The restaurant seated 103 sports fans, eager to hear of the successes and challenges faced by some of Australia’s most loved sports icons.

Trevor Hendy, Wayne Bennett, Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew, Karla Gilbert, Peter Jacobs and Ben Ikin all told their individual stories to host Brad McEwan and the lunch guests, then relaxed with guests during the afternoon.

“We are so grateful to these generous people for sharing their time and their stories,” said Scott O’Neile, Assistant General Manager at The Byron at Byron.

“The Byron at Byron has raised over $15,000 for Movember so far this month and we’re still going. We’re pretty happy with that because our goal was $10,000 and the month is far from over.”

Harvey Norman donated $5000 to the appeal, and $1600 was raised from the auctioning of 2012 Splendour in the Grass and Bluesfest tickets.

The 2012 Movember Sports Charity Lunch will be held at The Byron at Byron on November 30.

PICTURES (from top): Karla Gilbert and Trevor Hendy;  Wayne Barth0lomew and Russell Mills (Northern Rivers Tourism); Ben Ikin and Glen Joynson, of Skennars Head; Karla Gilbert and Christine Batson; Justin North and Peter Jacobs.

Competitors participate in all surf lifesaving competition events including beach sprint and iron man, team events as well as the always popular dash for cash.

The Brunswick Masters is known for providing lots of excitement for spectators with plenty of thrills and spills in the traditionally challenging and unpredictable Brunswick surf.

This carnival attracts competitors from all over New South Wales and Queensland, all of them over 35 years old and many of them have been involved in surf life saving since they were young.

The event is as much a social occasion as it is a competitive one with many old friends who don’t see each other often catching up only once a year at this annual event.

The 17th annual Brunswick Masters will be the first one without Con Assmussen, who passed away this year.

Con was a tireless volunteer in the surf life saving movement and was heavily involved at club, branch and state level most of his life and he will be greatly missed at the carnival this year.

Brunswick SLSC will be honouring Con on the day and the inaugural Con Assmussen Cup will be up for grabs. For more information on Con Assmussen and his extensive involvement with Surf Life Saving go to www.sls.com.au/content/vale-con-asmussen-mbe

Conditions were ideal for the Endurance Championships at Ocean Beach with a calm ocean and great weather throughout the event. For many, this was the first event of the season and provided athletes from all over NSW with a personal challenge as well as an opportunity to test their fitness in their chosen discipline against the leading competitors in NSW from U15s to over 50s.

This year the Championships attracted a record number of participants with over 400 entries received. The event was well supported by the masters competitors and also attracted some of Australia’s leading ironman and women, including Kellogg’s Nutri-grain competitors Tom Atkinson, Trent Martin, Tara Coleman and Amy Nurthen.

Open competitor Nathan Gray (Lennox Head) was biting at the heels of Nutri-grain competitors Tom Atkinson and Trent Martin, placing third in the Open Ironman and second in the Open Board. Josh Brown (Byron Bay) also looks to have retained his top form from last season, taking out the U15 Male Board and coming second in the Ironman.

In the first event of the day, the Open Male Surf Boat race only one second separated the North Cronulla crew and Austinmer crew as they crossed the line in first and second place, and the close races continued throughout the event.

Amy Nurthen (Terrigal) was victorious in the women’s Ironwoman event beating Tara Coleman (Maroubra) in a sprint to the finish, while in the men’s Ironman event, Tom Atkinson (Queenscliff) started his year well, winning the event ahead of Trent Martin (Avoca) in second place.

On the back of her Coolangatta Gold fourth placing, masters competitor Melinda Cockshutt (Port Macquarie) was a standout on the day, winning the Board, Beach Run and Ironwoman events in the 30-39 age group. Laura Thurtell (Forster) was another top performer on the day, winning the Surf Race and Ironwoman in the 40-49 age group.

Newport competitor Max Brooks won the U17 Male Ski and Ironman convincingly, while his team mate Fletcher Davies took out the U17 Male Board. Manly’s Cooper Krenkels also won the U15 Ironman, came second in the Surf Race, and third in the Board race.

Stewart McLachlan from Redhead also had a good day taking out the Open Male Board race and placing second in the Surf race. Also flying the flag for the Hunter Branch was Danielle Radford (Swansea Belmont) who placed second in the Open Female Ski and third in the Ironwoman.

Other notable performances included Lara Moses (North Cronulla) who won the U17 Ironwoman and came second in the Board race. Jake Little (Cronulla) won the Open Male Surf Race, sisters Alanna and Shivaun Street (Cronulla) took out the U19 and U17 Surf races respectively, and Sam Fowler (Cronulla) won the U15 Male Surf Race, came second in the Board race and fourth in the Ironman.

The special three-course meal from Head Chef Gavin Hughes is the culmination of the Resort’s month-long support for Movember. Guests will be joined by six sports stars as they dine and enjoy an auction of money-can’t-buy prizes. Proceeds will go to the Movember charity to raise awareness for men’s health, including depression and prostate cancer.

Guest speakers include legendary NRL coach Wayne Bennett, Peter Jacobs (who recently finished second in the gruelling Hawaii Ironman Triathlon) and world-famous surfer Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew.

Present also will be Trevor Hendy and Karla Gilbert, two of Australia’s all-time great surf lifesavers, and ex-NRL player and commentator Ben Ikin. Network Ten’s Brad McEwan will MC the event and oversee the auction of prizes.

Auction items include two event and camping tickets to Splendour in the Grass 2012, dinner for two with head chef Gavin Hughes, a complete spa indulgence package from The Byron at Byron, a round of golf with the resident professional at the Byron Bay Golf Course and an NRL State of Origin jersey signed by all players from the 2011 series.

The Byron at Byron will be supporting Movember for the entire month with male staff growing moustaches and seeking sponsorship.

The ‘Mo-Burger’ and ‘Mojito’ will be served in The Restaurant and ‘From Mo’s to Toes’ spa treatments will be available in the Spa and Wellness Centre.

Since the first annual Movember in 2003 The Movember Foundation has raised an astonishing $170+ million to improve habits and attitudes men have about their health. They seek to educate men about the health risks they face, thereby increasing the chances of early detection, diagnosis and treatment, specifically in regards to depression and prostate cancer.

The Byron at Byron Movember Charity Sports Lunch:

25th November, 12:00 noon, $95.00 per person

Alternatively, book a weekend for two including two nights accommodation in a Standard Suite, buffet breakfast daily and two tickets to the luncheon for $495 per person.

Bookings are essential. 02 6639 2111 or restaurant@thebyronatbyron.com.au

PICTURES: Wayne Bennett, Karla Gilbert and Trevor Hendy.

Australian and State gold medalist Josh Brown (Byron Bay), Murray Thomas (Lennox Head) and Ela Heiniger (Byron Bay) have been selected to participate in the High Performance program.
 
The High Performance program will act as a train on squad for the NSW Interstate Team and assist the NSW Interstate athletes and their coaches win back the prestigious Interstate Title from the Queenslanders.

“This is the highest quality squad we have had, almost every person medaled at State or Aussies last season. We received over 180 nominations for the squad and of that 53 have been selected. This squad of 53 will have be to trimmed down to 28 for the NSW team, so these guys will be training hard for the chance to wear the sky blue of NSW and bring home the gold,” said Chris Parker, SLSNSW Surf Sports Manager.

The camp will also provide elite NSW athletes with the development pathway in order to be selected in the Surf Life Saving Australia High Performance Team.

“It forms a vital pathway from club through to the elite level of competition giving competitors the skills and experience required to perform on a national level,” said Parker.

The High Performance Program will be led by Head Coach and NSW State Coach Jeff Mowbray and NSW State Assistant Coach Scott Jones.

The athletes will take part in a variety of physical training sessions in surf, beach and pool rescue disciplines as well as relevant theory sessions conducted by leading industry professionals in the field of sports performance. The team will also compete in Round 1 of the Sydney Water Series.

The Talented Athlete Program exposes NSW’s leading U13-15 athletes from throughout NSW to the beginning of the Surf Life Saving NSW High Performance pathway.

Athletes who have been previously involved in this program have gone on to be selected in the NSW team and win Australian gold medals.

Far North Coast Ironman Josh Brown found the program very useful.

“The last few days has given me a greater understanding of the surf better, I learnt more about sport psychology and have met new friends. I have got a lot out of it,” he said.

Chris Parker, Surf Life Saving NSW Surf Sports Manager, said the program is important to ensure the future of Surf Sports in NSW.

“By educating these gifted junior athletes in best-practice sports science and training techniques, it will assist them in achieving their full potential as athletes,” Chris said.

“The quality of the junior athletes involved in this year’s program is the strongest to date. The future of surf sports in NSW is looking very bright, which is very exciting.” 

All eleven Branches from NSW were represented in this year’s program. Athletes travelled from as far north as Byron Bay and as far south as Tathra.

Forty-two competitors were selected to participate in the three-day program at the Sydney Academy of Sport, from over 160 nominations received. Eight elite coaches from throughout NSW worked with the squad in their chosen disciplines.

The action-packed program is supported by NSW Sport and Recreation – SLSNSW State coaches took the squad through surf sports specific training aimed at developing skills, technique and building the athletes’ understanding of the physical training required to reach their goals in surf sports competition.

The Sydney Academy of Sport educated the participants on performance-enhancing theory including sports nutrition, sports psychology and goal setting.

Nikon Australia and Surf Life Saving are urging people on the Far North Coast to nominate a local surf lifesaver for a chance to be named the first ever Nikon Clubbie of the Year.

This inaugural people’s choice award gives the community the ability to recognise the vital and selfless commitment Surf Life Saving members make.

Any SLS member can be nominated, from a local hero to the volunteer who has tirelessly hosted the charity sausage sizzle each weekend, to the promising young Nipper!

As part of the ongoing partnership with Surf Life Saving, Nikon developed this award as a way of recognising the huge commitment Clubbies across Australia make all year round.

Nikon has contributed a prize pool of up to $330,000 of cash and credit redeemable for Nikon gear which is designed to help SLS clubs across Australia at a local level.

The cash prizes up for grabs will help fund surf lifesaver training programs, rescue gear and first aid supplies and enabling clubs to continue their vital work.

Matt Thompson, Coastal Safety Services Manager from Surf Life Saving Australia, said: “We want everyone to get behind their local surf lifesaving club and nominate a member to ensure their club has access to this generous prize pool. The additional funds will have a huge impact and make a real difference at a local level.”

To nominate yourself or your local Clubbie, visit www.nikonclubbieoftheyear.com.au to register your details by answering three simple questions and uploading a photo. Entries are open until Sunday 4 September 2011. Voting starts Monday 8 September.

During the public voting stage, every vote a Clubbie receives through the Nikon Clubbie of the Year Award earns their club Nikon gear credits and gives them a better chance at being the 2011 Nikon ‘Clubbie of the Year’ and the $5,000 cash prize for them and $5,000 for their club.

For more information about the competition and full terms and conditions, visit www.nikonclubbieoftheyear.com.au

Construction of the double sandbag walls in front of the two facilities began today and is expected to take about a week, to provide temporary protection against extremely rare and destructive ocean conditions, Council’s Director of Community and Natural Resources, David Oxenham, said.

“An inspection of the site this morning revealed another 2m of Kingscliff beach in front of the holiday park has been washed away by last night’s high tide. However, action taken yesterday prevented any damage to property or risk of injury to holiday park residents,” Mr Oxenham said.

“Council determined in late June to bring in contractors to reinforce the sandbag walls, which will cost over $100,000 to protect the park, the surf club and holiday park. Next week, Council will consider expending additional funds on extending the temporary wall to protect the holiday park. The holiday park provides a valuable financial stimulus to the Kingscliff community and Council.

“There is another high tide this evening which has the potential to cause further erosion, although levels are likely to be lower than last night. The tides are then expected to abate.”

Mr Oxenham stressed that any temporary measure would be unable withstand a major storm.

“These recent events really highlight the need for matching State or Federal Government assistance to enable us to undertake a long-term solution,” he said.

“Council has allocated $3 million to undertake a massive sand nourishment program to restore Kingscliff Beach in the long term. However, it will cost about twice this amount to effectively restore sand levels, by pumping sand from an identified source in the nearby Tweed River.

“Council is in the process of securing a licence to complete these works and has applied for Federal regional development funding to complement Council funds. But any State or Federal assistance which can be provided in the short term – for the sand restoration or our temporary protection measures – would be extremely welcome to help combat these weather conditions wreaking havoc on our coastline.”

Photo captions:
1. Erosion of Kingscliff Beach south of the surf club
2. Sandbag walls already in place to protect Cudgen Headland Surf Life Saving Club and Kingscliff Beach Holiday Park.

By Michael Gibbs, Marketing and Public Relations Liaison, Surfcom Far North Coast, Surf Life Saving Far North Coast Branch

Those in surf life saving who were lucky enough to meet and work with this true gentleman throughout his long life will join me in extending our deepest and most sincere sympathies to Con’s family and friends.

The late Con Asmussen joined the Surf Life Saving movement in 1939, attracted by the comradeship and spirit of competition he’d first observed during visits to Illawarra’s Stanwell Park beach. He gained his Bronze Medallion the following year.

Over the years he was elected to many senior positions, on occasions reluctantly so, as he often mistakenly believed that someone else could do a better job.

Con is renowned for stating that we all get more from Surf Life Saving than we put in.

In addition to a long and distinguished history with the Helensburgh-Stanwell Park SLSC, Con was Illawarra’s delegate to the NSW State Centre for 15 years (1949 to 1964) and was State delegate to the National Council for 20 years (1958–1978). He was elected NSW Deputy President for two seasons (1965 & 1966) and then NSW President for a record 12 seasons from 1967 to 1978.

He was awarded Life Membership of Helensburgh-Stanwell Park in 1950, Illawarra Branch in 1962, Surf Life Saving NSW in 1963, Surf Life Saving Australia in 1966 and was awarded an MBE in 1972. He also received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000.

Con was involved in pioneering many of the major changes and innovations within Surf Life Saving, from the introduction of inflatable rescue boats and helicopters, to the acceptance of women as active patrolling surf lifesavers in the 80s.

Con was one of the original inductees into the SLSA’s Hall of Fame in 2004. By this stage Con had lived in northern NSW for some time and was a Life Member of the Ballina Lighthouse & Lismore SLSC.

In March this year, Con was one of a handful of surf sports officials who were honoured at a special dinner held during the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships at Kingscliff. Con was presented with a plaque acknowledging his contribution as an official for more than 50 years.

Even into his ninth decade, Con remained very much involved in Surf Life Saving, taking on active administration and leadership roles within the Far North Coast Branch and the Ballina Lighthouse & Lismore SLSC.

At 96, Con was still assisting with administrative tasks at the Ballina club and as recently as a week or so ago attended the Branch AGM and the Awards of Excellence, demonstrating his dedication to the organisation he said had given him so much.

Con will be greatly missed by many people and his passing is a significant loss to the Surf Life Saving movement in NSW.

A funeral will be held in Ballina on Friday July 1, at 11am at the St Francis Xavier Church on Cherry Street.

Surf Life Saving Services were quick to respond, as they were already in the area providing water safety for the Byron Bay Triathlon that was being held nearby.

SLSNSW Rescue Water Craft ( RWC ) and IRBs from the Byron Bay Surf Life Saving Club responded and when on scene, found a 22-year-old male in the whitewater near rocks underneath the Byron Bay Lighthouse. The RWC rescued the patient and returned him to shore at Wategos Beach in a semi-conscious state, where he remained on oxygen until NSW Ambulance Services arrived.

The second male, aged 25, was recovered some distance out to sea and was returned by RWC also to Wategos Beach. Both patients were from Brisbane.

The 22-year-old male was transported to Byron Bay Hospital.

Lifesaver 4 was tasked but whilst en-route was stood down due to both patients being rescued by the RWCs.

Members from the Byron Bay Surf Life Saving Club attributed their fast response to the fact that they were already providing rescue services for the Byron Bay Triathlon that was being held at the same time as they were tasked for the rescue.

Additional Surf Life Saving Services were immediately deployed during the rescue to ensure that the Triathlon still had the necessary water safety coverage until the tasked rescue was completed.