Published at: www.culturehunter.org, January 2014
Who: The Disabled Surfers’ Association
What/ Where: The annual surf at Blacksmiths Beach
When: January 16th
What/ Where: The annual surf at Blacksmiths Beach
When: January 16th
ON JANUARY 16th a
few dozen people gathered out at Black Smiths Beach. Beneath the blue tent set up on the southern
side of the beach scurried about members of the Disabled Surfers’ Association (DSA)
from the Hunter Branch.
Once customary ‘hullos’ had
been made and I’d registered for the day, the next port of call was to grab
myself a rash shirt of the correct colour. There was yellow, for participants;
blue, for volunteers; red for team leaders or green for marshalls. Primary
carers had shirts of a sky-blue colour.
Then it was off to the beach
in the hope of diving in the water. As I drew closer to the tent which had been
set up for the occasion, it was clear that other fellow yellow-shirters were
having a grand time. There were expressions of nervous excitement as some were
deposited onto carefully handled long-boards. Others showed pure exhilaration when
came their turn to race back into shore. One particular chap was so excited
after his run that for much of the
remaining afternoon he kept whooping with joy, “I won! I won!”
One of the volunteers spoke
to me about how great it is to help out at the DSA. “I have three kids and am
currently doing as Master’s Degree in Health,” he said. “Being able to set
aside one whole day every few months works out for me perfectly, as opposed to
needing to commit myself for a few regular afternoons each week.”
After we had all dunked
ourselves in the waves we adjourned back up to the BBQ area to a hearty feed of
snags and bread rolls. Over lunch Bede, president of the Hunter Branch, advertised
the upcoming trivia night. Events like the trivia night, he said, are very
important as they help the DSA to raise the much-needed funds to continue
operating. “When we are out,” he explained, “we must have a defibrillator ready
for use. Each of these costs two thousand dollars…”- money the DSA can’t easily
spend.
The DSA itself has developed
quite noticeably since its humble beginnings in 1986. Previously a surfer,
President Gary Blashke was disappointed when told he would never surf again. With a few mates he formed the DSA, and in the
years since it has “grown enormously”, currently boasting 14 branches in 5
states as well as six over in New Zealand. There is talk of efforts over in
Perth too, so it seems likely that the western side will soon have its own DSA also.
Most pressing at the moment is
the upcoming Trivia Night at Souths Leagues Club. If this interests you or
someone you know, or perhaps if there is an item in your possession that would
be a great auction piece, please check out the attached flyer and contact Ben
on 0402-294-534.
