Norm Innis
SURFING AUSTRALIA CHAIRMAN
S
Order of Australia Medal
going forward we want to be even more involved so we’re going to double our budget for this next year.” Innis has also been actively involved in many areas of surfing administration including Chairman of the Association of Surfing Professionals, President of Noosa Malibu Club and Director of the Noosa Festival of Surfing. As a member of the Board of Surfing Australia for the past 10 years and six as Chairman, Innis has overseen a dramatic turnaround for the organisation into a mainstream, commercially sustainable national sporting organisation. “I was asked in 2004 if I’d get involved with Surfing Australia as it was going through some very difficult times financially. We sorted out our governance and financially restructured the business. “Initially when I took over the chairmanship I was very handsoff but as it turned out I got sucked into the nitty, gritty of the business and we’ve basically rebuilt it from the ground up. A lot of effort has gone into it and I must thank my wife and family for their patience because when you get involved in volunteer work you are away from your family but not bringing home any money. “It is extremely satisfying personally to see where Surfing Australia is today.” Innis said he felt privileged to have forged a life from his passion for surfing. “I’ve always wanted to give something back to surfing as it was something I was quite passionate about and because it had given me such a great ride through life. “If I hadn’t got into surfing, I wouldn’t have got involved with Quiksilver and enjoyed all the amazing experiences I’ve had. Surfing is just a wonderful thing and everybody should have a go at least once.” Surfing Australia CEO Andrew Stark said the recognition was a worthy honour. “This is an extremely well deserved recognition for Norm and his contribution to the sport of surfing,” Stark said. “Norm has committed over and above to Surfing Australia to ensure the organisation’s success. “We are all very happy to see our Chairman recognised in such high regard through this Order of Australia Medal.”
Awarded the
urfing Australia Chairman Norm Innis’ long commitment to surfing administration and philanthropic endeavours was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Innis received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for his services to the sport of surfing. Innis was an executive with Quiksilver for almost 22 years before retiring in early 2004. He joined the board of Surfing Australia the same year, and has been Chairman since January 2008. Innis also started the NJ Innis Charitable Foundation in 2003. “I was fortunate enough as a teenager to discover surfing which led me to my career with Quiksilver, which was just an amazing opportunity to work in a business like that,” Innis said. “When I retired from Quiksilver 10 years ago I decided to put something back into surfing so I started my own charitable foundation. “I wanted it to be a little different and unique so our general aim was to support disadvantaged kids, and a big subset of that in this country is indigenous kids, and to use surfing as a means of improving their lives. “We have been involved in a series of initiatives including a scholarship with Southern Cross University and Mission Mexico, which was started by a Sunshine Coast couple who run an orphanage for homeless kids in Mexico and use surfing to raise the kids’ self esteem.” The latest initiative for the NJ Innis Foundation was to join the Quiksilver Foundation in raising more than $80,000 to enable 500 underprivileged children to participate in the VEGEMITE SurfGroms program. VEGEMITE SurfGroms is the worldfirst national junior surfing program run by Surfing Australia which offers 5-12 olds an opportunity to develop strong ocean awareness and beach safety skills, while also developing a proficiency in surfing. “This initiative was perfect for the Foundation and by piggy-backing on the Quiksilver Foundation and running the program through Surfing Australia it has brought all my activities together in a way – from working at Quiksilver, being involved with Surfing Australia and been part of the team that put together VEGEMITE SurfGroms. “From the Foundation’s point of view it has been perfect and
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