Surf Boats
“Trail come aft! So says the sweep. There could be fewer greatest thrills in the sporting world than the exhilaration of dropping over the face of a large wave and sitting amid the foam in the stern as the sweep pits their skill against the power of the wave. It is been a blend of calculated excitement laced with a tinge of danger that has kept Lifesavers venturing into the surf with oared boats in an age where machines could do it much easier. Because Port Elliot had the surf and the people to tackle it we embraced surf boats from the beginning.” - Colin Sibly, On the wings of the Flying Fish.
Port Elliot SLSC’s extensive surf rowing history extends back to 1954 where Touring Team members who attended the 1954 Australian Championships held in Southport-QLD. were engaged in conversations with Wollongong SLSC about the possibility of purchasing their older boat- The Matthew Flinders.
The Wollongong contingent went one better and gifted the boat to Port Elliot, forging the way for our clubs rowing future and an interclub friendship spanning seven decades.
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The rest is history with the Matthew Flinders being renamed the Flying Fish after the fateful wreck of the schooner Flying Fish and rescue of her crew in Horseshoe Bay in 1860 giving birth to the club we know today.
At Port Elliot we work hard towards ‘Familyfying’ the surf boat area and focussing on the development and cultural connection between our youth, the club and family, paving the way for a sustainable boat area of the future.
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To assist with rebuilding the depth within our club as a boat area we have implemented Under 23 and Senior Coordinators. The coordinators work alongside the Surf Boat Captain with logistics, recruitment and mentoring within their areas and come together with current sweeps or individual crew representatives to form our club Surf Rowers’ Panel.
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The key objective to our panel being that all stakeholders get an input into advancing our Surf Boat division for the betterment of Port Elliot SLSC membership and retain membership in a safe, inclusive and
Informative environment.
OPEN MEN’S SA STATE CHAMPIONS.
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1954
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1955
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1956
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1957
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1959
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1973
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1974
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1979
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2014
OPEN WOMEN’S SA STATE CHAMPIONS.
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1994
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2001
AUSTRALIAN SURF LIFE SAVING CHAMPIONSHIPS.
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1991 - 4th U19 Men’s Final.
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1994 - Equal 2nd - Open Women’s Invitational Final.
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1995 - Open Women’s Semi Final.
AUSTRALIAN SURF ROWERS LEAGUE - AUSTRALIAN OPEN.
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2004 - Gold - U21 Women.
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2005 - Gold - 180+ Masters.
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2013 - Bronze - SA State Team.
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2018 - Bronze - SA State Team.
WORLD LIFE SAVING CHAMPIONSHIPS.
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2015 - Silver - 160+ Masters - France.
Ever wanted to get involved in surf rowing and be part of the next chapter in the Flying Fish story? We’ve got a seat for you.
