Surf club in big league

MERMAID Beach AEME Surf Life Saving Club has broken through the 1000 member mark for the first time in the club’s 70-year history.

The club had traditionally been one of the Gold Coast’s “mid-sized” surf clubs, according to president Phil Chipman.

But he said the recent surge in members had put the club in the big leagues with superclubs like Kurrawa, Northcliffe, Burleigh and Currumbin.

“We’ve had a big increase in members thanks to a lot of hard work from the committee,” Mr Chipman said.

He said the boost was also thanks to being awarded the 2015 Australian Surf Life Saving Club of the Year and Queensland Surf Life Saving Club of the Year in 2014 and 2015.