Board & Surf Ski

Rescue Boards and Surf Skis are the gear that our competitors use for Surf Carnivals. They have changed over the years and with its shape, the technique has changed too. Manly LSC has great instructors in both events who can teach you and make you improve on them.

With a good board and a good ski paddling you will be able to do the most famous event in Surf Lifesaving: The Ironman or Ironwoman.

Manly Life Saving Club has historically had a very strong Board section and we currently have many State and National champions throughout the age groups.

Board training sessions are held every week during the season with the club coach.

Also, the Life Member Tony Vieceli, who has captained the ski team for the last decade, spearheads Manly Life Saving Club’s ski section.

Manly’s ski section is growing from year to year with many teams and individuals making the Aussie and State Championships finals in the past few years and achieving medal-winning results. Manly has produced a number of great paddlers in the past and is now moving into a new era where the up-coming generation of competitors are writing their names in the record books. There are also many paddling legends still associated with the club who are willing to give advice at the drop of a hat to anyone who will listen.

Please remember however, that Manly is a volunteer club; that in which everyone lends a hand and as such, paddlers who compete for Manly are expected to help out at the club by completing their Bronze Medallion and fulfilling their patrol obligations.

New members are always welcome to join the team. Contact the Ski Captain or the Board Captain at admin@manlylsc.com for information.

Surf Boats

Surf Boats racing is one of the most spectacular events in Surf Life Saving competitions. Each surfboat is manned by four rowers and is steered by a sweep. Crews compete head to head racing from the beach, rowing through the surf into open water and turning at a designated set of turning buoys or cans. After rounding the cans, the crews race back to the beach each keeping in their lane or alley. As the surfboat nears the beach the aim is to catch a wave and surf to shore whilst the sweep steers the boat to keep it upright and on the face of the wave. Surfboat races are conducted on a weekly basis throughout the Australian summer and hundreds of boat crews take part.

Surfboat competitions offer members from U19 to Masters the chance to test their skills and fitness against the very best lifesavers in Australia. Competitors have the opportunity to travel across the State and Country to attend numerous local and interstate carnivals. In order to compete each athlete must have a minimum qualification of a Bronze Medallion and meet the patrol hour requirements according to their membership category.

For more information please contact the administration office at admin@manlylsc.com

Masters

Surf Lifesaving has no ages. You just need to want to be part of one of our competition teams, in any event.

If you are interested in competing with us or help one of our Masters teams, contact us at admin@manlylsc.com

R&R

In R&R there are two events:

• Surf Belt Race: This traditional race uses surf lifesaving reels that are no longer in use as a lifesaving method. Swimmers have to negotiate the break to get out to the designated buoys. The event is a team effort with four linesmen and the swimmer ensuring the right amount of drag is achieved to make the swimmers job easier. The race is a feature of the annual Manly Life Saving Club Carnival where the event is named after one of the club’s belt champions, George “Bushy” Canaway.
• Rescue & Resuscitation: The R&R event involves demonstrations in the traditional rescue and resuscitation procedures. The swimmer must swim out to the patient with the belt and line. Once this person reaches the patient they are hauled back to waist depth and begin resuscitation procedures. The team with the least mistakes, and therefore the lowest score, wins the competition.

For more information, please contact us at admin@manlylsc.com

March Past

This iconic Surf Life Saving event dates back to the 1920s: Teams of twelve club members march around a rectangular course on the beach to music led by their Flag Bearer, carrying a Club Flag, and a reel party carrying a traditional surf reel.

They are judged on eight separate sections:
Time and Step, 
Arm Swing, 
Leg Action, 
Body Carriage, 
Covering, 
Spacing and Dressing, 
Wheeling and Length of Pace.

The team with the least amount of faults wins the competition.

For more information, please contact the March Past Captain at admin@manlylsc.com

Savers Rugby

Savers Rugby Union team began life as Manly Surf Rugby in winter 1909, though members of Manly Surf and Life Saving Club were playing in local teams well before that date. The current earliest formal written proof of the date is the programme for the Reunion Ball which was held in 1919, after the First World War. The header on that programme reads Manly Surf Rugby A.D 1909.

Following on from that are the 1910 team photo and especially the 1911 Savers photo which has some of the wildest looking men in suits in Saver’s history.

It’s well known that every able bodied man in Manly Life Saving Club volunteered for service in the First World War. Names on the Savers 1919 Reunion programme are also in the Manly Life Saving Club Roll of Honour, with J. Vernon’s name on the WW1 Memorial plaque in the foyer of Manly Life Saving Club as one that lost his life in the War.

While Savers team celebrated being back together at that post-War 1919 Reunion Ball, there are sad reminders of the sacrifices they made on our behalf.

History unfortunately repeated in 1939 with World War 2, when every one of the able bodied members of Manly Life Saving Club, including all Savers players, volunteered to serve their country. For a few it was their second War.

Through it all the team spirit and camaraderie shines. Many famous Manly surf lifesavers went from playing Savers to playing for NSW and Australia (in League and Soccer as well as Rugby Union). Others played for the highest rep honours and played Savers with their mates in their later years.

If you are interested in our Savers Rugby team, please contact us at admin@manlylsc.com