Tribute to Jacob Lollback

“Its not the time you have in your life but the life you have in your time”

Born 5/10/1988 to 22/9/2009
Age 20

Jacob Lollback was an awesome young iron man, who Kracka proudly sponsored for the last 7 years. Jacob tragically drowned while on a spear fishing and snorkeling expedition on the 22/9/2009.

Jacob was one of our most talented young iron men and one who absolutely loved his Kracka Racing Boards. So much so, that at his funeral, Jacob’s favorite blue Kracka board took pride of place on the pulpit and was carried out with Jacob through the church.

Over 2000 friends and family packed the church and we were honored to have been able to attend. A moving ceremony was given, lead by Jim Dougherty a very close family friend and long time mentor to Jacob, who delivered a heart warming Eulogy that revealed many different facets of Jacob, who was just as much at home on his family farm at Grafton as he was when he was on the water.

Friends, Family, and members of Yamba, Burleigh and Tugun Surf Club’s then gathered together for a moving ceremony at Yamba Surf Club the day after his funeral. They met at the Surf Club and had a “paddle out” with around 60 board paddlers gathering around Jacob’s favorite Blue Kracka Board. On the board was a wreath of flowers together with Jacob’s Yamba and Aussie Caps.

Tributes were given to Jacob and a minutes silence and then his board was left to drift back to the beach where his mother, Kaylene and father Eric were there to pick it up. Jacob also had 4 brothers, Andy, Dan, Mitch and Josh who obviously adored their brother.

Jacob’s achievements were many in his Surf Lifesaving Career. He joined Yamba Surf Club as a nipper when he was 7, with all of his family joining him as patrolling members of the Club.

At 13, Jacob moved onto his first Racing Mal where he immediately proved that he was going to be something special.

Jim Dougherty, phoned Wayne at Kracka way back then and said he had this kid that was going to go onto to big things and that was where our association with Jacob started.

His first attempt at the Australian titles back in 2003 ended with Jacob falling victim to the powerful Kurrawa shore break and in his heat of the Under 15 Board race he didn’t make it through the shore break. His Dad had to run almost to Surfers Paradise to pick him up.

Undeterred, 3 years later, and now much bigger and stronger, he was back at Kurrawa winning the Australian Under 17 Board Race on his Kracka Board from a field of almost 200 competitors.

He loved to race at Kurrawa and it became the scene of many triumphs for him.

Jacob went on the represent Australia on 4 occasions, 3 times in Japan and once at Bondi Beach as captain of the Australian Under 23 team for 2007 for the Surf Rescue Challenge.

He represented NSW on several occasions whilst competing for Yamba and then when he left Yamba in 2007, and moved to the Burleigh Heads-Mowbray Park Club, where he was reunited with his early Yamba clubmates, Hugh Dougherty and Alyce Bennett…he was immediately selected in the QLD team.

This meant that he represented both QLD and NSW in the same year…..a unique feat.

He also represented NSW Country, was selected in the North Coast Academy of Sport Surf Lifesaving squad at 15 and was a representative of the Far North Coast branch at the NSW Interbranch Titles every season from Under 11’s to Under 19’s.

His Australian Titles medal count stands at 5 Gold medals, 4 silver and 3 bronze.

At NSW level he won the Competitor of the Carnival Award in 2007 State Titles winning 4 individual gold medals, including the Open and Under 19 board Race Double…a feat he almost pulled off at the National level twice.

In 2008 Kellog’s Nutri Grain Iron Man Series saw Jacob as the youngest competitor in the field amongst his heroes of the surf……..who knows where Jacob’s talent would of taken him from there!

Our thoughts go out to his family for the difficult days ahead in getting through life without him.

We were proud that he loved our boards, and proud to have known him. He was a Champion in sport and life and we hope that many of our upcoming Kracka Champions will look up to him for a long time.

We thank Jim Dougherty and Jacob’s family for allowing us to use extracts from his Eulogy to complete this tribute and to summarise as Jim said on the day:-

Jacob was a champion Surf Lifesaver…but more importantly…far more importantly….he was a champion bloke and a close friend to so many….a real credit to his family

Jake you will be sadly missed - Rest in Peace!

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Jacob Lollback