In Memory of Bill 'Woofa' Barnett By Brenden Reedy  

Jack Patison’s defending series champions, Ego Platinum Austinmer, are sitting pretty on top of the Evive Ocean Thunder Pro Surf Boat Series pointscore after a spectacular round two at Dee Why on Saturday.   Austinmer (pictured left) finished fourth in the double-race final behind Skilled Avoca, Your Style North Curl Curl and e-Go Pacific Palms.   But consistency is the name of the game and after the smaller conditions of round one and the testing two-metre surf which greeted the crews in round two on Saturday, the “Austi” boys are on top. 

“Navy George Bass Surfboat Marathon” Newsletter No 8 December 07 New Major Sponsor Announced The Royal Australian Navy have agreed to join with us as the Major Sponsor for the 2007-08 “Navy George Bass Surfboat Marathon”. The committee is delighted to announce this sponsorship and look forward to working closely with our sponsor in providing a great event.

Welcome to the 4th Edition of the ASRL Newsletter.. The Newsletter will be produced on a monthly basis for everyone to reference. This is a good opportunity for all State Based Surf Rowers Leagues to pass on any information to the rowers. This newsletter is also open to anyone that wishes to pass on any important information that is related to Surf Boats. If any State based league wishes to contribute to this newsletter or if anyone has anything they wish to pass on. Please contact the Editor; Chris De Jong 0410 330086 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Start – International League of Rowers (ILOR) In the early 1990’s, a group of committed surfboat sweeps was very concerned that surfboats were being left out of the SLSA competition promotional picture. During the 80’s, SLSA with the help of Kelloggs, had heavily promoted the Ironmen into a televised series of events. In the early 90’s, the Uncle Tobys company decided to challenge the dominance of the Kellogg’s Ironman Series with the introduction of a competing Uncle Toby’s Series, which was also going to be televised. Uncle Tobys made approaches and wanted to include Surfboats, but this was being blocked by SLSA.

You are reading this newsletter on the new ASRL website. We hope that the changes are another step forward and will be of benefit to all members.    I would like to place on record our appreciation of the work done by Matt Bruce in his time as Web Master. Matt like so many of us has a limited amount of time and with his work & club involvement decided that it was best to pass the baton on. Thanks Matt for the many years of solid work on behalf of rowers from all around Australia.    You will notice a new approach to the front page where we hope to keep the information fresh and relevant. We now have…

DEE WHY, November 3: Australia’s premier surf boat crew, Pure Blonde North Cottesloe, have stamped their authority on the Evive Ocean Thunder Pro Surf Boat Series after an impressive opening round at Dee Why Beach in Sydney.  And there was a bonus waiting for the boys when they turned their mobile phones on at the end of the day – messages congratulating them on their selection to represent Australia in the prestigious International Centenary Test Series at Bondi at the end of the month. 

There’s something uniquely Australian in the image of a boat crew, the sweep in control at the stern, batting their way though huge breakers to rescue a hapless swimmer fighting the rip. When a swimmer is 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 many 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…