Mollymook Surf Life Saving Club has welcomed a new surfboat, aptly named after Rod Austin OAM, who has rowed with the club for 50 years.
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The new $30,000 boat was christened on the weekend, with Austin and his Masters’ crew taking the honour of rowing the boat into the ocean for the first time on Sunday.
Austin, who is the club’s president, said he was “humbled” by the news.
“It is absolutely wonderful. I am so honoured,” he said.
“In our club, boats are normally named after rowers and people who have spent a long time in boats.
“I did feel others probably deserved the honours before me but I have been one of the longest serving surfboat rowers in the club.”
The ‘Rod Austin OAM’ surfboat will join two others at the club and is expected to be rowed by it’s top competitive teams.
“This will be used by our top, better competitive crews,” Austin said.
“I still row in the masters and we were the first crew to row it on the weekend. I was a bit nervous about taking it out in the surf that was starting to come up on Sunday.
“It is different type of boat what we normally have. Rowing felt different and special.
“Being a newer boat, it is more rigid and probably runs faster coming home after the buoy turns.”
Austin said he loved the fitness and friendly competition the sport offered.
“It used to be the exhilaration of going out through surf, but now I enjoy the good, safe, friendly competition,” he said.
“I’m not so keen on the big surf now but I will compete at the national’s in Perth this year with our masters crew.”
The club currently has eight boat crews.
“We have more female crews than mens’ crews at the moment, which is great,” Austin said.
“The lady rowers add a fair bit if colour to the sport.”
Austin was joined by his family and fellow club members a the boat’s official naming day on Sunday, January 14 on Mollymook Beach.
His hard work and contribution to the club and Surf Life Saving NSW earnt him an Order of Australia Medal in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday awards.
Austin joined the Mollymook club in 1967 and has been heavily involved in all aspects of beach activities and administration ever since.
He has been the Mollymook Surf Life Saving Club president since 1999 and spends most of his time on the beach or in the clubhouse.
“My father joined the club after the war and was a very active member,” Austin said.
“He would bring me down for what used to be called the Mollymook marlins, which is like the nippers we have today. When I was 15, I got my bronze and started rowing surf boats.”