Club History
Background
In the early 21st Century AD mates James Nosworthy and Nick Brook started a regular catch up at Avalon Beach. An early morning beach run, a sea swim off the rocks at the end of the ocean pool would be followed up with a coffee and catchup on the headland afterwards. This started as James had undergone recent hip surgery and was trying to get fit again, with Nick all too happy to motivate and push the fat beast along the sand and in the water. It can be said that while Nick and James are not Avalon Beach ‘born and breds’, both love the raw beauty that the beach & area inspires. Both are Mexicans, so AFL is common to the two, Nick originally from Bayside Melbourne (being a long suffering St Kilda tragic ) and James (on the Hawks Bandwagon) from the rural SA-VIC border. Needless to say Nick is the much more ‘natural swimmer’ among the two, while James who learnt his trade in dams takes the role of the less ergonomic of the pair cutting through the water. It’s a fact that when James completed his Bronze Medallion the assessor commented his swimming technique was “One of the worst he had ever seen”. James & Nick started catching up more regularly throughout 2020 and with the global covid pandemic that followed this quickly turned into pretty much a daily ritual for mental health and well-being as well as fitness. James dropped 15 kilo in the process. Others soon joined and the run & swim off the rock & coffee after became a daily fixture and ritual for many….. The term ‘Rockies’ was coined in reference to the dive off the rock and it seemed to stick, out of this The Rockie Beach Sports Club was born.
Why Rockie or Rockies not Rocky ?
It’s not because we disagree with our nonexistence in the Oxford Concise it is simply because our members community is all about the ‘plural’ being the shared connections, the mateship & groups not the ‘singular’ of running an individual solo race. We are about being with a +1 albeit either for safety or for regular social connection and mental wellbeing. Hence our members are Rockies within what we call The Rockie Beach Sports Club.
Both Nick and James love the ocean swim and it’s safe to say both are ocean addicts. The sea throws up something different every day. Stunning underwater colours & luminous life below one day and extreme surf and forces of nature another. The crisp cold water, the feeling of vulnerability and a sense and being small in the scheme of big is very addictive.
We want to share this with others in our community so created The Rockie Beach Sports Club.
Disclaimer: Rockie Beach Sports Club is an informal group who meet regularly at the Avalon Beach pool and swim there or off the rocks and across Avalon Beach. It is free to participate and all are welcome. Each swimmer has a personal responsibility to decide whether or not they swim on any particular day and in any given conditions. They should only swim if they are completely confident about the conditions of the surf, ocean and weather that they are choosing to swim in as ocean swimming can be a dangerous recreational activity – especially from the rocks and if the surf is large. All swimmers have a personal responsibility to determine that they have the physical condition and skills to enter into and complete a swim safely without any water safety assistance from other swimmers or the group as a whole. If a swimmer has any existing physical condition or any doubt as to their ability to complete a swim they should have a medical check-up first. Swimmers under the age of 18 should only swim if accompanied by a parent or a person who has parental responsibility for them. Swimmers should be aware that there is no water safety nor insurance in the event of sustaining injury etc…
If you choose to swim at any other time or on any other route, be it with Rockie Beach Sports Club swimmers, or with friends whom you have made through Rockie Beach Sports Club, the same applies.