Manly’s Tim Hookins is an old sea dog with a big heart, a 73 year-old paddler who competes in the over 70 class in the Shaw and Partners Australian Ocean Racing Series and has a passion for encouraging young people to get paddling. 

Tim moved to Australia 38 years ago from South Africa, and together with Bill Handley, a builder, started Add-Style Home Additions, specialising in second floor house additions – more often than not to solve the problem of expanding families and teens wanting more room, and parents wanting more privacy. 

For this Saturday’s round two of the Shaw and Partners Series, THE CHUCKY, Add-Style Home Additions has given generously $4000 to the CHUCKY prize pool, but it comes with a caveat. 

“Add-Style wants that money to go to young people, those in the under 17 and under 21 category. We want to encourage youngsters to start padding because it’s great for fitness.  But it also teaches courage and there’s a great camaraderie, and the beach is just the best place to hang out and forget about the stresses of life,” said Tim. 

“At Add-Style, we make houses bigger and more liveable for growing families. We build a few rooms, and the teens are happier, a bigger room and often on the northern beaches a view of the ocean. 

“I say just don’t just look at the view, get down the beach and enjoy it.   I didn’t start paddling till I was 51, but it has opened up a whole new world for me and taught me courage and to enjoy adventure.  I want teens to learn those skills and build confidence in themselves.

“I’ve learnt paddling skills through the knowledge and experience of coaches like Dean Gardiner.    We all get a bit scared initially when we are out on the ocean, but when you have the ability to tackle the challenge, you can relish the racing. 

“Things like huge waves and high winds that were extremely scary when I started padding, I confront all the time now,’ said Tim.

Tim’s paddling journey goes back to 2000, when he volunteered as a bus driver for the Sydney Olympics, and loved the paddling out at Penrith Regatta Centre

“Because I was a volunteer, I got passes to many of the Olympic venues, and I got to see the paddling and just thought that’s for me,” said Tim, who was 51 at the time.   

Tim started paddling socially on flat water, but by 2004 had joined the Clontarf training squad of ten times world champ – and Ocean Paddler’s race director – Dean Gardiner.  Short distances to start, but Tim had a passion for the endurance events and has become an avid long-distance competitor.

“I still train with Dean and his group.  I’m down there most Monday and Friday mornings at 5.30am to see the sun come up and paddle on Middle Harbour.  It is the best start to the day,” said Tim. 

Tim’s racing credits over the past 20 years include 11 Doctors, Australia’s holy grail of ocean ski paddling – a 27 km crossing from Rottnest Island to Perth’s Sorrento beach. 

He also did Hawaii’s Molokai in 2007, a 52 km race from the island of Molokai to Oahu considered the world’s most challenging ocean ski race.   Plus Tim’s competed in two ICF World Championships in the over 65 class and he’s been a team manager for the Australian Ocean Racing Team, taking the squad to Portugal in 2011 and Tahiti in 2013. 

“I do all of Dean’s events,” said Tim.  “Dean was the one that introduced an over 70’s category for The Doctor and all his events, and we are very grateful for that.   There’s a group of us that do our best every single race, I think there were seven over 70’s in the mens class in the Bridge to Beach and we just keep each other honest.  It’s just a lot of fun.”

Tim will be competing in THE CHUCKY this weekend in the over 70 class – a 13km race of Fisherman’s Beach Collaroy, held in honour of a great supporter of paddling, Charles Stewart, who tragically passed away of a heart attack in 2016.