Slip, Slop, Slap, The Boys In Blue Are Back!

By Georgie Jeffreys on September 23, 2011 in News

Fresh from a well-deserved winter hiatus, the good-looking kids of Bondi Rescue – undoubtedly Waverley Council’s most popular employees – are now back on all of Waverley’s beaches. Ready once again to keep watch over the sand and surf of Sydney’s east, the kings of patrol are resuming their duties on a dawn till dusk, 7 day a week basis, doing what they do best at Tamarama, Bronte and of course Bondi, heralding what is sure to be another scorcher of a season filled with Speedos, shark alarms, red-raw tourists, topless Swedes, seedy perverts and everything in between.

Yet unlike the rest of us, winter wasn’t all scrabble, pretend ‘ice skating’ and mulled wine for our favourite boys in blue. Instead, ever the good samaritans that they are, the off season brought with it a chance for them to get cracking on some charitable projects, including the 2012 Lifeguard Calendar series (www.thecalendarseries.com). Designed to help save lives both in and out of the water, the calendar – set for release this summer – is aiming to raise profits for individual surf clubs Australia wide, and for the Sydney Children’s Hospital.

Funny man and self proclaimed “seductive fountain of youth” Anthony ‘Harries’ Carroll, who features as ‘Mr August’, reckons that the calendar is a killer way for the boys to give back to the community and round up some much needed attention for a couple of worthy issues.

“All the boys have generously donated a lot of their time,” he said.

“Hopefully this can be another opportunity for us to raise both awareness and funds for a couple of really great causes.”

Also on the agenda this winter was the first ever Bondi Rescue European Tour, embarked on by lifeguards Hoppo, Reidy, Maxi, Gonzo and Corey. With the show now being aired in over 210 countries, the team set off on a journey throughout the UK, Ireland and parts of Europe including Spain and Sweden to pay homage to just some of their loyal international constituents, and to spread the message about surf safety.

Now that they’re back from chasing summers, chatting up fans across the pond and catching Kodak calendar moments, the focus, according to Harries, is on saving lives. Considering last years staggering 3000 rescues – which, if you were wondering, works out to at least 20 a day – that’s probably a good thing.

Without doubt, being the gatekeepers of safety at one of the world’s most visited beaches is a pretty hectic gig, especially when surrounded by a thousand cameras. So it’s no surprise that even all-round-nice-guy ‘Mr August’ gets a little hot under the collar when it comes to the importance of keeping vigilant on the job.

“Since the show and the boys have become so popular, there are obviously a lot of supporters who want to have a chat and get photos, but with over 40,000 people on the beach it can make things a bit difficult,” Harries said.

“Ninety-nine percent of fans are beautiful and absolute sweethearts but there is the rare occasion when some just don’t respect that you’ve got a job to do. We are there to save lives and that’s it.”