class and I realised they needed more helpers. To be a helper you need to hold a Bronze Medallion, so in 2000, at the age of 37, I put my hand up.” The surf club is a family affair for the Menzies. Jessica and her brothers, Kieran and Brendan, are all members and her husband, Doug, is the current president. “I think the fact my husband was involved was also really motivating,” says Sandy. “This is a big time commitment and if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, I say.”

The Newport Surf Lifesaving Club is a vibrant illustration of generational harmony in action. “The family aspect can be really cool,” says Lauren. “Dad sprints, Mum and I both row and Joel is in the nippers.” The structured program, combined with the natural appeal of beach life, has created a unique family opportunity; one that encourages togetherness, fosters autonomy and, in the process, recruits an army of volunteers.

Lauren started competing seriously when she was in the under-14s. At the beginning of the 2006-2007 season, she was asked to join the under-23 boat crew as a rower. ”I‘m now competing in the nationals,“ says Lauren. ”At my age, that‘s a huge honor.“ But Lauren also recognises some of the more intangible benefits of her involvement with lifesaving, including the guidance of older colleagues and the opportunity to mentor the younger members. It has also given her some clear goals and ambitions. “I’m really committed to the organisation. I’d like to join the committee and bring a younger perspective,” she says.

The Surf Life Saving Association grew out of a sense of community and has in turn created one of its own. No arena is completely free of tensions, particularly between the generations, but the shared focus of the club provides an unusual combination of cooperation and independence: the skills that lie at the heart of the association are the same ones that make it possible for parents to allow their children some freedom. “Sometimes there’s a lack of space,” admits Lauren. “You can’t get away with much if you’re hanging out with your parents every weekend. It’s a tight-knit community, though, and I think we all benefit from that.”

The dividends for our society as a whole are obvious, but the smaller rewards are no less important. The bond between the club, the Menzies family and the Budds helped lead to the development of an initiative with ramifications for the wider community.

“I’ve been the first aid officer for the Newport club for five years, and the chief instructor for the past two. That level of involvement has been really satisfying, but it wasn’t hands-on enough for me,” says Sandy. Unable to continue rowing with her crew after a shoulder reconstruction, Sandy was looking for an alternative way to stay involved. “In 2002, John McInerney, who was president at the time, approached me,” she says. “He wanted to talk about Leanne’s son, Joel, who has an intellectual disability. John was aware that while the rest of the family were committed and involved SLSA members, Joel could only watch. This was something I’d been thinking about for a while as well, so we decided to do something to change that. We wanted to find a way for all kids with special needs, including but not limited to Joel, to take part in nippers.”

Sandy is a registered nurse and specialises in working with children with intellectual disabilities. “This was a way to combine my expertise with my passion and reaffirm my commitment to the club,” she says. Newport SLSC approached the Department of Ageing Disability and Home Care with a proposal. “We said that if they could help put us in touch with kids who might need it, we’d fund and run a nippers program for kids with special needs, whether they were physical, intellectual or both,” says Sandy. “There are many personal benefits,” she adds, “but the biggest pay-off has been watching Joel bloom. He’s so much more involved, confident; part of the community. You get a lift out of helping any child, but giving that to the child of a good friend is irreplaceable.”

Sandy and the club designed a course similar to the standard nippers program, with just a few essential changes. “We wouldn’t take them as far into deep water and we’d raise the number of helpers to a ratio of one to two instead of one to 20,” says Sandy. The club now offers two programs every summer; one for younger children and one for older kids. “At Newport SLSC we used to run it at a separate time to the standard nippers program,” says Sandy, “but now we run it at the same time and it’s almost completely integrated. Children come to us through the council and via word of mouth. The feedback from parents has been great.”

Leanne and Sandy are now employed by the Surf Life Saving School that was established in 2004 as a joint initiative by the 21 surf clubs based in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. The school runs a range of courses from short surf safety programs held on the beach to interactive classroom-based modules. It also provides intensive courses designed to take children through their surf survival certificate, surf rescue certificate and bronze medallion. The program for special-needs nippers has also been extended to schools and groups for adults with disabilities.

The Budd family have been overwhelmed by the lengths the club has gone to in order to create a welcoming environment for Joel. That same attitude is displayed in the emphasis the school puts on its special-needs program. “It’s part of their social integration,” explains Sandy. “Communication with people they don’t know is enhanced. The course also provides enormous physical benefits, especially with balance and mobility.”

In its centenary year there is much for the Surf Life Saving Association to celebrate. There’s the wider benefit of initiatives such as the school and the special-needs nippers program. There’s the sense of achievement it engenders in its volunteer members, but above all, there is the service it provides to everyone who enjoys the beach. “We prevent a lot of serious accidents from happening in the first place,“ says Lauren. If there were no Surf Life Saving Association there’d definitely be more accidents and drownings. But just as importantly, there would be a lot less knowledge.”

About the Surf Life Saving Association

In 1907, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith was rescued from certain drowning at Bondi Beach with the help of a surf reel – the first time it was used. His rescuers formed the first official surf life saving club at a meeting at the Royal Hotel, Bondi, seven weeks later. Today, about 40,000 children take part in nippers nationwide and women make up 45 per cent of the Surf Life Saving Association’s members. The organisation relies on local sponsorship, government funding and on charity.
To get involved or for more information, visit www.slsa.com.au.

Black Sunday

On Sunday 6 February 1938, an estimated 30,000 visitors were on Bondi Beach. Despite the rough surf, hundreds of swimmers braved the waves. At 3.30pm three big waves hit. The powerful backwash dragged 200 or so swimmers out to sea. Luckily, two surf patrols were changing over while more lifesavers gathered for the start of a race. With 70 lifesavers on hand the massive rescue effort was possible. Hundreds were rescued on that day and only five people drowned.

 

Photography: Scott Hawkins. Hair & make-up: David Novak-Piper.