Donny Szell “The Don” Surfboat

Don Szell has patrolled Broulee beach for 35 years.

Don is one of the Club’s longest serving continuous club members, joining the club in 1989.  His commitment as a volunteer was recognised with a National Patrol Service Award for 25 years’ service, and in 1999 and again in 2000 was awarded the club’s patrol person of the year.

He has also been an active member of the surfboat community and attended the 1994 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships as part of the Broulee’s surfboat team.  More recently, he has taken up sweeping and coaching for the surfboat crews who train on Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra.

The Club’s surfboat crews, who are active and train both in Broulee and Canberra, have spent the last 12 months raising the almost $30,000 needed to purchase the Don Szell surfboat.  Their boat was a South Coast Surfboat built just in time for the crews to compete in it at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships in Queensland in April where they won a silver medal.  The club formally commissioned the boat on 4 May 2024 at Broulee beach.

The Donny Szell Surfboat was successful in the following events:

• Australian Masters Championships 2024 at Alexander Headlands Silver Medal, over 200 master’s male. Crew Morgan Freemantle, Jeff Dunne, Steve Moore, Pete Shaw and swept by Gary Pettigrove
• Australian Masters Championships 2024 at Alexander Headlands fourth place, over 180 master’s female. Crew Robyn Trenton, Susan McKeag, Vikki Fischer, Brenda Lofthouse and swept by Gary Pettigrove
• Raffle winner’s name was Rogers Electrical