The Lifesaver Times times 018[3].pdfDuffell, Jeff Louw. 4 The Lifesaver Times May 2018 Carrots Wright, Ken Kingma, Hughie Hutton, John Reid, ‘Stompie’ Wakeford, Barry Noble, Vic

The Lifesaver TimesThe Lifesaver TimesThe Lifesaver TimesThe Lifesaver TimesThe Lifesaver TimesFISH HOEK MAY 2018

STILL PLENTSTILL PLENTSTILL PLENTSTILL PLENTSTILL PLENTY OF LIFEY OF LIFEY OF LIFEY OF LIFEY OF LIFELEFT IN THE OLD FLEFT IN THE OLD FLEFT IN THE OLD FLEFT IN THE OLD FLEFT IN THE OLD FARTSARTSARTSARTSARTS

A rich history oflasting competingfriendships

By ROSS CURRIE

The Fish Hoek Lifesaving Club was founded in 1957.The original/founding members were mostly a bunchof friends who had met while being members of thefirst Fish Hoek Sea Scouts, having outgrown the SeaScout era.We continued meeting on the beach until it wasdecided to start a lifesaving club. A qualifiedAustralian lifesaver by the name of Brian Lovell cameto this country and helped train the guys. With hishands-on assistance we eventually all gained our SPA(Surf Profiency Award) which allowed us to competein lifesaving competitions.

At this time there were already lifesaving clubs inPort Elizabeth, East London, and all along the Natalcoast. We went to our first national champs in Durbanin 1960.Vic Grebe and I were in the air force gymnasium inPretoria at that time. But on impulse decided wecouldn’t miss the club’s first nationals - so we went

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Published by Cliff Buchler

The Lifesaver Times May 20182

AWOL and hiked down to Durban to meet up with therest of the Fish Hoek team.Our biggest problem in the early days was that we didn’thave a clubhouse, and having to meet at the green hose-reel box on the beach in front of what is now the Galleyrestaurant.My dad, Jack Currie, became chairman of the club in theearly sixties, and was a real McGiver-character who wouldalways face up to a challenge. He went to the localcouncil, talked them into granting the club a 100-yearlease on a piece of land near the old bathing boxes. Hehad plans drawn up, begged, borrowed or stole the buildingmaterial. He then organised all of us teenagers into workgroups, and under his guidance built the first woodenclubhouse exactly where the current clubhouse standstoday.The club went from strength to strength, and today is thenumber one club in the country.After years of competing and doing duty on the beach, theoriginal guys got married, had kids and careers to lookafter - although keeping contact with the club, were notso active as before.In the year 2000 a Masters division was formed whichincluded a national, as well as a world championship. Inthe Masters champs you compete in five-year age groups- in other words, if you were 40, you competed againstguys between 40/45. The oldest competitors were over75.In 2004 a group of us entered the World Masters champsin Italy. (See photo on page 1). After returning from Italy I decided we should all meetup on Fish Hoek beach for an old farts’ breakfast. It justgrew and grew, After starting with seven guys, we now boast 31 on our breakfast list - many having competed infive or more world champs, and are still competitive at75-plus. In fact, one of our Masters, who shall remainanonymous, has just turned 80!It is great to think that we have known each other sincewe were approximately 10-years-old, and that those earlyfriendships have endured until today.Breakfast starts at 9am, and two rules are strictly adheredto. Rule 1 - we may only talk about health issues for thefirst 15 min (otherwise we would be having lunch, notbreakfast!). Rule 2 - no speeches!Long live the Old Farts!

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Tables set at theGalley for healthyappetites. . .

Ross with Carmen,popular long servingwaitron at the Galley.

Since inception, theOld Farts’ breakfasthas been held at theGalley in Fish Hoek.Restaurateur HerbieEichel continues topull out all the stops toserve arguably the bestbreakfast in town.Our gratefull thanksHerbie, for your hospi-tality and generoussponsorship of thelifesaving club over allthese years.

Masters world champs Alexandria,Egypt (2010). Ken Kingma,MarkW iley, Stompie Wakeford, Ross Currie, Andrew Crook, RenVahimis, Doug Wakeford, Bruce Cowling.

Masters world champs, Warnemunde,Germany (2008). RenVrahimis, Ross Currie.

Masters world champs, Lorne, Australia (2006). Doug Wakeford,Ross Currie, Brian Sturman, Ken Kingma, ‘Bones’ Barrett.

Herbie Eichel

The Lifesaver Times May 20183They’ve left their mark. . .These mates have passed on. Each in his ownunique way made a valuable contribution to theclub, and has endeared himself to his fellowlifesavers.

*Clive “Stompie” Wakeford*Butch Watson Smith*Anthony “Bones” Barrett*Steve van Rooyen*Kenny Austen*Cedric Grebe*John Horsfield.

They will never be forgotten.

Old Farts digging in. . .50th year reunion (2008). Cedric Reid, Johnny Smuts, BrianHollingworth, Warwick Neville, Roy Wright, Clive Duffell, DougWakeford, James Sivewright, David Nelson, Ivor Wright, VicGrebe, Jan Mol, Ross Currie, ‘Stompie’ Wakeford.

Clive Duffell, Hughie Hutton, ‘Bones‘ Barrett.

Ken Smith, Hylton Ross, ‘Stompie’ Wakeford.

Brian Sturman, Charlie Marshall, Ross Currie, Ronnie Gaylard,Barry Noble, Cedric Reid, Clive Duffell, Vic Grebe, Hylton Ross,Hughie Hutton.

Garth Watters, Brian Sturman,Andrew Crook.

Doug Wakeford, ‘CarrotsWright, Ross Currie.

Hylton Ross, Cedric Reid, VicGrebe.

Warwick Neville, CliveDuffell, Jeff Louw.

The Lifesaver Times May 20184

Carrots Wright, Ken Kingma, Hughie Hutton, John Reid, ‘Stompie’ Wakeford, Barry Noble, Vic

Grebe, Hylton Ross, Clive Duffell, Doug Wakeford, Butch Watson Smith, Ross Currie.

‘Stompie’ Wakeford, Ross Currie, Butch Watson Smith, John Reid.

Charlie Marshall, Ronnie Gaylard, John Alexander, David Nelson.

These oldfarts madethebackpage. . .forwhateverreason

John Alexander, Ken Kingma, Clive Duffell, Graham Shambler,Brian Sturman, Doug Wakeford, Garth Watters, Warwick Neville,Hylton Ross, Vic Grebe, Cedric Reid, Ross Currie, Ronnie Gaylard,Hughie Hutton, David Nelson.

50th Reunion 2008. James Sivewright, Roy Wright, Peter Wright.