About SSRKC
Our Club
The Sun Coast Seniors Recreational Kayak Club has around 100 active paddlers with various levels of skills and fitness.
Club membership is primarily for people over the age of 50, although we do offer associate membership for younger paddlers on a case by case basis.
History
The club started on November 17 1993 when a group of 40 University of the Third Age (U3A) members participated in a trial paddle at Dunethin Rock. It led to the formation of the U3A Canoe Club. However U3A were concerned about insurance cover and the club was dissolved and a new group was formed on March 21 1996. Insurance issues prompted another change, the Suncoast Seniors Recreational Canooing Club was incorporated. Four years later in July 2021, the club changed its name to the Suncoast Seniors Recreational Kayaking Club Inc. to reflect the shift from canoeing to kayaking.
Life Members
The success of our club over three decades is due the hard work of our members. We all pitch in to lend a hand, but there are some who do more than most. We don’t have club champions, but we do recognize those of us who’ve made an outstanding contribution over many years. We have six life members, who we regard as the custodians of our values and our heritage.
Jim Blyth
Jim has been the backbone of our club for over two decades, joining in 2003. In 2004, he served as acting president, vice president and took on the secretary’s job in 2005 to rebuild the club. He’s also served as treasurer and remains a member of the management committee. Over the years, he has provided skills and safety training to many paddlers through both formal and informal tuition. Jim’s organizational skills and attention to detail is unmatched. He was awarded life membership in 2012.
Terri Stannard
Terri is the only surviving founding member. At 95, she’s still an active kayaker and routinely keeps members entertained with her sharp wit. She’s a former PoW, mother of nine children, a grand mother to many more and a great grand mother. To our club, she’s our inspiration and a font of great wisdom. Terri was awarded life membership in 2012.
Dave Pass
Dave joined the club in 2012 and served two terms as president and a couple of stints as a committee member. As president, he embraced open ocean paddling introducing club sanctioned paddles at the Whitsundays and Fraser (now K’Gari) Island. These are now regular venues, and other ocean paddles, have become an accepted part of our club calendar. Dave is a celebrated statesman of the club, well respected for his common sense by all paddlers and more specifically office bearers and committee members. He was awarded life membership in 2020.
Don McAllister
When the club went digital, Don McAllister was given the unenviable task of managing the web site – he learnt the digital language and played a significant role in moving the club into the modern era. He is an accomplished paddler and is regularly asked to provide instruction to new comers on paddle strokes. He is the epitome of humility – a club stalwart who personifies the values of the SSRKC. He was awarded life membership in 2020.
Richard Sharpe
Richard is probably best known as the manufacturer of Seadog Sails – his product is on almost every expedition kayak in the club. His sails are sold throughout Australia and overseas. However, he received life membership in 2024, for his outstanding service to the club as the paddle scheduler. For eleven years, he laid down the paddle plans for what is probably the most active club in Australia. At a rough guestimate, he’s probably been the architect of around 1100 paddles – setting the route for each according to the tides. Although, he’s mellowed in recent years, he developed a reputation as a seriously competent kayaker who pushed others to realise their potential.
Sue Alcock
Sue and Jim teamed up to provide years of skills development and safety training for members. As a qualified instructor, Sue passed on her knowledge of kayaking skills, but perhaps more importantly how to conduct club paddles safety and enjoyably. She joined the club in 2012, and still shares her expertise on official safety training days and during regular club paddles. She’s also an awesome camp organisor… she broke new ground by taking a camp to Croatia and Tonga and served on the management committee for four years. She’s also a fearless campaigner for equality and serves as a role model for women entering the sport and those volunteering for office bearer position. She was awarded life membership in 2024.