News in
Brief
The season is now well on the way and all is leading up to SA Champs
in March.
The
News-
Not exactly the best season we are having with the unfortunate
drowning at our beach and then the shark attack.
The drowning took place during our voluntary duty hours on a Sunday in
December. The drowning happened about 100m up from the Hobie Club which is in
an area that is not covered by us but nevertheless it was on our
beach.
Unfortunately the shark attack took place just off the Catwalk close to
where the previous one
took place. The incident happened during the time when the SE wind was coming through
quite badly with lots of whitewater and low SE type misty cloud not making shark spotting
easy.
On both occasions all of the relevant Lifeguards responded very
satisfactory and did everything that was expected. The media has made a meal out
of issues that simply are not there. I think the media handled the reports very
unprofessionally and was, at most, very distorted to achieve sensationalism.
A big well done to all involved and thank
you.
Now that training is cautiously continuing the club powers that be
are coming up with quite a few new safety measures that will be coming and are already in
place.
Coaches and
competitors are asked to adhere to them no mater how trivial one thinks they may
be.
Street
Collection-
Saturday 30 January 2010 is street collection day. All club duty and
competition members are requested (expected) to please attend. Pitch up in your
duty kit with clean takkies at about 7.30am (or a time to be advised on bulksms)
at the club to receive your venue and collection can. Seniors if you can give
lifts. Collectors will be placed in small squads covering the South Peninsula. Some of you who stay far away
may request your team mates to collect your tin for you and you meet them at your
allocated venue. Any queries speak to our fine coordinator Gaye
Weeks.
All funds are in aid of the running of the club and equipment.
Freeing up other funds (sponsors) for Competitions.
Competitions-
With the shark attack taking place all the other clubs are now
refusing to compete at Fish Hoek (woessies) all the competitions scheduled for
Fish Hoek/Strandfontain are being reallocated to the Atlantic sea
board.
A new revised calendar will replace the old shortly as soon as the
stupid LWP Competition Officer can sort it out. I even know where hopefully we
are going.
This Saturday 23 January the Fish Hoek Comp is now at Big Bay (sprinters bring gumboots) please meet
by 1pm latest 1.30pm and bring Scull Caps and Club Costumes. We are packing the
limited space trailer on Friday shortly after the Sea Dog
Paddle.
The next Snr/Jnr comp is the Strandfontain Comp on Saturday 13 Feb
now going to Milnerton.
WP Champs will now move to Saturday at Camps Bay and
Sunday on Clifton
Beach the home of WP
competition. This venue has not been used for some time now in senior
competition.
SA
Champs-
Takes place from Thursday 25 to Saturday 27 March 2010 in PE at
Blue
Water Bay.
The club (Richard) is making accommodation arrangements for the
competitors who we like to try stay together (not compulsory) at the Garden
Court Holiday Inn opposite Kings Beach.
Parents wanting to stay at the same venue can have a chat with
Richard for info.
Travelling to PE is open to the individual’s preference. You may fly
or drive at your own expense and meet the team at the accommodation on Wednesday
(or if not staying with
us on the beach Thursday)
Be advised if you are flying you need transport in PE as the
competition is at BWB and the Hotel is about a 20 minute drive
apart.
The club is hiring a Luxury 44/48 Megabus Coach (very reputable
company we have used on 3 previous occasions). Leaving from CT in the early
hours of Wednesday morning and returning back to CT in the afternoon of the
Sunday. We will have the use of the coach while we are there but it is limited for
space. So obviously those who travelled up to PE in it will be transported
between the venues and if space any other lucky
ones.
Spots on the Coach are limited so book early to secure your
place. We will allow parents only after all the competitors have had an
opportunity to make use of it. Please book by putting you name on the list on
the notice board.
The Coach is
subject to an “almost Full Booking”. Otherwise it does not
pay.
Costs for SA Champs is dependent on our fundraising efforts to
include the street collection amongst others. But we estimate it to be between
R1500 and R2000 not much more than that.
Costumes-
Our club costume and colours have a long and proud history. It
saddens me and quite a few of our other longstanding members and founder members
to see in particular our female competitors choosing not to wear our official
club uniform costume and colours at competitions rather an assortment of the
latest fashion.
The club is trying everything to make sure you are as comfortable as
possible and has even changed the design as requested by you. We are even now
ordering bikini costumes in club colors. Remember it is our colors that identify
us to our club who in turn identify us with our sponsors who assist us in
getting us to where we are now. Is it not too much to request that from now on no matter what event you are competing at, to wear our colors and uniform
with pride. To include individual events. Lets not look to find excuses why not
but rather why we should.
Competitors who wear more than one costume, please make sure the
others underneath are also black and not this multi-color assortments. (Male and
Female)
Congratulations to all participated at the Hansgrohe Master of the
Water Event this last Saturday it was good to see you all doing so well. I like
to pick out Kerri Anderson and Lyle Maasdorp who I think did particularly well.
To the rest of you, you were fantastic it is very pleasing to see you all doing
so well. (I would say the club is proud but nobody knew which clubs you came from as nobody was
wearing club kit). “Maybe it was the wetsuits” ?
Duties-
Club members are reminded of their voluntary commitments especially
during competition times. We cannot accept competitors simply not arriving for
duties as this puts unnecessary pressure to those that have pitched up. We have
a commitment to the community and that is why we have the club we do. Make
arrangements with others and your squad leaders. Non Competitors that are not
arriving for duties make me wonder why you committed in the first place. But
those that do a big thanks for all the hours already put in. You can help
further by subbing during Competition days.
That’s it for now and remember we have a website www.fishhoeksurf.co.za thanks to Bruce
for all the hard work. And if you have anything to place on the site from news
to pics and even your own accounts of events(lifesaving that is), anything
please contact Bruce he is only to keen to update. He can be contacted on kestrel@telkomsa.net
Remember Vigilance and Service! And Hardcore Training Leads to
Success
Tommy
