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Copacabana SLSC

update March 2024

This year is the 60th year anniversary of Copacabana Surf Life Saving Club which has been serving the Copacabana community and its visitors since 1963. The Club started with just fourteen active members, but now boasts over four hundred and fifty members of which some ninety are active surf life savers…patrolling our beach on weekends and public holidays.

The origins of surf lifesaving can be traced back to September 1902, when surf bathing increased in popularity after the removal of a law which stated that during daylight hours it was prohibited. As the popularity of surf bathing quickly grew, small groups of experienced and regular surfers, concerned with the rising incidence of drowning, initiated the formation of lifesaving bodies to assist those requiring rescue.

As these clubs grew in size and numbers, the need for a united front to raise funds and seek assistance from local and state government resulted in the New South Wales Surf Bathing Association being formed on 18 October, 1907.

The Surf Life Saving Central Coast Branch was formed in October 1938 at a meeting with the five original Central Coast surf clubs. After the establishment of the Branch, there was a temporary halt to the further advancement of Surf Life Saving during World War II before renewed growth slowly accelerated and the other fifteen affiliated clubs, including Copacabana, were formed.

Copacabana SLSC has a focus on enjoyment and participation at all levels, along with various competition programs for those that like to race! Memberships are available for juniors, masters, seniors and families, either active or associate.

To celebrate our 60th Anniversary year we staged a Diamond Knights Gala event on February 24.

It was held on the Green under a big top tent. The one hundred people who attended included

members and community people who came together to celebrate.

If you would like to get involved in surf lifesaving or the running of the club, we are always after

volunteers. Have a look at our website, Facebook and Instagram pages for the most up to date

information about the activities of the club. For inquiries email: admin@copacabanaslsc.org.au

See you on the beach! Board of Copacabana SLSC

update December 2023

The beach patrol season has started again for Copacabana SLSC. A warm welcome to community members who will be swimming and having fun at Copacabana beach this summer! The season has kicked off to a fantastic start with the club now having a healthy membership of 417 members consisting of 95 active members who patrol our beach, 182 junior members and 140 associate or Life Members. So, we are full steam ahead for the 2023/24 surf lifesaving season!

Our Surf Patrols have been very active in keeping Copacabana beach safe since the season started on September 24th. We also have a number of members training for their Bronze Medallion and Senior Resuscitation Certificates (SRC). This season our Rookies (over 14 years) are heading to Tamworth to participate in a “Beach to Bush” networking opportunity with students from Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School to do some of the SRC training course there. The students from Tamworth will then come to Copacabana beach to complete their water safety component of the course. We also offer a number of other surf lifesaving education courses, so if you are interested contact education@copacabanslsc.org.au

This is the club’s 60th year and to mark this achievement we are organising a number of events over the weekend of 24/25 Feb 2024. There will be a gala ball for members and events on the green for community members. Keep your eye out on our socials and website for details.

A “Men’s Health, Meat and Music” night with Copa Smoke and the FRECKO Band was held on 25th November. It was a great rollup and we raised funds for Men’s Health and the club to support our ongoing surf lifesaving activities.

WEEKENDERS is back again this season - the bar is open for members, guests and the community every Friday 5-9pm upstairs in the club. Come along to enjoy the sunset while sipping on a bevvy! Meals can be ordered at Arties Cafe up until 7pm or bring in takeaway after 7pm. Members receive a discount on drinks and the profits from bar sales helps us raise funds to support the club. Updates on our social media pages and website www.copacabanaslsc.org.au

We are after volunteers to help us out with the many activities of the club - both on the beach and “behind the scenes”. If you have some time and would like to meet new people while helping out your community, please get in touch with us!

Christmas and New Year is a busy time and we know that there will be many visitors to our beach. We encourage you to swim between the flags and to keep up to date on weather and beach conditions. Access the latest information on the Beachsafe App which provides detailed information from patrol status, facilities and hazards to weather, swell and tide.

For further info drop us an email at:
admin@copacabanaslsc.org.au

See you on the beach – Tom Tseng

update September 2023

Registration for Club Membership (Nippers and Active patrolling members) is now open online for the upcoming season.

Go to: members.slsc.com.au. Registration will also be available at our OPEN DAY on Sunday 10th September. There will also be lifesaving displays and the uniform shop will be open to purchase Club swimwear and merchandise.
Go to our website (copacabanaslsc.org.au) or our Facebook page for more information.

Our Friday night Weekenders social event at the club has been going on Fridays throughout the winter months and on some nights we have had over 60 people attending!! During the summer season it will be open Fridays and Sundays (possibly Saturdays as well). Check our social media pages and website for details during the season.

Other activities:

Melbourne Cup Luncheon – 7th November – tickets available Eventbrite
Copa Moves – for members and community – see social media for details
60th Year Celebrations – February 2024 – see social media and website for details

With the red and yellow flags going up on the 23rd September, it’s a busy time at Copacabana Surf Lifesaving Club as we prepare for the upcoming season.

The AGM was held on the 9th of July and a new Executive Committee was elected for the 2023-2024 season:

President - Tom Tseng

Vice President – Surf Operations - Blake Jesson

Vice President – People & Culture - Jo Fraser

Director of Junior Development - Kelly Henry

Director of Lifesaving (Club Captain) - Paul Robinson

Director of Member Services - Kurt Van Vasselaer

Director of Finance - Peter McIntyre

Director of Surf Sports - David Brooks

Director of Administration - Fiona Duignan

Director of Education - Ash Capps

A fun Trivia Night was held at the Surf Club as a fundraiser for the Club. The event was organised by Trudy Baron and Deb Hutchings and their team from Change Property (changeproperty.com.au). The money raised will go towards valuable lifesaving equipment that the club needs for the upcoming season. Thanks to all the local businesses that donated prizes for the night:

Artie’s Place ATPI Terrigal Burnt Honey
Central Coast Mariners Fresko Fruit Looloo’s Coffee Warehouse
Copacabana Cellars Copa Food Stop Palmy
Six String Brewery Twisted Scissors The Skin Society
Havanah Hair & Beauty Oh Bless Home Kincumber Produce
Lady Copa Pizza Luca’s Chemist Ocean Bar Cantina
Star of the Sea Tim Freer The Bees Knees
Mitre10 Kincumber Ninja Flooring Rose & Renoir

update July 2023

The 2022/23 surf lifesaving season has come to an end. The last day of volunteer patrols on Copacabana beach was on Anzac Day. The red and yellow flags have come down now from the beach so be aware and keep safe if you are venturing into the water. There has been a number of rescues this season and numerous preventative actions by our volunteer patrolling members and the preventative actions by our Council Lifeguards. Well done to all!

To celebrate the successes of the 2022/23 surf lifesaving season 110 members and their guests piled into the club on Sat 13th May. Our club’s major senior awards for the season were presented to key volunteer individuals and teams who gave up much of their time to assist with running the club and to patrol the beach. Thank you to our organising working party for doing an amazing job and getting it all together....it was a team effort!

Thank you to our sponsors Change Property who came on the night! Thank you to John Harkness, CEO Central Coast Surf Lifesaving Branch who attended and gave an overview of the commendable efforts of our patrols on the beach and all the volunteers who contribute to running an efficient surf lifesaving club. A big congratulations to Kelly Henry who took our Club Person of the Year and Dion Molyneux for Surf Lifesaver of the Year. Anthony Higgs was also presented with his Life Members jacket.

In early June, the club held two very successful CPR/ Defib training sessions for community members. These courses were run by our trainers to community members to assist them to learn how to use the community defibs located around Copacabana and at the surf club.

Earlier this year the club received a grant as part of the NSW Government’s Surf Club Facility Program. We have formed a building committee who is currently sourcing quotes for the works.

Upgrades include a new, larger first aid room created under the existing patrol tower, a new multi-purpose room for training, education and community meetings and an
expanded café.

Upcoming Events:

Monthly Friday Weekenders - first Friday of the month until
next season.
AGM - Sunday 9th July at 3.30pm

Keep an eye out for our social media pages and website for details of Weekenders and any other events during winter. Running a surf lifesaving club and keeping people safe on the beach requires lots of volunteers. We are looking for people to lend us a hand so if you are wanting to try something different feel free to email our President, Tom Tseng:

president@copacabanaslsc.org.au

See you on the beach or in the club!!

Executive Committee

Copacabana SLSC

The summer period was a busy time on the beach and in the club for Copacabana SLSC. The number of visitors to the beach each day were the highest we have had since the pre-Covid period. There have been nine rescues this season so far, and numerous preventative actions taken by our patrolling members. (These figures don’t include the rescues and preventative actions by the Council Lifeguards).

In the Club, we had Summer Weekenders with Elyse and her fabulous team of chefs from Arties Café providing meals on most of the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings during the holiday period. The food was delicious and there was a themed variety of meals each weekend. Thank you to all the members, locals and tourists that came to the Club during this period - and thank you to our volunteer bar crews.

Now that the holiday period has ended, Friday Weekenders has started up again. A big, big thanks to the Change Property staff for cooking the food at Friday Weekenders on February 3rd. They were absolutely inundated with food orders such was the popularity of their delicious food (setting a record for the number of meals provided in a short period of time). Unfortunately, they are unable to continue to cook in our kitchen for the rest of this season as they are just too busy with their business at the moment.

The last of the weekly Friday Weekenders was on the 25th of February and then we will only be having Friday Weekenders once a month. Keep an eye out for these dates on our social media pages.

The Club has also been training a large group of new Bronze Medallion candidates. These new “Bronzies” will be patrolling on the beach at Copa in the near future helping to keep Copacabana Beach safe for all users. An IRB crew course has also started with new recruits learning how to rescue from the rubber duckie boats.

We will be running a community-based CPR/defib course in May 2023. The date will be advertised on our website and on our social media pages in the near future.

Running a surf lifesaving club and keeping people safe on the beach requires lots of volunteers. We are looking for more people to lend us a hand so if you are wanting to try something different in your local community feel free to email me: president@copacabanaslsc.org.au

See you on the beach!! – Tom Tseng – President

update March 2023

The beach patrol season has started again for Copacabana SLSC. We are literally up and running with our Nippers program once again seeing a large group of children on the beach on Sunday mornings learning about water safety and having a fun time in the water and on the sand. It’s not too late for your children to join the Nippers program if they might be interested – just come down to the beach on a Sunday morning.

Our Patrols have been very active in keeping the beach safe since the season started on September 24th. We also have a large number of members training for their Bronze medallion and Senior Resuscitation Certificates.

Weekenders at Copacabana has also started again on Friday evenings from 5:30 -8:00pm. Come down for a drink and a meal and enjoy the view. The Club will also be open for meals and drinks on Saturday and Sunday evenings from 5:30-8:00pm during the Christmas School Holidays.

See you on the beach!

Regards, Tom Tseng,
President, Copa SLSC

update December 2022

The popular Weekenders will be starting up again at the Surf Club on Friday 4th November (5pm -9pm). It’s a chance to unwind at the end of the week and to have a few drinks and a meal and to enjoy the views from the Clubhouse. All welcome.

I look forward to meeting you all.

Regards, Tom Tseng, President, Copa SLSC

Even though the flags are not up yet, there is still plenty of activity at the Copacabana SLSC. Registration for Club Membership (Nippers and Active patrolling members) is now open online for the upcoming season.

Go to: www.members.slsc.com.au

There will also be two registration times for face-to-face registration in September – the dates will be published on the club website copacabanaslsc.org.au as the time gets nearer.

The red and yellow flags go up again on the 24th September and all our patrolling members are looking forward to keeping Copacabana beach safe for all.

We’ve been busy over the off season as well. The AGM was held on July 1 and a new Executive Committee was elected for the 2022-2023 season:

President Tom Tseng

Vice President – Surf Operations Jo Fraser

Vice President – People & Culture Michael Magriplis

Director of Junior Development Kelly Henry

Director of Lifesaving (Club Captain) Blake Jesson

Director of Member Services Shane Murray

Director of Finance Peter Chapman

Director of Surf Sports David Brooks

Director of Administration Fiona Duignan

Director of Education Ash Capps

A fun Trivia Night was held at the Copacabana Surf Club recently as a fundraiser for the Club. The event was organized by Trudy Baron and Deb Hutchings and their team from Change Property changeproperty.com.au. The money raised will go towards valuable lifesaving equipment that the club needs for the upcoming season.

Thanks to all the local businesses that donated prizes for the night:

Artie’s Place

Beachfox

Burnt Honey

Cabana Café & Bar

Central Coast Mariners

Copa Beachside Café
Copacabana Cellars

Copacabana Food Stop
Copacabana Newsagency

Copacabana Snips
Gabi & Ricardo Hair Design

George’s Fruit Barn

Havanah Hair & Beauty

Home Ground
Kincumber Hotel

Lady Copa Pizzeria e Bira

Luca’s Chemist

Ocean Bar Cantina

Star of the Sea Tara Mae Beauty
The Bees Knees

Voco Hunter Valley

September 2022

It has almost felt like a normal season for us this year for the club, just without the people and the fun. The crowds were down on the beach, but our patrols managed over 4000 patrolling hours and made 26 rescues. As an emergency service, Surf Life Saving provided flood assistance with Copa members being utilised effectively in the Hawkesbury area.

The Nippers program was a success despite the challenges of ‘cautious socialisation’. Credit for this achievement goes to our Director of Junior Activities, Kelly Henry and her team of Age Managers who powered through each week regardless. It never ceases to amaze me how some people start by simply asking how they can help out, and end up as incredible mentors for our young people. The Junior Presentation was held in May and it was a great celebration for the kids to acknowledge their achievements this season.

On the business side of things, our partnership with KoWorks goes from strength to strength and it’s great to see other clubs coming on board creating a network of comfortable and alternate work locations. Our committee was ecstatic to finally receive approval on our DA to relocate the First Aid room. This project will go a long way towards creating a new sense of arrival and improving the functionality of the club.

Lastly, as this is my final year as President, I wish to thank the other local community organisations in Copacabana. Our relationships with the CCA, the RFS and Copa Public School were identified as important to our Club’s future success and have been key elements in a number of projects - the Community Defib Project being a standout. I wish to publicly thank Sue Steedman and Shane Hughes for their support and friendship over my time in this role. Sometimes it’s not easy but there can be no community unless people work together, and I am proud that our club has developed meaningful relationships with other organisations in Copa.

Hopefully this is a turning point for us all. As we all venture back to what we would call ‘normality’ and start to enjoy people and places, Copacabana SLSC will return to creating opportunities for gatherings and celebrations and bringing people together. It’s why we do what we do after all.

Regards, Adam

update June 2022

March 2022

Drone photography by Fotocam

Whilst the end of the season is in sight, we still have eighteen more patrol days left at time of writing. What an awesome season we have had to date with challenging weather to say the least. Thanks to all our patrol members who volunteer many hours out of their lives to ensure our beachfront is safe and ready for our community to enjoy. The last day of patrols will be on April 25.

If you have been on the beach over the last couple of weeks you would have seen our incredible Nipper crew complete their last round of point score. It’s been wonderful to watch the Nippers’ abilities develop over the season. Thanks for the amazing work our JAC, Age Managers, Water Safety and parent helpers have offered over the season to get them through: this development prepared our Nippers to attend Branch carnival at Avoca/ Terrigal. Whilst the weather was ordinary, it was great to see the kids have a go and get some medals. There have been many kids able to attend carnival this year which has been amazing. Thanks to Dave Burge and the team who have got the kids registered, tent area set up and co-ordinated board collections so they are ready for carnival.

This year our Masters team manager, Aaron Henry, has done an awesome job in offering Saturday morning training (however, I think it’s more about the coffee afterwards) which saw an awesome team attend Branch carnival.

Koworks have returned post break and it is great to see new faces amongst the familiar ones using the club this way. What better place to open up your laptop to start your day’s work than the view Copacabana beach has to offer, no matter what the weather is like. This is a great initiative as it is providing essential funds, allowing us to continue to improve what our club has to offer. We will shortly see

our new storage facilities completed, which will allow future club hirers to enjoy a clean, clutter-free space.

Weekenders is continuing until the end of the season. Thanks to Change Property Management, Copa Smoke and all the other volunteers who have offered time in the kitchen to provide food. Even though we have had some cancellations, we have managed to keep the bar open and offer light refreshments and drinks through the bar. Thanks to Katie, who is doing an amazing job co-ordinating the bar roster and the event hirers to ensure we are also stocked and ready to go.

As our season starts to draw to a close, we will start thinking about next season and what that looks like. Goodness knows a season without a pandemic is long overdue. Whilst the AGM date has not yet been set, we will continue to nurture the community spirit that is returning as people feel more comfortable around others.

It has been a wonderful unforeseen benefit of the past two years that new fresh faces have joined our club, with people having moved here permanently. They add new energy to the existing crowd of motivated bodies which provides reassurance that we are heading back to a new and improved ‘normal’.

Warm regards
Jo Fraser

Footage by Fotocam

December 2021

Well, another season is well and truly underway, and it’s safe to say we’re starting to see the club pulling together in a positive manner. From an Executive Committee perspective, we’re starting to cross the Covid bridge and looking positively into season 2021-2022.

We have a full Executive Committee. Welcome to Peter Chapman (Director of Finance) and Shane Murray (Director of Member Services). Both bring exceptional experience into these positions, and they will be around the club as both sets of families have their kids in our Nippers program.

New Events Manager – Katie Stranks – now fully engaged with event applications coming in thick and fast, and now taking the reins of our Week-Enders program. If you need to contact Katie, please do on events@copacabanaslsc.org.au

WeekEnders will kick off the first Friday of December. We will also open a booking system for the Friday 24th December (5pm-9pm) and Friday 31st December (6pm-midnight) to gauge if it’s still worth opening ... come on folks, it will be great!

We will be holding a Special General Meeting to implement Constitutional reform...how exciting!

While we recognise our future, our Life Members are about respecting our history. The club now has a Life Member Representative and we welcome Wendy Walsh to the role.

The club has also partnered with an exciting new venture – KoWorks. Some of our entrepreneurial members developed the concept of using the club as a workspace rather than working from home. Interested ‘koworkers’ book through an App and the club has never looked more…relaxed. Popularity is growing and spaces will eventually be capped so check it out – member or not. New people, new networks.

With last season disrupted by COVID and the last couple of months stretching everyone’s wellbeing, it led me to reflect on a time when I was at the NSW Waratahs when Ewen McKenzie was the Head Coach. The issue with professional sport, as with all employment, is that sometimes decisions don’t go your way and the easiest thing to do is to find someone to download on. When the going is good, nothing beats great publicity; but for an unhappy player, coach, or other staff, it can eat away at the organisation.

That’s why Coach McKenzie invented the mantra “NO SOFT EARS” - if you had any issues, you dealt with it by taking straight back to the source. The same can be seen in any volunteer organisation.

To this end, Copacabana SLSC has an email for those with any concerns, recommendations or feedback. Just go through our website through the “Your Thoughts” link - https://www.copacabanaslsc.org.au/contact-us

This is our way of having no soft ears, to listen and address concerns, or take member recommendations and bring them to life, so that all members feel welcomed, acknowledged, and supported. We extend this to the wider Copacabana community also.

Finally, a big WELCOME to all new members and families. We hope you find Copacabana SLSC a family friendly club that encourages everyone to develop new skills, make new friends and deliver a valuable service to others in our community. If you are not already a part of Copacabana surf club, our doors are always open to you.

Yours on the beach and in the clubhouse

Michael Magriplis

Vice President - People & Culture

September 2021

No lockdown or pandemic will stop the return of the warmer weather, and that means that people will be heading for the beach. For Copa SLSC and our members, it’s not clear how the season will start, but we are certainly preparing as though the season will be ‘business as usual’ (with back-up plans) for Patrols and Nippers.

That said, there is no greater need than to connect with people at this time and that is exactly what the club provides the Copa community. This year, more than ever, we want everyone to feel part of something that’s meaningful and valued by many. If you ever thought about joining us ‘one-day’, make it today….make it this season. We want Copa SLSC to remain a strong and central community leader in Copacabana and it’s the people, new and old at the centre of that focus.

Registrations this year are:

Sunday Sept 5 @ 1-3pm

Friday Sept 10 @ 6-8pm

Sunday Sept 12 @ 10-12pm

We have our first big event planned for Sunday Sept 12 – it is the Copa Amazing Race. Families will be able to use their own car and plot the course using clues and riddles to find the treasure and win the race. It will be followed up by a presentation at the club.

We’ve not run an event like this for many years and they were always good fun. Of course, it is wholly reliant on the restriction level on that date (so many fingers are crossed).

Volunteer with us

We are looking to build our volunteer bar roster and will be running an RSA course soon. If you have not had any experience, that’s fine, we are just after 4-5 hrs ever 4-6 weeks.
If you’re a numbers person, we need a capable bookkeeper to be our Director of Finance.
We also have different ‘assistant’ roles that could suit you too if you are interested.

If you have any questions or might be interested in joining us this season, please contact Briohny Kennedy at admin@copacabanaslsc.org.au

Adam Richards

President

update JUNE 2021

The end of the season provides everyone with a chance to take a deep breath, wind down and acknowledge the many people who have helped us meet our obligations on the beach. The break will be short lived however as we review the year against our club goals, and assess how we came out of an unprecedented ‘Covid’ affected season.

One of the most important parts of a successful season debrief is celebrating what we have achieved as a club and that happened at our Senior Presentation night at the end of May - the first club social event in 18 months (woo-freakin-hoo) Our Nippers will celebrate their season at the Junior Presentation on Sunday June 6 and as those kids immerse themselves into winter sports, we will be preparing for our AGM on Sunday July 4. With that, the new Committee will start preparations for next season, and it all starts again.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank a few people, starting with our dedicated volunteers - beach, bar, Extended and Executive Committees. It also gives me great satisfaction to thank the Copacabana community who showed the club fantastic support this past 6 months. Thanks to new visitors, some who became new members, as well as those families who enjoyed Friday Weekenders each week.

The Change Property team who contributed to the success of those nights deserve a special mention too. You all played a big part in getting Copa Surf Club through a tough season.

Our club values feedback from our members, and the community

we protect.

If you have ideas or suggestions that you would like to share with our management team, please send it through our dedicated feedback point at yourthoughts@copacabanaslsc.org.au

Stay well everyone and we hope to see you at our monthly Weekenders - Live and local events. All that info and more available on our website.

Warm Regards....

Adam Richards

president@copacabanaslsc.org.au

March 2021

The busy period of our surf season has now passed and we are happy to say we just scraped through. The holiday period is always the most difficult with patrolling members and bar crew away. We are incredibly appreciative of those who stepped up and got us through and we are over the moon with the new faces doing their Bronze and IRB proficiencies.

We have had a great run lately - the beach has been virtually incident free so far - I think we have had more incidents in the shop area :-) and it has been great to welcome the new ‘regulars’ that have enjoyed Week-Enders with us. The recent Branch Carnival was another success for the young Nippers of the Central Coast, but especially for the club who put together the best event we possibly could. With so few opportunities to gather as a community we have really appreciated those few events that bring people together for a bit of hard work and plenty of laughs.

I recently attended a program through NSWSLS and UNSW that focused on the needs of volunteers: Autonomy - the freedom to exercise choice; Belonging - Connecting with others and Competence - the feeling of being capable. It was good to be able to relate those concepts to some of the intentional directions the club is taking. We want our members to feel like they belong to something important and to be proud of that connection. If they choose to be part of our beach safety program, we want to provide them with the confidence in themselves to contribute to
public safety.

The autonomous part is more about leadership and providing individuals with an opportunity to express their ideas and have input into the type of club we want. It was insightful and educational and I am pleased that our Committee has been moving in similar directions this past one and a half seasons.

Looking ahead - and hopefully including the rest of the Copa community - we are preparing for a return to live music at the club over the winter months. Week-Enders will continue until the end of April and then monthly ‘Week-Enders - Live and Local’. We are also looking forward to again collaborating with the CCA, the RFS and the school for the Anzac Day Dawn Service.

We still have a few months of the patrol season to go, and the doors won’t close when the season ends.

All the very best.

Cheers...

Adam Richards

president@copacabanaslsc.org.au

Join us on Friday afternoons from 5pm - 9pm at the Surf Club. All welcome. BAR OPEN, light catering for the adults and sausage sizzle for the kids.

‘Live & Local’ sessions happen once a month.

December 2020

After a slow Covid start, Copacabana SLSC is starting to find that strong forward momentum we need. The backbone of the club, our patrolling members, are on the beach and providing the safety we have come to expect.

New Director of Surf Lifesaving Paul Robinson has done a lot of work in the background to prepare the team and do the necessary planning we require these days to operate safely. The Age Managers are putting Nippers (and some brave parents) through their paces and Friday afternoon Week-Enders is drawing a crowd - all of which have the often laborious but essential social safety measures in place.

The Change Property team has always been a great supporter of our club, be it knocking out their famous burgers at Week-Enders or just helping where they can, and this year we are pleased to announce they have become a key sponsor of the club. Thanks Deb and Trudy for your unfailing support of Copa Surf Club.

This season, we have reintroduced the ‘Copacabana SLSC Boardriders’ as part of our Nippers program. There has always been a strong relationship between ‘clubbies’ and surfers.

Boardriders often find themselves providing assistance to troubled swimmers by simply being on the spot at the right time. Acknowledging this; Angelo, Damon and Jonas are entwining surfing competition with the learning programs offered by Surf Life Saving. If the swell gods look after us, we are certain the program will be a great success.

We are stoked to have Briohny Kennedy join our Executive Committee as the Director of Administration. Briohny brings a strong business mind that will complement the team nicely. Briohny’s appointment provides Michael Magriplis with the opportunity to step into our new role of Vice-President, People and Culture. The club introduced the new position this year to focus on members, community and developing a club culture that we all enjoy.

Our goal going forward is to enjoy a simple, safe and stress-free summer, and wish the same for you all as well. Have a wonderful Christmas and we hope to see you on the beach or up on the balcony.

Cheers...

Adam Richards

president@copacabanaslsc.org.au

September 2020

It's fair to say there will be a few changes for this upcoming season, and we are proud of the work being done in preparation for the summer ahead. In dealing with the things we know, it is likely there will be some form of variation to ‘business as usual’ for both Patrols and the Nipper program. Sadly, for our social calendar too.

What we know for certain is that people will still be using the beach, and the ocean has no appreciation for social distancing. Our Vice President, Smudge Smith has put in some clever strategies to maintain our commitment to beach safety, and Director of Junior Activities Jo Fraser, has been creative in developing a program for the kids that will be fun and safe, and that responsibly meets the required and variable restrictions.

Lastly, did you know that it takes over 40 people to run the club each season? If ever you had thought about getting involved in your community there is no better time than this coming season at Copa SLSC. We have roles both on the beach, and totally away from the beach, and the more we have the easier and more enjoyable the work is. If you have any questions regarding the club, please reach out to either Michael at admin@copacabanaslsc.org.au or Adam at 0409830790.

Otherwise, if you are down on the beach come and say hi to us this season. We have all been relatively disconnected for the past 6 months and it will be great to see both new and familiar faces. Stay safe, keep smiling and bring back the warm weather.

Cheers...

Adam Richards

president@copacabanaslsc.org.au

June 2020

As the sign reminds us, right now our club is ‘socially distant’. For anyone who belongs to a community volunteer group such as surf clubs; board-riders; residents’ groups (such as the CCA and the Men’s shed); fire services - being distant is the exact opposite of why we join. The immediate benefit of being a member is the sense of belonging and connection and clearly, we are unable to harness that at the moment.

Sadly, it may be some time before that full and complete feeling of connection returns. Whether you are a member of a formal organisation, or just a collective of folks who regularly hang out together, you could be feeling a bit lost, a tad low, a smidge uncertain and possibly somewhat lonely. They are all completely understandable emotions - take some comfort that you are not alone. As we are given approval to spend a bit more time together, it will be tempting to drop our guard which, should limitations or restrictions return, make things that much harder. Which brings me to my point...

We have folks in our small community who are already struggling with uncertainty. That can readily lead to anxiety and fear amongst people who are unsupported. Please reach out to one another and even to those you may see but rarely connect with. Just a wave and a nod can be enough for someone to feel less alone.

I will admit that I am struggling to see the best way for Copa Surf club to support the wider Copa community at this point in time. If you are an ‘ideas person’, please feel comfortable reaching out with any thoughts. Our members are currently unable to use the facilities and we have not been able to hold the usual season celebrations and events that we all look forward to. These are on our radar for our members. However, I know the club can, at the appropriate time, play a big part in helping reconnect people. My contact details and those of our Executive are all available on the website so give us a call if you have a suggestion.

Until things return to ‘normal’, our committee is planning for next season, hoping it will be ‘business as usual’ (we know it won’t be - but it feels better to be optimistic). We are doing some mind-blowingly cool things like Strategic Planning and Executive Committee restructures. Seriously, you’ve just gotta have a go at this stuff once in your life (trust me once is plenty :-) More honestly, we do have a bunch of volunteers that our club could not function without - there would literally be no club. From the patrolling members who keep the beach safe (assisted ably by many surfers) to the Nippers crew who provide the kids with opportunities to learn about the ocean, the special needs Rockpool Rockstars program, those that feed and water us, those that train us and those that fix us when we are injured. Thank you to each of you.

Lastly, an important milestone in any organisation is the acknowledgment of a new Life Member. Doug ‘Dougy’ Gill has achieved this honour in our club this year. For anyone who doesn’t know Doug, he is a fierce competitor, a true sportsman and a beautiful man. Congratulations to Doug, who at 79 continues to inspire (and embarrass) us all.

Be well everyone, stay safely connected and take care.

Adam Richards – president@copacabanaslsc.org.au

February 2020

Copa Surf Club and our valued volunteers are finally catching our collective breath after a super-busy holiday period. On Feb 2 we hosted the Central Coast Branch Carnival welcoming approximately 900 nippers from all over the coast. It was great seeing so many kids having a red hot go and giving the numerous events their best. What was also rewarding for our club was the large group of parents who joined the age managers and committee to set up and pack down the beach. It was a huge effort by many and showed the kind of community spirit we need to build and strengthen the club. Another recent highlight was Australia Day with great weather, awesome crowds and no dramas. It was a perfect patrolling day.

The stronger we can make Copacabana SLSC, the safer the beach will be and the more ways we can support the community. An example of this is our Community Yoga on Wednesdays at 8am. We have partnered with local Yoga instructors who offer the classes free of charge. Community Yoga is an opportunity to thank those who support us as a club.

The Jaws Bistro was a wonderful success with good numbers of diners most Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights and its likely we will look to do the same again next season. Our volunteer Bar Crew flew the flag for us over this busy summer.

As always, WeekEnders will continue each Friday and the first Friday each month we will run Week Enders - Live and Local. If we can build a decent following we will consider continuing through the winter months. Meanwhile, the season continues and patrols are at their post.

Finally, it is appropriate to acknowledge the hard work and subsequent losses to a fellow volunteer movement. The RFS provided many volunteer hours over the summer period, many more than would usually be required. For that we acknowledge their commitment and their efforts, as well as the sacrifices of their families as they give up their time with loved ones. Sadly, some of those loved ones were lost whilst performing their duties, and for that no words are sufficient. To all who volunteer to support their communities, we salute you all.

Stay safe...

Adam Richards – president@copacabanaslsc.org.au

December 2019

There is no doubt a surf club compares to that old analogy of a swan swimming on a pond – it can look graceful on top but underneath those feet are paddling like mad. If I applied that to our club at this present time, we would be more duck than swan and those feet would be something ‘Thorpie’ would be proud of.

Copacabana SLSC is in a rebuilding stage. We are rebuilding our culture, our strategic direction, and with some good fortune, rebuilding parts of our club. Achieving change as many would know takes time and significant effort and that is what everyone involved in Copa Surf Club is contributing in spades at the moment. It is both rewarding and reassuring that there are new faces appearing (and reappearing) in the club ranks.

In our core business we also have a lot to share. We have a solid patrol culture at Copa and the patrols have got off to a strong start this season. We are keen to introduce another patrol by the end of the season and the Bronze Medallion course for anyone who is interested in learning how to patrol will start Jan 22. The training and camaraderie is what most of us join the club for and that was evident in a recent event when a member of the public collapsed in the street. The skills of our lifesavers were called upon that day and it has prompted us to propose another Community CPR session for Dec 7. CPR is such a valuable skill and we have highly qualified members (and professionals) keen to teach anyone who is willing. Details on our website but we must insist that you register so we know how many instructors we require (some needing to swap work shifts to attend)

On the social front, our Friday afternoon ‘Week-Enders’ is going from strength to strength and we have added a ‘Week-Enders – live and local’ session once a month to bring live music back to Copa. Its great to see our members and their guests wind down each week up on the balcony. Looking ahead, we have a pop-up bistro being run through January. If you have ever wanted to volunteer in our club but were never quite sure were to start, we are seeking willing RSA bar staff to help during that busy month (and beyond if you wish)

Otherwise, the beach is safe and we continue on our journey of change and improvement. We are always happy to hear from the community in how we can do things better so reach out to myself with any constructive feedback. On behalf of Copa SLSC and its members, I take this opportunity to wish all of Copa the happiest and safest of Christmas periods.

Adam Richards – president@copacabanaslsc.org.au

DATES for your diary:

• Community CPR – Saturday Dec 7, at 2pm (2hrs with bar open after)

• ‘Jaws’ Bistro: Dec 26 – Jan 25, 5-9pm, Friday to Sunday

• Bronze Medallion Course – Starts on Wednesday Jan 22

Join us on Friday afternoons from 5pm - 9pm at the Surf Club. All welcome. BAR OPEN, light catering for the adults and sausage sizzle for the kids.

‘Live & Local’ sessions happen once a month.

September 2019

As the new season approaches we say thank you to outgoing President Jo Fraser for her past 3 years service. Jo remains on as our Junior Activities Coordinator, looking after the Nipper program for this season.
Posted 31st August 2019

The club has many facets - beach patrols, Nippers and the wider community, and we have placed renewed focus in each of these important areas. We have a strong beach operation and our patrolling members will continue to keep our beautiful - and occasionally dangerous - beach safe again this summer.

Nippers will see the return of some old favourites - floating pontoons, the Great Copa Car Rally and a focus on developing future lifesavers. As parents we all want our kids to understand the dangers in our own backyard. Copa SLSC will teach awareness and understanding of the beach and the ocean as a priority to our young Nippers, at the same time providing peace of mind to parents.

We serve the wider Copacabana community and we extend an invite to you all to connect with Copa SLSC. There is a place for everyone at the club. We look forward to seeing you all either on the beach, at one of our fundraisers or maybe just on Friday afternoons having a weekly wind-down at ‘Weekenders’.

Don’t forget these key dates:

Member Registration – Fri Sept 6 (5:30 -7:30pm), Sun Sept 8 (3-5pm) & Sat Sept 14 (3-5pm)

The Great Copa Car Rally – September 14 at 2pm

Flags up – September 28

Nippers starts – October 13

President

Adam Richards

June 2019

A vital part of the Copa community Posted 1st June 2019

After nearly six thousand hours of beach patrols by more than eighty members of the Surf Lifesaving Club, the flags are down and the season is officially over until October. The beach is patrolled from October to April, allowing us all to enjoy those wonderful waves and warm days for much of the year - so much a part of the Copa lifestyle.

Patrol members have given up their weekends and public holidays to ensure our safety in the water and the CCA and the whole community is very grateful to them and the Club.

The Surf Lifesaving Club will be holding their AGM on June 30 at 3pm at the Club. All old and new members are welcome to attend. If you and your family are looking to get involved in the local community and help to provide an essential service here at Copa then go along and hear about the many roles the Club has to offer. You can take a look at their website for more information about roles and responsibilities.
Go to: copacabanaslsc.org.au

Another way to support Copacabana SLSC is to host your next function there: be it a wedding, engagement, birthday celebration or some other special event, you can’t get a better location and view of the beach. Please contact the Club’s Event Co-ordinator at copaslsc.functions@gmail.com to arrange an inspection or for more information.

The CCA would like to thank the SLSC and President Jo Fraser in particular for playing an essential role in the ANZAC Day Dawn Service. From helping with set-up to participating in the ceremony, the Surf Lifesaving Club was involved from the early hours until the end of the service. Jo read The Ode from For the Fallen & the Club laid a wreath alongside members of the Copa community and representatives from veterans’ groups.

We highly value the contribution the team at Copacabana SLSC makes to Copa life and like them, look forward to seeing you ‘between the flags’ next year.

March 2019

What a great start to the year!

Our volunteers having already spent over 1000 hours patrolling the beach. This summer holiday season we saw record crowds on the beach with no major incidents. On Christmas Day we asked our patrol members to assist in patrolling the beach front. Thank you to the amazing crew of people that were able to give up some of their day with family and friends to patrol on Christmas Day. Whilst our patrol members have been busy watching our beachfront, some of our members also offered up their Sunday on February 3rd to patrol The Entrance Beach. Thank you to those members who were able to offer their time, it was greatly appreciated. .

This Rockstars program is for our local children and their families who have physical and mental limitations and diversities. The Copacabana Rockpool RockStars Program is a revised Nippers program that has been created to run along side our regular Nippers to give our RockStars the chance to be on the beach with their friends and family experiencing what is an important aspect of our beach lifestyle and culture. Ensuring they too feel valued members of our community.

The funds raised by the Taste & Tunes night held in September has been used to bring this program to life and having expensive equipment donated from local businesses like Flooring Xtra makes it even more amazing for the kids!

The Nipper season is coming to an end with our last week being a twilight session before the kids head to State Carnival in Swansea/Belmont on the 1/2/3 March. We wish all the kids the best of luck and lots fun. On February 3rd our Nippers attended Branch Carnival. We had a great day and were able to bring home the bronze medal for the All Age Relay - well done team. Not only are the Nippers busy competing at carnival, we also had Doug compete at Branch Carnival coming away with a couple of medals in his events. Well done Doug, amazing effort.

This year we introduced the Rockpool Rockstars Inclusive program, which allowed 6 kids to participate as Nippers. They have all had a great season and built some comfort around the beach and water. We would like to thank all the age managers of the Nippers and members of the community who partnered up with our Rockstars. It would not be possible without all these volunteers offering up their time every Sunday morning. A special thank you to Upstairs Wines, Flooring Xtra and Avoca Butcher for their donations to make this program possible.

We have been very fortunate to have received funding from the state government to continue with improvements to our club. In February we were presented with a cheque for $34,000, which will allow us to upgrade the Del Monte Drive roller door, refurbish the gym for our members, complete painting the interior and many other improvements. We are truly thankful for this funding and to Adam Crouch who continues to provide support to get these much needed funds to our club and community.

On February 4th our Nippers went to Branch Carnival at Soldiers Beach. It was a great turnout to support Copacabana Junior Lifesaver, Zane Hartwell, along with the rest of the branch representatives. Well done Zane and thank you for representing our club.

In January the club hosted the 3rd and final round of Newcastle Permanent Iron Person. It was a great day with beautiful conditions to start the day, turning very cold with a southerly that blew in at 11am, making conditions challenging for the older age groups. This was a very successful day for competitors and our club. Thank you again to all the volunteers in the club who assisted in making the running of the day seamless, it was greatly appreciated.

We have some exciting activities coming up for the community:

Weekenders every Friday night 4-8pm upstairs. Come along with family and friends, enjoy a refreshing drink whilst enjoying some dinner which is prepared by our volunteers. There is a different menu each week.
AGM will be held on the 30th June at the Surf Club. All welcome.

welcomes children to our Nippers program

great way to foster team spirit and camaraderie. It’s also a good way for parents to get to know other families, especially if they are new to Copa. Artie’s Place can sell you a great coffee or bacon and egg roll to enjoy while you watch the kids do their stuff.

To find out more about registering your child for Nippers, contact Michael Magriplis, Director Member Services on magripm@gmail.com or our Junior Activities Coordinator Michelle Strode at:

jaccopa2251@ gmail.com

Every Sunday morning from October to March, you will see a group of excited youngsters down at the beach participating in Copa Nippers program with kids from their own age group and the broader Nippers squad groups.

Nippers is for children aged 5yrs+ at September 30 (i.e. if your child is aged 9, they will be in the U10 group). It’s a fun way for kids to learn about beach safety and get involved in a healthy, outdoor activity with their peers. They can also participate in surf competitions and interact with kids from other local surf clubs.

There are three Club Championship /Point Score sessions throughout the season for U8 to U14 age groups, where points are recorded for each child in each event and the best two point score days results are used to award age champion titles.

These point score days are also used for team selections for carnivals. U6 and U7 age groups also participate in point score days and are awarded place ribbons on the day. However these age groups are not awarded age championships – because they’re all “Champions” of course!

Nippers runs from 9:00 to 10:00am with parent / guardian sign-ins by 8.45am. During the season there are “Twilight” Nippers on a Saturday afternoon.

The Nippers program focuses on both surf education and fun and is a

November 2018

NIPPER ROCKSTARS A GREAT SUCCESS

On Sunday 4th November the first Copacabana SLSC Inclusive Nippers Program was held and was a great success.

October 2018

BECOME A NIPPER!

Surf Life Saving is a great activity for growing a child's confidence, knowledge and skills in the beach environment. Not only will your child have fun and meet new friends, they will become part of an iconic organisation that has served the Australian community for over 100 years.

Nippers is a fun way for children aged 5 to Under 14 to enjoy the beach in a safe environment. The Junior Development Program is designed to ensure children have fun at the beach while participating in lessons that will give them a pathway to becoming a fully rounded participant in both lifesaving and sport.

REGISTRATION

You can register at Nippers on Sunday mornings before each lesson from 8.30am. The season runs from October to March.

To see membership fees and to find out more please visit the Copa SLSC website HERE

This video courtesy of Surf Life Saving NSW

The flags on the beach are raised. Patrols started on 29 Sept 2018.

We have 8 patrols this year made up of dedicated, trained and proficient volunteer surf lifesavers. You will see them setting up on the beach every Saturday and Sunday morning (and public holidays) and also around the surf club getting the ATV (vehicle with the fat tyres that goes on the sand!) and the IRB equipment (the orange rubber boat!) ready. If you are having a coffee or a bite to eat at the cafe come over and say hi to our patrolling members - they volunteer their time to keep us safe on the beach. Our Director of Surf Lifesaving this season is Gordon Smith aka “Smudge” who runs a very coordinated beach patrol program and is one of our valuable IRB trainers.

Surf Lifesaving NSW has introduced a new membership category for all surf clubs across NSW - as a result Copacabana SLSC has introduced this new category this season - Community Membership for people who would like to contribute to the surf lifesaving movement but might be unable to participate in beach sports as such. Surf Life Saving is a not for profit organisation which supports the community with volunteers on the beach every weekend & public holidays. We aim to ensure that our beach goers are safe and educated on where to swim while enjoying the varying waters of Copacabana beach.

Our surf club needs support from the community in volunteer roles

Whether you are doing a course to help on the beach or working in the bar or another area around the club or supporting our young Nippers crew - all are welcome to come and see what it is all about.

One of the valuable activities we offer is our surf lifesaving training courses held at the surf club. Ash Capps is our Director of Education and with our team of local trainers he is about to start some new training courses in October for Bronze medallion, Surf Rescue Certificate and other courses. If you are interested email Ash at: copaslscedu@gmail.com or drop down to the club on one of our rego days to connect with us and find out more.

On most Sundays the Nippers run a BBQ where you can grab a yummy bacon and egg or sausage sandwich to start your day....all profits from the BBQ go towards assisting our young Nippers with equipment and to compete in surf carnivals.

For further information on any of our club activities or to find out how to get involved feel free to contact our Director of Administration: Fiona Duignan on admin@copacabanaslsc.org.au or jump onto our website www.copacabanaslsc.org.au or Facebook page.

We look forward to seeing you around the club and beach this year.

May/June 2018

Thank you to the community for observing the red and yellow flags and choosing Copacabana beach to enjoy your summer. This season we performed successful rescues and our volunteer patrolling members devoted numerous hours of their time to keep Copacabana Beach safe on the weekends. The Executive Committee of Copacabana Surf Life Saving Club would like to thank all the patrol members who volunteered their time on the beach over the season….it is greatly appreciated. The surf lifesaving season is officially closed for the winter. It’s a timely

reminder that we still continue to provide aquatic rescue services in supporting NSW Police through emergency call outs. We have a group of volunteers who are on our emergency callout team for Copacabana SLSC. We sincerely hope their services will not be required throughout

the off season.

In early May we held our Junior awards presentation which was very well attended by our local families and their Nippers. Awards for our young people included: Nipper of the Year, Surf Lifesaver of the Year and Rookie of the Year. Our younger Nippers were very proud of the medals and trophies they received for their efforts! In late May we will have our Senior Awards presentation which will recognise the achievements of members throughout the 2017/18 surf lifesaving season.

Our AGM was held in June/July this year. We have roles across our club in a range of areas to either operate or oversee surf life saving programs or to support these programs via administrative work, fundraising help and social activity coordination. Many hands make light work. So if you are interested, all you need to do is become a club member and nominate at the AGM. We encourage you to join our Surf Life Saving Club to share the benefits of membership including: comradeship, teamwork and community spirit.

To contact the club you can email Fiona Hobbs – admin@copacabanaslsc.org.au

RIP AWARENESS

A rip is a strong, localised, and narrow current of water which moves directly away from the shore, cutting through the lines of breaking waves like a river running out to sea, and is strongest near the surface of the water. Rip currents can be hazardous to people in the water.

Rips are complex, can quickly change shape and location and sometimes are difficult to see. Things to look out for are, deeper dark coloured water; fewer breaking waves; a rippled surface surrounded by smooth waters; anything floating out to sea or foamy, sandy, discoloured water flowing out beyond the waves.

There are many myths about the ocean. Many people think it’s just tourists and poor swimmers who get caught in rip currents. In fact, it’s young men aged 15-39 years who are most likely to die in rips. Rips are the number one hazard on Australian beaches. The best way to avoid a rip is to swim at a patrolled beach between the red and yellow flags.

If you find you are caught in a rip it is important you stay calm and consider your options.

• If people are within sight, raise your arm and seek help.

• Relax and float with the current as it may bring you back to shore.

• Swim parallel to the shore OR towards breaking waves and use them to help you in.

• Continually reassess your situation; if what you’re doing isn’t working try another option until rescued or you make it back to shore.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO SWIM BETWEEN THE FLAGS!