Media, Awards and Ongoing Projects

Since it’s inception the Science of the Surf has generated significant media coverage in major newspapers (The Daily Telegraph, The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and by features on the ABC science television show Catalyst, Channel 7’s Totally Wild and Sunrise, the ABC 7:30 Report, and Channel 9’s A Current Affair. There have also been numerous radio interviews and many articles in community newspapers.

The success of the community seminars is evident by Community Event of the Year awards being given at both the Sydney and State Branch levels of Surf Life Saving Australia in and an award from the Australian Attorney-General Emergency Management Australia (EMA) program in the Pre-Disaster Category Volunteer Organisation. In 2005, the Science of the Surf was given a special commendation by NSW Sport and Recreation/AusSwim for Water Safety Event of the Year presented by Minister for Tourism and Sport and Recreation Sandra Nori.

In 2007, SOS received funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) to work with Surf Life Saving Australia in developing educations material to reduce the risk of beach drowning. Further information on the this project can be found here.

SOS was first presented to schools in 2007 and based on feedback provided by teachers, SOS was the recipient of a Frater Award for Excellence in School Performances awarded by the NSW Department of Education and Training

The following is a full list of media and awards up until Feb 2008:

Media

Discovery Channel Canada “Daily Planet” April 2008
ABC Television Sleek Geeks 7/2/08
Wentworth Courier “Doctor lets rip on surf safety” 23/1/08
Channel 9 NBN News 19/1/08
Manly Daily “Surf safety for all ages and stages” 19/1/08
Manly Daily “Colourful explanation” 18/1/08
Port Stephens Examiner “Surf science guru to talk” 17/1/0
ABC North Coast Radio with Vicki Kerrigan 15/3/07
Sydney Southern Courier “Seeing is Believing” 13/3/07
Newcastle Herald “Lessons of power of ocean” 17/2/07
Newcastle Post “Stay safe in the surf” 14/2/07
ABC 1233 Newcastle Live Interview 14/2/07
Sunday Herald “Learn surf science from a wave expert” 11/2/07
Channel 7 Sunrise 31/1/07
Channel 9 NBN Evening News 26/10/06
Channel 9 NBN Today Extra 21/4/06
Channel 9 NBN Evening News 27/2/06
Newcastle Herald 25/2/06
ABC Central Coast Radio 22/2/06
ABC Rural Radio Late Night with Ingrid Just 10/10/05
Channel 9 A Current Affair 24/1/05
Radio 2GB with Murray Wilton 23/1/05
SMH Good Weekend Magazine 22/1/05 “Rips”
ABC Radio Wollongong 21/1/05
Sydney Daily Telegraph 21/1/05
Sydney Wentworth Courier 7/4/04 “Danger of surf”
Gold Coast Bulletin 6/4/04
UNSW Uniken April 2004 “New wave of rip research to save lives”
ABC 720 Radio 14/4/04
Northern Star (Lismore) 31/3/04 “Rip pulses key to beach deaths”
Daily Examiner (Grafton) 30/3/04 “Key to drownings”
Daily News Tweed Heads 26/3/2004 “Sea’s rip lessons to save lives”
Radio 2UE live interview Mike Carleton Show 26/3/04
ABC TV 7:30 Report 24/3/04
ABC National Radio 20/3/04
Sydney Wentworth Courier “Why the surf is a science” 23/10/02
UNSW Uniken “Let it Rip” July 2002
Channel 10 TV Totally Wild show 24/4/02
ABC TV Catalyst show 28/2/02, “The Scientists of the Surf”
ABC National Radio interview 14/2/02
Sydney Radio 2SER 13/2/02
The Australian, Higher Education Supplement, 13/2/02
Sydney Radio 2SM with Rod Warren 11/2/02
ABC Radio Newcastle 11/2/02
Sydney Daily Telegraph “A ripper experiment” 11/2/02
Sydney Wentworth Courier “Surfing goes scientific” 6/2/02

Awards

2007 DET Frater Award for Excellence in School Performances
NSW Sport and Rec AustSwim “Water Safety Event of the Year 2005
Tamarama SLSC Senior Clubman of the Year Award 2005
Attorney-General Emergency Management Australia Award 2003
Tamarama SLSC Senior Clubman of the Year Award 2003
Sydney Branch NSW Surf Life Saving Community Event of the Year 2002
NSW Surf Life Saving Award of Excellence (Community Education) 2002

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