{"id":128799,"date":"2024-02-26T14:10:29","date_gmt":"2024-02-26T03:10:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/?p=128799"},"modified":"2024-02-26T14:10:29","modified_gmt":"2024-02-26T03:10:29","slug":"committee-for-lorne-surfboats-on-louttit-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/news\/committee-for-lorne-surfboats-on-louttit-bay\/","title":{"rendered":"Committee For Lorne: Surfboats on Louttit Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"

One emblematic sight … indeed, some may think it an image as <\/span>iconic<\/span><\/i> of Australia as the Sydney Opera House or Uluru … spread its colourful canvas across Louttit Bay last weekend.\u00a0 A flotilla of surfboats from almost every beach and surf club in the nation were competing in the Open and Masters divisions of the Royal Australian Navy-supported Australian Surfboat Rowers League [ASRL] Annual Carnival.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As I began this piece, I found myself wondering if I had been witnessing the National Surf Lifesaving Surfboat Championships under the auspice of Surf Life Saving Australia [SLSA] \u2014 my initial thought \u2014 or was <\/span>this<\/span> ‘event’ in a somehow different category?\u00a0 A search for ‘<\/span>SLSA Championships 2024<\/span><\/i>‘ revealed that the annual SLSA carnival is not to be held until April at Maroubra, New South Wales.\u00a0 So, what <\/span>exactly<\/span> did happen here in Lorne between February 15<\/span>th<\/span> and 18<\/span>th<\/span>, and why were all these surfboats here?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Given that some 300 boats from most Australian States competed, and as each boat had a crew of five \u2014 four oarsmen and a sweep [NB: the event caters for male and female crews] \u2014 between 1,500 and 2,000 athletes competed.\u00a0 Add several active support staff per crew, plus families and friends, and an estimated 4,000 surfboat enthusiasts came to town!\u00a0 And … all for a non-SLSA rival fixture!<\/span><\/p>\n

When I turned to the ASRL website to learn about the genesis of this second competition, I found a complex web of circumstances that split surfboat racing in two in the ’80s and ’90s.\u00a0 Beginning nearly four decades ago, the schism was mired in sponsor issues and television rights.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To explain, it might be simplest to paraphrase parts of the website of the Australian Surf Rowers League [https:\/\/asrl.com.au\/history-of-the-australian-surf-rowers-league-asrl\/] … seen in italics.<\/span><\/p>\n

“In the early 90s, a group of committed surfboat sweeps became concerned that surfboats were being omitted from the SLSA competition promotional picture.\u00a0 During the late ’80s, SLSA had heavily promoted TV coverage of the ‘Kellogg’s Ironmen Series’ in cooperation with corporate giant, Kellogg.\u00a0 In the early ’90s, a Kellogg competitor, Uncle Tobys, decided to introduce a competing televised program \u2014 the Uncle Tobys Series.\u00a0 Though Uncle Tobys was keen to include a surfboat competition, SLSA blocked their attempt.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

In 1993, Uncle Tobys directly sought some surfboat crews to compete in the Uncle Tobys Series alongside a group of Ironmen who had agreed to switch across from the SLSA\/Kellogg event program.\u00a0 However, while SLSA sanctioned the Ironmen to compete in the Uncle Tobys Series, the surfboat crews were not permitted to race.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Frustrated by the denial of opportunity, several surfboat crews from Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria \u2014 initially led by a New South Wales crew from Freshwater \u2014 decided to form a break-away body.\u00a0 When New Zealand and South African crews agreed to participate, the International League of Rowers (ILOR) was formed.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Despite much discussion between the ILOR and SLSA, SLSA continued to refuse to allow surfboats to join in the Uncle Tobys series, but, defying the SLSA ban, the ILOR crews decided to ignore the sanction and accept Uncle Tobys invitation to race.\u00a0 The first Uncle Tobys surfboat event was held in 1993 at Surfers Paradise, with twenty-four crews from Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria competing.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

An SLSA disciplinary committee meeting charging ‘conduct unbecoming’ followed.\u00a0 With legal teams hired by both sides, common sense finally prevailed, and the charge was withdrawn.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

However, things soon turned nasty again when Uncle Tobys surfboat crews continued to race, ignoring what is described on the ILOR website as ‘… a sustained assault of intimidation and threat from SLSA and SLSNSW’.\u00a0 State SLS officials were even assigned to video and record the crews’ names at Uncle Tobys events for possible future disciplinary action.\u00a0 SLSNSW instigated disciplinary action against some of the Uncle Tobys Series crews and attempted to prevent them from competing in other NSW events.\u00a0 Lawsuits followed, only ending when the Federal Court of New South Wales decided the case in favour of the ILOR, with costs awarded against SLSNSW.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

As more and more crews became aware of what was happening, they joined the push for a “fair go” until, eventually, SLSNSW withdrew their objections and threatened sanctions.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

After four further seasons of the Uncle Tobys series \u2014 including ILOR surfboat racing \u2014 the ASRL was formed to represent all surfboat rowers and allow competition on a more level playing field.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

So, have we been watching the National SLSA Championships?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 But the event certainly provided a surfboat spectacle of equal interest and one with a laser focus on the surfboat <\/span>alone<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0 With that difference in mind, Lorne was privileged to welcome and host the 2024 ASRL championships \u2014 an event proudly supported since 2008 by Team Navy and the Royal Australian Navy.<\/span><\/p>\n

As I wrote this story, I couldn’t help but think of parallels in other sporting codes.\u00a0 In the late 1970s, a schism split international cricket when the Kerry Packer-driven World Series Cricket briefly flamed, then burned.\u00a0 Even now, several cricket competitions \u2014 notably the Big Bash League in Australia and the Indian Premier League \u2014 challenge the time-honoured ‘primacy and purity’ of the ICC-led Test Series.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\"\"<\/p>\n

In other sports, sponsors (particularly the major TV conglomerates) continue to sue and counter-sue as they ‘battle it out’ in the courts over TV rights \u2014 golf, tennis, and football come to mind.\u00a0 It seems that nowadays, sponsorships, egos, and money rule all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Putting that thought aside, the sight of dozens of surfboats in the bay is spellbinding: … sleek boats catching practice waves on the bar; … a boat far behind and out the back surging past a hapless leading crew caught wallowing in dead water ahead; … a town filled with fit, bronzed men and women in their prime; … the ‘village green’ carpeted by slim, gleaming craft of every hue, their shining, varnished wooden ribs smelling sweetly in the warmth of the sun; … all made for a remarkable, welcomed, and unforgettable presence in the town.<\/span><\/p>\n

While I had initially intended to pen a short history of the Australian surfboat, I soon found this piece taking an entirely different direction!\u00a0 Maybe a historical perspective on the Australian surf boat can await another day.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the meantime, Lorne extends its thanks to the ASRL and Team Navy for highlighting our 2024 Lorne summer with a wonderful, colourful, and keenly contested event showcasing Australia’s surfboat athletes at their very finest.<\/span><\/p>\n

As an addendum, it was nice to see so many crew members from all over Australia enjoying the hospitality of the Aquatic Club, where the queue for Hutch\u2019s unfailingly welcoming service stretched out the door and nearly back to Jason\u2019s Window!<\/span><\/p>\n

John Agar<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feature Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A word from the Chairman<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Hello<\/span><\/p>\n

Please don\u2019t turn off when you see Council mentioned!\u00a0 This is incredibly important for the future of Lorne, so please read on and heed the Call to Action below.<\/span><\/p>\n

The long-awaited electoral structure review of Surf Coast Shire Council has been released.\u00a0 The review is part of a process implemented in 2022 by the State Government under the Local Government Act (LGA), to look at the structure of councils to ensure equitable representation of ratepayers and voters.\u00a0 The last such review occurred in 2012.<\/span><\/p>\n

The review was conducted by an independent Electoral Representation Advisory Panel and considered the following issues:<\/span><\/p>\n