Ron Jon Surf Shop and Space-X

23rd October - 2025

This is a photo that my old Qantas mate Kenny (Warbo) Warburton sent to me in 2019.

Is was taken about two weeks before I joined him for our 1,700 mile drive from Phoenix, Arizona to watch the running of the Indianapolis 500 in Indianapolis, Indiana. On that magnificent drive across America we took the time to explore a lot of the preserved sections of the historic old Route 66 through Arizona, New Mexico and through the Texas panhandle.

Here, in this photo, you can clearly see that Warbo has parked his RV towing his Toyota Echo in the Port Canaveral Cruise ship car park to boondock overnight. They encourage boondockers to park for free to help keep added security to their expansive car parks.

Warbo made me seriously laugh when he said he was shaken out of bed at 3:00am that night when Space-X launched a massive Falcon 9 rocket (carrying Starlink Satellites) from Cape Canaveral right next door. He said his whole RV vibrated, rumbled and glowed in the dark for a couple of minutes during the launch.

Another main reason I love this shot so much is the Florida famous Ron Jon Surf Shop billboard that is positioned right above the car park that gets thousands of Cruise ship passengers passing through it multiple terminals every day.
These giant, elevated, roadside Ron Jon billboards are all up and down the US East Coast, always telling you how many miles you have to go to reach the nearest Ron Jon Surf Shop.

Wes Laine & the 1983 OP Pro Atlantic City, NY

30 September - 2025

This week, Peter (PT) Townend has been doing a series of YouTube interviews for the US East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame.

Today, he interviews former East Coast pro surfer, Wes Laine, who won the 1983 OP Pro in Atlantic City, NJ. Click here to view it.

Peter Townend interviewing East Coast Hall of Famer
Wes Laine on YouTube

Myself along with my good Floridian mate, Hunter Joslin, were the beach commentary team on the ASP World Tour back then and we did that event that Wes won.

What an experience Atlantic City, New Jersey was for my first visit. It is the Las Vegas of the East.

All the towering casinos line the famous wooden, beach-side boardwalk that runs for miles along the sandy ocean front.

From Virginia Beach, Virginia
1983 OP Pro Atlantic City winner
East Coast Hall of Famer - Wes Laine
Photo: Peter Brouillette

After that event, I drove the entire length of the US East Coast all the way down to Cocoa Beach, Florida with Hunter. Surfing all the way and stopping for few days in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, where Hunter had shares in a t-shirt company and his good friend owned the classic Whalebone Junction Surf Shop. Located right at the entrance to the Hatteras Seashore.

Staying at Hunter's house in Melbourne Beach, Florida where we lucky enough to watch the first night launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. STS-8 was the eighth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the third flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger. It launched on August 30, 1983.

One of the best things I have ever seen with my own human eyes,
the live night launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger

We watched in total amazement the live launch at 2:00am in the morning from the 'surf' by standing out on the Cocoa Beach Pier (just up the street from the famous Ron Jons Surf Shop) with fellow Aussie and Queenslander, Bill Bolman, who was the Stubbies pro, Burleigh Heads event director.

The following week, Hunter and I went on to do the live beach commentary at the 1983 OP Pro at Huntington Beach in California the event that Tom Curren managed to win.

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Truly a sign of the times on Manly's Corso.

03 September - 2025

I spotted this on my stroll down Manly's seaside Corso today.

Here's all that's left of the once mighty, multi level, Billabong super store on Manly's Corso. Now selectively chopped up into several smaller, bite-sized retail outlets.

The lifeless under awning sign, is the final reminder of a golden era that has now passed. Just like the Statue of Liberty, half-buried on the beach, in the 1970's science fiction film, 'Planet of the Apes'.

Truly a sign of the times on Manly's Corso.

I was just thinking, that Las Vegas has that visitors' attraction, the Neon Museum boneyard for all the old classic Casino, Hotel and Las Vegas Strip neon signs that live on as glowing reminders of the past, ensuring that the vibrant spectrum of Las Vegas's old icons continues to shine for future generations.

Maybe there should be a place like that for all the old surf signs.

Since '73... it least they got two good generations out of it.


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Jackson Surfboards Ad from 1974

Tuesday 12th August 20245

This photo is an all-time classic (for me).

Darryl Von Weirdo of Sea Gypsies of Tasmania posted it this morning on their Instagram. I'd completely forgotten about it because I haven't seen it for decades.

I shot this ad photo for Jacko on some old wooden pier footings at Sandshoes Reef, right in the north-east corner of the rock pool.

I shot this photo in late '73. It was for ad shoot for Jackson Surfboards.

I shot it in '73 because is was for the monthly, glossy, Surfing World Magazine to be released in DEC '73. The theme was 'what's new for '74'

In my surfboard career in the Sutherland Shire was, I worked at Graham Kings, Peter Clarkes, Gordon & Smith and at Steve Core Surfboards.

I never worked at Jackson Surfboards. But this photo proves I did do a little something for Jackson Surfboards after all!

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PT - Fishing at Joe's in North Cronulla

13th June - 2025

Yesterday on Facebook, Cronulla Surf Museum posted my 1997 photo of PT standing at what then was the end of the Kingsway in North Cronulla (The Alley), at old Joes Milk Bar in North Cronulla.

The photo, which is now 48-years old and has pulled in an amazing 336 'Likes' in just 24-hours!

Holy guacamole.

Gordon Woods Surf Shop - Cronulla 1969

11th June - 2025

I remember it well, the Gordon Woods Surfboards Surf Shop in Cronulla. It was located in the Beach Park Arcade, directly opposite the Cronulla Railway Station.

It was run by the larger than life, TV Sports Commentator, the late Darryl Eastlake. Back in the late '60s, big Darryl was the first person to ever do a specialised 'southside' surf report on Sydney radio.

*Ad from Surfing World Magazine c.1969.

Cronulla surf conditions rarely got mentioned by the early surf reporters. Cronulla was then considered an 'end-of-the-line' beach and didn't rate up there with the more glamorous and highly famed Bondi and Manly beaches.

Darryl installed a direct 'landline' connected to the shop so that he could do his surf reports over the uninterrupted link to Sydney AM radio station 2UE, where Surfing World magazine founder and editor, the late Bob Evans, would host the main surf report.

Then when Darryl left, another assertive Cronulla surf personality took over the reins of the Gordon Woods shop. It was Wes King. Wes was president of the strong Eastern States Boardriders Club who were, in those days, based mainly at Cronulla Point.



Thanks for the SW image to Darryl Von Weirdo:
https://www.instagram.com/seagypsiesoftasmania

Third in the World with White Stag wetsuits

Thursday 4th June - 2025

Dale Matheson my Tassie mate that owns and runs the Scamander Beach Surf Shop in Scamander, Tasmania sent me this ad shot today. It was taken from Tracks Magazine. Issue No.26. Cover date: December 1972.

It's not only a shout out to my old mate, former World Champ, Peter Townend, but more importantly, a shout out to one of Australia's original surfing wetsuit manufacturers; White Stag. A brand that was actually put together right here in The Shire, in Taren Point.

This strongly reinforces the deep heritage value of surfing in the Sutherland Shire. Check the 'White Stag' street address, they were stitching and gluing neoprene at 6 Bay Road, in Taren Point. The exact same street where we had the Peter Clarke Surfboard factory which was located at 53 Bay Road in the '60s and '70s.

PT proudly displaying his 'third in the world' trophies

from Ocean Beach Pier in San Diego, California. 1972

Also sporting his 'White Stag' rolled seams, long john wetsuit.

My own, very first surfing wetsuit back in 1964 was a 'White Stag' long-sleeve Spring suit with a classic 'beavertail' flap. 'White Stag' was a strong surfing brand around the early '60s surfing scene long before Rip Curl was even invented.

Initially they were a household name with the underwater diving enthusiasts, but they ventured a strong crossover into surfing by offering some colourful fusion into their imaging and branding.

I remember 1966 World Champion, Nat Young wearing White Stag wetsuits for a time as well. Also the world famous skin diving couple, photographers Ron and Valerie Taylor were captured wearing White Stag neoprene at all the world's leading dive locations.

This Tracks ad was celebrating the fact that Peter Townend came 3rd in World Surfing Titles held alongside the Ocean Beach Pier, in San Diego, California in 1972. An amazing 53-years ago!