‘This is home’: Why Nippers clubs are booming in Australia

It doesn’t get more Aussie than surf life saving – and more and more kids are getting involved through Nippers clubs. See the video.

Nippers is a great Australian cultural institution – and with young people from 80 different nationalities involved, it’s become a great multicultural institution as well.

The junior wing of the Surf Life Saving movement has been an integral part of Australian beach life for over 100 years, with more than 198,000 Nippers regularly turning up for events at 315 clubs nationwide.

“Our Nippers come from backgrounds and countries all over the world, including youngsters from Kazakhstan, Bulgaria and South Korea,” Surf Life Saving Australia’s (SLSA) general manager Donna Wishart said.

The 1000 or so kids who participate in Nippers at Sydney’s Coogee beach embody that diversity.

“The club itself is really inclusive [and] they want to involve kids who may not necessarily be comfortable around water or the beach,” Ms Wishart said.

Sophia Lipman 11, Amelie Gurkhi 8, Charlie Lipman 11, Edwards Gunoz 9, Alex Chua 8 and Kian Foo 9. Picture Jeff Darmanin

“By bringing people in from all of these different backgrounds with different skills and experiences and making them part of the one club it helps with that community cohesion.”

And while the emphasis may be on fun for the kids, potentially lifesaving skills are being acquired along the way.

In its most recent report, SLSA revealed Australian migrant communities were over-represented drowning cases, with only 15 per cent of migrants aged 35 and over having had formal swimming training.

Sandeep Gurkhi, from India, said the Nippers program helps to “encourage people from other cultures to come and enjoy the beach in a safe manner.”

His daughter has been a Nipper for two years, and he said it had given her “a sense of community”.

“When she walks around Coogee she’s already bumping into friends … she feels like this is home for her,” he said.

Onan Gunoz said Nippers had given his son Edward “a great opportunity”.

“He can both make friends here and also he’s going to be growing up and wanting to come to the beach,” he said.

Originally published as ‘This is home’: Why Nippers clubs are booming in Australia