History of Surfboats in Australia.

One of the most uniquely Australian images are the famous shots, that most readers can recall of bronzed surf boat crews around Sydney in the early to mid 1900's.

Whether it was the sweep in control at the stern, batting their way though a huge break to rescue a hapless swimmer fighting in a rip, or most likely the image of a wooden surfboat and crew taking a huge back shoot down a wave. These are the evocative images of Australian surf boats that featured in news reels and media. 

Classic Wooden Surf boats were the rescue work horses of the Surf Lifesaving Association in Australia...when a swimmer was in trouble too far beyond the break to be reached by a lifesaver attached to a belt and reel the boat went out. Likewise if rescues had to be made around a rocky headland - maybe a fisherman had been swept into the sea - it was a job for the surfboat.

The introduction of inflatable rescue boats, and surf rescue helicopters, meant that the surfboat was no longer deemed a rescue craft. But intense regional, state and national SLSC boat competition and the incredible commitment and enthusiasm of thousands of participants, and in recent years a massive increase in female crew members, has kept this challenging and thrilling sport alive.

In fact, it’s booming; boaties are a culture within the SLSC culture. They have had the reputation as the hard men of the SLSC. But they are also the butt of dumb jokes.

There’s an old line about recruiting boat crews. To pick a crew, club members are lined up and have house bricks thrown at them. The ones that don’t duck are selected to row. And for some reason the surfboat crews have always been associated with the larrikin element of the clubhouse.

As a young 14 year old, desperate to join the junior boat crew at Point Leo SLSC, I can well remember being told to come back next year and get in the line up for the annual brick throwing initiation ceremony for boat crews... there must be some truth in the talk about rower's intelligence, because I could'nt wait for the current members to turn 18 and move on to senior rowing, giving me a chance in the junior crew

Nevertheless, the top crews are elite sportsmen. Surfboat racing is a serious business. The sport has always been progressive. Brute strength helps, but it doesn’t rule. Technique is vital and has often been a connection between the surfboat rowing scene and flat water scullers.

Many Australian crews had recognised the benefits of weight training, good diet and the no alcohol edict long before they were common to other sports. If crews want to be genuinely competitive, they’ll be training many afternoons after work and spending their weekends travelling to carnivals, and this is still supposed to be an amateur game.

Point Leo Senior Boat crew 1976, State Champions and representative team on the beach at Clifton Beach Tasmania. From left Frank Prendergast, Phil Boyce, Gary Plumley, Ron Murray and Harry Wright. Our boat was a Boyd Humphries "The Trump" based on the famous Cave Beach style of rowing, we had to rate at over 38 strokes per minute to keep this design with extreme rocker movement running. 

In the late 1970's as a member of the elite Point Lonsdale Senior surf boat crew, we took over the running and management of a specialist weight training and weight lifting gymnasium that was home to most of the Olympic weightlifters who were based in Victoria. It wasn't long before we were inundated with other elite amatuer athletes, mainly sprinters looking for explosive power and strength training. Later in 1979, we were approached by Carlton and Richmond Football Clubs to assist in pre season strength training and development.

Our sweep and coach Peter"Grubb" Grant had rightly identified the power in athletes from Eastern Europe, the gym was struggling but had Victor Veresch the Olympic coach in residence. Our committment to our amatuer sport was used to motivate professional athletes in our gym. Both football teams enjoyed premierships in those years between 1979 and 1980. Not bad coaching and motivation from dedicated amatuers...

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