March Past History
Collaroy is the home to one of the most competitive March Past teams in the world, the iconic Surf Life Saving event dating back to 1920.
Collaroy began competing in 1921 finishing an impressive second.
100 years later Collaroy took out the quinella at the Australian Titles with the Collaroy Ladies outranking the Collaroy Bears for a one-two finish.
In 1946 due to material shortages the March Past team marched in shorts rather than the traditional March Past Costume (still worn today), they would have been a sight for sore eyes.
Ladies March Past was first held in 1946 and Collaroy competed and won the first NSW Ladies March Past Championship in 1947.
In those days the team comprised a total of 20 marchers.
Collaroy had a purple patch in the 1960’s when Graham Carlisle became the March Past Coach – one of the original team Col Newman is still actively involved in the Bears March Past Team.
The team trained on Sunday afternoons and twice a week for two hours, a far cry from todays training efforts!
The March Past Team won the Australian Titles at Warrnambool in 1963, beating three time Champion Bundaberg.
Collaroy is one of only three teams to win four March Pasts in a row between 1974 and 1977.
At the 2021 titles Collaroy equalled the number of Australian March Past Tiles of 15 previously held by Bundaberg, a fantastic achievement.
In recent years a Collaroy team has always stood on the winners podium with the Ladies and Men’s teams taking Gold and Silver respectively at the 2024 Aussie Championships.
With the recent formation of “The Comebacks”, a team consisting of members who have previously competed as Nippers, the future is bright for Team Collaroy.
The Event
A team of twelve club members march around a rectangular course on the beach to music led by their Flag Bearer carrying a Club Flag, and a reel party carrying a traditional surf reel.
They are judged on eight separate sections:
Time and Step,
Arm Swing,
Leg Action,
Body Carriage,
Covering,
Spacing and Dressing,
Wheeling and Length of Pace.
The team with the least amount of faults wins the competition.