Members of the Woonona Boardriders Club at a pointscore event earlier this year. Inset: The charred remains of the club’s van and equipment after it was targeted in an arson attack. Photos: Woonona Boardriders Club.
An arson attack has left a Woonona sports club about $40,000 out of pocket.
Earlier this week Woonona Boardriders found their club trailer, packed full of expensive equipment, had been broken into and set ablaze.
Club president, Marc Robson said the firefighters who responded said it appeared a number of big-ticket items were stolen before the van was set alight to cover the thieves’ tracks.
The discovery devastated the volunteers who run the club.
Marc, who has been a member of the club for 16 years and president for the past four, said the loss represented years of hard work.
“It’s absolutely atrocious,” he said.
“We run off the work we do, fundraising, member fees and sponsors that help us to grow kids grassroots surfing into something bigger.
“The van alone took four years of fundraising to buy, and will cost well over $20,000 to replace.
“It’s years of work gone in minutes. It’s heartbreaking.”
Marc said the club was the second-largest sporting organisation in Woonona after the Sharks Football Club.
Woonona Boardriders boasts 180 active competing members and another 800 social or supporting members.
Established in 1975, it is the oldest boardriders club in the region.
Their van stored equipment essential for running events such as their upcoming club championship and the annual Ocean Queen Classic.
Thanks to the support of the community, club members and other boardriders clubs, the Ocean Queen Classic will go ahead, but the club championship has been postponed indefinitely.
“We do this to be involved in the sport we love and drive the competitive spirit and growth of our groms,” Marc said.
“We want to get them ready to compete at a state and national level, hopefully get them to the point where they can make a career out of surfing.
“We’re really passionate about supporting women, and three or four previous Ocean Queen Classic competitors have gone on to compete on the qualifying tour.
“To experience vandalism like this is devastating.”
The club is raising funds to help rebuild, and show the kids that their community is stronger than a single act of destruction.
Wollongong Golf Club has donated food and equipment for a fundraising barbecue on this Saturday 14 March – check out the boardriders Facebook page for more information.
If your weekend is fully booked but you’d still like to help out you can contribute to the club’s GoFundMe here.
“Every dollar will go directly toward rebuilding the club and getting our kids back in the water,” Marc said.
“While this is a major setback, our committee and volunteers are determined to keep the club moving forward.”
