Like S.A.N.D. through the hourglass... A Brief History of S.A.N.D.
S.A.N.D has always been a voluntary organisation harnessing community support to raise funds for charity, but when it was formed in 1984 the main objective was to promote peace while helping those in need.
S.A.N.D's first ever event was a surf contest and peace rally in 1985 on the Sunshine Coast, and international and national champion surfers flocked to attend. At the height of cold war, the world’s top professional surfers from eight different countries came together to compete not for prize money, but to promote world peace. Mightnight Oil's Peter Garrett along with the band's manager, Gary Morris, joined the protest for the weekend. The event was a great success with
$30,000 being raised and donated to needy charities. Channel Seven and Mike Higgins filmed a documentary on the event which won an international award for peace, further emphasising the event's success.
No Nukes
In 1986 S.A.N.D introduced the No Nukes novelty surf event, and a fun heat format was introduced. It became an annual event for the next ten years. The No Nukes novelty and the Nuclear Free Pacific Teams Challenge saw elite athletes joining with S.A.N.D as a way of a demonstrating against the nuclear arms race. Both the No Nukes novelty and Nuclear Free Pacific Teams Challenge featured local sporting and media personalities such as Artie Beetson, Miles Stewart, Graham Bell, Michael Doohan and Trevor Hendy to name a few, and on average each of these events netted $10,000 for charities via fundraising parties and raffles.
As S.A.N.D continued to be a successful organisation in its mission of promoting a nuclear fee world, its next endeavor was the formation of I.T.S, a junior board riding club. I.T.S ran for three years, promoting competitive surfing amongst its youth.
As S.A.N.D continued to be a successful organisation in its mission of promoting a nuclear fee world, its next endeavor was the formation of I.T.S, a junior board riding club. I.T.S ran for three years, promoting competitive surfing amongst its youth.
Surf For Life
In 1987 the international event which was previously held on the Sunshine Coast in 1985 was staged at Duranbah, on the NSW and QLD border. Once again the world’s best professional surfers, both men and women, came together to compete for world peace. This time sixteen different countries were represented across a total of around one hundred surfers. A music festival was run at the same time as the surfing event, which featured top national and international bands including Midnight Oil and Spy vs Spy.
During the 1990’s S.A.N.D. also put together a competitive surf team which competed in the Quiksilver Surf League. The team won the Queensland Quiksilver Titles on two occasions. The team had the aim of eventually travelling overseas to spread an anti nuclear message whilst competing against countries and teams worldwide. The S.A.N.D. surf league team had some incredible talent including Mick Court, Dean Cole, Shaun Riley, Todd Lee, Robbie Cohen, Peter Boyd, Darren Magee, Reg Riley, Tappa Teece, Stuart McLeary, Jamie Kastagalis, Neal Purchase, Richie Hughes and John Mills.
S.A.N.D. then ran a WQS event, The Hotel Straddie Pro, over two consecutive years, and also pioneered several Junior Series Surfing events. The SAND Super Series and the S.A.N.D Aleeda Series catered for Under 12’s, Under 14’s, and Under 16’s. Five rounds of the series were held in order to determine a winner. Similar styles of competition had been held for other sports, but never before for surfing. These events were the breeding ground for today’s professional surfers, being the likes of Joel Parkinson, Dean Morrison and Dave Rastovich.
S.A.N.D also engaged in numerous interclub competitions with Noosa Boardriders.
During the 1990’s S.A.N.D. also put together a competitive surf team which competed in the Quiksilver Surf League. The team won the Queensland Quiksilver Titles on two occasions. The team had the aim of eventually travelling overseas to spread an anti nuclear message whilst competing against countries and teams worldwide. The S.A.N.D. surf league team had some incredible talent including Mick Court, Dean Cole, Shaun Riley, Todd Lee, Robbie Cohen, Peter Boyd, Darren Magee, Reg Riley, Tappa Teece, Stuart McLeary, Jamie Kastagalis, Neal Purchase, Richie Hughes and John Mills.
S.A.N.D. then ran a WQS event, The Hotel Straddie Pro, over two consecutive years, and also pioneered several Junior Series Surfing events. The SAND Super Series and the S.A.N.D Aleeda Series catered for Under 12’s, Under 14’s, and Under 16’s. Five rounds of the series were held in order to determine a winner. Similar styles of competition had been held for other sports, but never before for surfing. These events were the breeding ground for today’s professional surfers, being the likes of Joel Parkinson, Dean Morrison and Dave Rastovich.
S.A.N.D also engaged in numerous interclub competitions with Noosa Boardriders.
S.A.N.D Sippas
Over the years S.A.N.D's surf events supported countless fundraising activities, but in more recent times the majority of funds have come from charity lunches and dinners. In late 1990’s S.A.N.D Sippas was formed as social fundraising arm of the original S.A.N.D. surfing group. The foundation members of S.A.N.D. Sippas are Paul Botica, Mike Snee, Paul Harris, Mark Neumann, Paul Hallas, Steve Rowe, Denis Callinan, Wayne Bartholomew, Chris Byrne, Geoff Smith, Justin Moynihan, Mark Wakefield, Greg Colwill and Eddie Valladares. Since the start of the S.A.N.D Sippas chapter, the focus has been more on working with local charities wherever possible. There is also a large focus on endorsing the ‘Bill Callinan’ legacy aimed at looking after and raising funds for today’s youth.
Once this more mature arm of S.A.N.D became a reality, the fundraising became a very serious focus. It's estimated that S.A.N.D has contributed over $900,000 to charities wide and varied. Some of these include Child Abuse Trust, Brain Foundation, Cancer Research, Gold Coast Domestic Violence Centre, The Leukemia Foundation, Father O’Rileys Youth on the Street, needy local ind cases, Camp Quality, Homeless Youth, Rosie’s, Queensland Cancer Fund, Gold Coast Traffic Offenders Program and Medicini.
Since 2001 several major fundraising events have been held by S.A.N.D. In 2003 Watermasters II generated $35,000 for Farther Riley’s Homeless Youth. During 2004 three separate auctions were conducted which netted $60,000 for one of our own members who suffered a stroke and became wheelchair bound. Two separate surf schools and Christmas parties were held for homeless children in late 2004. In 2005 the Dexter Pang Memorial surf contest was held. The Three Star Glow was also held in 2005, after three local Burleigh surfers passed away and two of the surfers left families with very limited financial support. S.A.N.D raised $60,000 for the families and paid tribute to the surfers who had passed on, dubbing them “The Three Stars”.
The Water Masters III Dinner followed in August 2007 at the Twin Towns Services Club in Tweed raising funds for Cure Cancer Australia Foundation, Camp Quality, the Tweed Hospital Medical Oncology Unit and the fight against World Poverty. As is usual with S.A.N.D event a plethora of sporting stars were in attendance or pledged items for auction, including surf superstars Joel Parkinson, Stephanie Gilmore, Dean Morrison, Mick Fanning, Occy, Rabbit and more, ironmen like Ky Hurst, Trevor Hendy and swim stars like Grant Hackett and Sophie Edington to name but few.
There's also a website for the S.A.N.D Water Masters III Dinner here: www.sandwatermasters.com
The outpouring of goodwill from Water Masters III had barely subsided when S.A.N.D founder and president Denis Callinan suddenly passed away from heart complications on the 16th January, 2008. Denis's passion and enthusiasm touched the lives of many, and each year S.A.N.D holds a memorial Golf Day to celebrate his legacy and bring together his friends from wide and varied backgrounds while raising funds for charity. Visit the special section of this website dedicated to Denis Callinan, or you can visit the Denis Callinan Memorial website at www.deniscallinan.com
After Denis's passing longtime S.A.N.D Sippas board member Paul Bottica stepped up to serve as President to continue the group's good work. However Paul has also been challenged with a battle in the form of a rare and aggressive type of cancer. So while S.A.N.D is usually a conduit for giving to others, the group's most recent fundraising dinner in 2011 was for one of our own, ensuring Paul has the funds he needs to continue his brave fight.
From international causes to issues more close to home, S.A.N.D has been an unwavering force in ensuring that the community can respond to issues or those in need. It's initial ability to bring together the surf community to do good has grown to encompass input from all levels of society, for causes wide and varied. The constant theme? Think globally, act locally and together we can make the world a better place, one bit at a time.
Once this more mature arm of S.A.N.D became a reality, the fundraising became a very serious focus. It's estimated that S.A.N.D has contributed over $900,000 to charities wide and varied. Some of these include Child Abuse Trust, Brain Foundation, Cancer Research, Gold Coast Domestic Violence Centre, The Leukemia Foundation, Father O’Rileys Youth on the Street, needy local ind cases, Camp Quality, Homeless Youth, Rosie’s, Queensland Cancer Fund, Gold Coast Traffic Offenders Program and Medicini.
Since 2001 several major fundraising events have been held by S.A.N.D. In 2003 Watermasters II generated $35,000 for Farther Riley’s Homeless Youth. During 2004 three separate auctions were conducted which netted $60,000 for one of our own members who suffered a stroke and became wheelchair bound. Two separate surf schools and Christmas parties were held for homeless children in late 2004. In 2005 the Dexter Pang Memorial surf contest was held. The Three Star Glow was also held in 2005, after three local Burleigh surfers passed away and two of the surfers left families with very limited financial support. S.A.N.D raised $60,000 for the families and paid tribute to the surfers who had passed on, dubbing them “The Three Stars”.
The Water Masters III Dinner followed in August 2007 at the Twin Towns Services Club in Tweed raising funds for Cure Cancer Australia Foundation, Camp Quality, the Tweed Hospital Medical Oncology Unit and the fight against World Poverty. As is usual with S.A.N.D event a plethora of sporting stars were in attendance or pledged items for auction, including surf superstars Joel Parkinson, Stephanie Gilmore, Dean Morrison, Mick Fanning, Occy, Rabbit and more, ironmen like Ky Hurst, Trevor Hendy and swim stars like Grant Hackett and Sophie Edington to name but few.
There's also a website for the S.A.N.D Water Masters III Dinner here: www.sandwatermasters.com
The outpouring of goodwill from Water Masters III had barely subsided when S.A.N.D founder and president Denis Callinan suddenly passed away from heart complications on the 16th January, 2008. Denis's passion and enthusiasm touched the lives of many, and each year S.A.N.D holds a memorial Golf Day to celebrate his legacy and bring together his friends from wide and varied backgrounds while raising funds for charity. Visit the special section of this website dedicated to Denis Callinan, or you can visit the Denis Callinan Memorial website at www.deniscallinan.com
After Denis's passing longtime S.A.N.D Sippas board member Paul Bottica stepped up to serve as President to continue the group's good work. However Paul has also been challenged with a battle in the form of a rare and aggressive type of cancer. So while S.A.N.D is usually a conduit for giving to others, the group's most recent fundraising dinner in 2011 was for one of our own, ensuring Paul has the funds he needs to continue his brave fight.
From international causes to issues more close to home, S.A.N.D has been an unwavering force in ensuring that the community can respond to issues or those in need. It's initial ability to bring together the surf community to do good has grown to encompass input from all levels of society, for causes wide and varied. The constant theme? Think globally, act locally and together we can make the world a better place, one bit at a time.
