Phil Coles

Phil Coles Australian Surf Ski Champion 1955-56, 1958-59, 1960-61
NSW Champion 1960-61, 1962-63
Throughout the 1960's Phil Coles totally dominated surf ski and kayaking events.Phil's achievements were extraordinary. The Annual Report 1960-61 under the heading "Other Sports" records the following:
"Kayak: P Coles, 1000 metres Single Kayak NSW Championship 1st; P Coles, 500 metres Single Kayak NSW Championship 1st; P. Coles, member of NSW Relay Team 1st at Australian Kayak Championship; P Coles, 1000 metres Australian Kayak Championship 1st; P Coles, 500 metres Australian Kayak Championship 1st; P Coles, 10,000 metres Australian Kayak Championship 1st".
He was simply the best paddler of his generation and was chosen as team Captain of the Australian SLSA team which toured the USA in 1965.
In the same year he won the Sydney Branch, NSW Australian and Interstate Single Surf Ski Races. Two years earlier in 1958 he had been given a special award for having attained 100 per cent record over a ten year period of beach patrols.