Surf’s up for Mardi Gras

When the Asian Marching Boys dressed as surf lifesavers in last year’s Mardi Gras parade, they gave colourful expression to the gay community’s affection for beach heroes.

This year’s New Mardi Gras advertising campaign continues the tribute, depicting a series of buff characters in surf lifesaving gear.

Despite this obvious admiration, Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) has never fielded a Mardi Gras entry of its own.

That will change on 3 March when up to 80 gay and lesbian lifesavers and supporters march in the organisation’s first Mardi Gras float.

This year 2007 is the official Year of the Surf Lifesaver and surf lifesaving’s Australian centenary. The Mardi Gras entry will mark the milestones and celebrate the work of gay and lesbian lifesavers and their colleagues.

We’re going to try our best to get a good reception from the crowd and entertain them and just show them that there are gay lifesavers out there, float co-organiser and Tamarama surf lifesaver Ruairi O’Connor told Sydney Star Observer.

Organisers are keeping the float’s slogan a secret for now, but they have revealed marchers from Sydney and beyond will be in iconic red and yellow surf lifesaving gear.

It’s going to be very fun and very noticeable. Maybe one or two people might be in their Speedos, O’Connor said.

We have an awful lot of gay and gay-friendly people in the clubs -¦ who are interested in marching.

We are contacting all the surf clubs around Australia -¦ and we’re going to ask any gay or gay-friendly surf lifesavers to contact us and register.

We’re also trying to promote gays and lesbians to come and join our surf clubs.

The Mardi Gras float will include rescue demonstrations.

We’re going to make sure that the crowd realises that we do take our job seriously and we do do an awful lot of work to make sure [people] are safe, O’Connor said.

Surf Life Saving Australia is backing the float as a way to promote diversity and surf safety.

Surf Life Saving Australia acknowledges and supports any member who wishes to participate on the Year of the Surf Lifesaver float in this year’s Mardi Gras, chief executive officer Brett Williamson said.

This is another opportunity to highlight the organisation’s diversity and deliver key beach safety messages at the same time.

In the lead-up to the parade, surf lifesavers plan to demonstrate safety techniques at Fair Day on 18 February.

For more information about the SLSA float or to register interest visit the Lifesaver 2007 blog.