Report: Bondi Rescue Lifeguards win 'Tradies' Surf Contest

Bondi Rescue Lifeguards Crowned Sydney’s Best Surfing Trade

It seems a bit unfair - but it’s now official I guess, the Bondi Rescue Lifeguards are the best surfing 'Tradies' in Sydney after taking out the inaugural Jim Beam 'Trade Off' event at Curl Curl on the Northern Beaches last weekend.

What's unfair? Well their trade, [God bless them], is actually being at the beach and in and around the surf, where as most Tradies I know - dream about knock-off time - so that they can get down to the beach to get some sand between the toes and get some time in the water.

The winning Bondi Lifeguard team celebrating their victory at the Jim Beam Surftag Trade Off event at Curl Curl last Sunday. Pictured left to right Ashyford, Floss, Daniels, Clarke. Photo: Jim Beam/Luke Southern

In what was the second of nine events scheduled for the Jim Beam Surftag series for 2011, the 'Trade Off' pitted 16 of Sydney’s top surfing trades against each other. Trades or vocations, included Builders, Fire Fighters, Teachers, Finance Brokers, Musicians and others in a relay style format. In crunching 2m waves, the four man Bondi Lifeguard team of Luke Daniels, Max Ayshford, Ryan Clark and Duncan Floss managed to out surf all competing trades to claim victory.

Leading from the opening siren, the Bondi Lifeguards, piloted by Team Captain Ryan Clark [Whippet], dominated the final, to easily defeat fellow finalists Tilers, Plumbers and Transportation. “It’s actually pretty hard out there, the surf picked up a lot throughout the day,” said Clark. “When you’ve only got 45 minutes and four people to get through, it can be tough, but everyone surfed really well, it was a good day.

“We have got a couple of young guys on the roster at Bondi and they surf all the time so it was good to bring that element into the team.” Despite the Tilers dominating early rounds, including a perfect 10-point ride by Sam Brown, they couldn’t continue their early form into the finals.

Brown was awarded the Sanyo Power Wave award for his perfect score, taking home a new Sanyo video camera for his efforts.

Competition was tough. "One of the guys from the Tilers nailed a 10 point ride in his heat and the Fire Fighters were looking good early as well, but we’re pretty stoked about taking the win,” said Clark. “I guess being lifeguards we get more time at the beach than anyone else so if we were the favourites leading in then it was good to hang onto that and take it out.”

"The final scores had Lifeguards 60.70, Tilers 37.60, Plumbers 24.59 and Transport 22.87.

There seems to be quite a few trades missing, perhaps it's time to get your trade organised and get in there and give them heaps. Southsiders will be able see the Tradies in action when the event come to Cronulla on Jan 29/30.

The Jim Beam Surftag Series will roll on throughout the coming Summer, visiting Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, Newcastle and Cronulla before wrapping up with the series decider in Sydney next February. The next event on November 13 will be an all women’s Surftag at Dee Why beach.

The 2011 Jim Beam Surftag is proudly supported by FCS, Sanyo and O’Neill. Media partners for the series are Swellnet and Tracks surfing magazine.

Trade Off – Results

1. Bondi Lifeguards (Luke Daniels, Max Ayshford, Ryan Clark, Duncan Floss)
2. Tilers (Ben Hamilton, Sam Brown, Jayd Naidoo, Michael Dawes)
3. Plumbers (Brett Whiley, Vic Levett, Daniel Hamilton, Luke Phillips)
4. Transport (Jake Elliot, Ryan Alagich, Locky Macpherson, Tony Morrison)
5. Electricians (Matt Hatton, Dean Sparke, Graeme Kyle, Shawn Irving)
6. Builders 2 (Callum Drake, Matt Toghill, Steve Bewley, Marvo)
7. Finance Brokers (Cam Garlick, Troy Clutton, Mark Prideaux, Stephen Clark)
8. Fire Fighters (Geremy Blake, Dave Nolman, Craig Roberts, Phil Weekes)
9. Teachers 2 (Scott Mellis, Tommy Mitchell, Dean Stringfellow, Seb Hartog)
10. Lawnmowers (Ronnie Wong, Tom Salverson, Shem Mitchell, Steve Salvato)
11. Fashion ( Anthony Hayles, William Voss, Trent McCann)
12. Builders (Cooper Williams, Mitch Neill, Ben Bateman, Brett King)
13. Hospitality (Nudge Crick, Naig Carrol, Nathan Von Roosmalen, Ash King)
14. Personal Trainers (Nick Butler, Cam Coalan, Steve Coulter, Trent Herring)
15. Musicians (Chris Vontak, Josh Fergus, Mark Chivers, Ed Worland)
16. Teachers (Greg Moran, Adam Hearne, Mark Tickle, Ian Holmes)

Upcoming 2010/11 Jim Beam Surftag Dates and Locations are:

Nov 13 Women’s Surftag (Dee Why)
Dec 11 NSW North Surftag (Newcastle)
Dec 18 Victoria Surftag (TBC)
Jan 8 West Australia Surftag (TBC)
Jan 15 Queensland Surftag (Duranbah)
Jan 29/30 NSW South Surftag (Cronulla)
Feb 3/4/5 Surftag Australian Final (Northern Beaches, Sydney)

More info at: Global Surf Tag

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Product: Oakley Goes Underground

 
Chilean miners chill in Oakleys



A rescued Chilean miner almost strikes a 'Mick Fanning'
victory pose in his donated Oakley sunglasses.

I don’t know about you, but I noticed all the Chilean miners being rescued this past week were sporting highly fashionable Oakley Radar Sunglasses as the they came to the surface. So I thought I would do a little more investigating and dig a bit deeper [pun intended].


As it turns out, the 33 Chilean miners who were brought to surface after 2 months of being trapped underground, were all wearing donated Oakley sunglasses - specifically to protect their eyes after such a long period in the dark. Oakley is an Orange County based, Californian company.


After the rescue, an Oakley spokesperson reported that “A few weeks ago, Oakley was approached by a Chilean journalist who was covering rescue efforts for media agency, Addict Village, had recommended Oakley to the Chilean private health insurer, for eyewear protection for the miners once they surfaced,” the company said.

Apart from their generous goodwill, Oakley appears to have pulled off quite a marketing coup with their donation to the miners - as the rescue of the miners was beamed live around the entire world, with an estimated audience of over one billion people tuned in.


The US$180-a-pair Radar Range sunglasses were specifically selected for the miners by Oakley Vice President of Research and Development Carlos Reyes because they have black iridium lenses for greatest protection, said company spokesman Rochelle Mooers.

With more than a billion people watching live, Chilean
miners all wore Oakleys on their return to the surface.

“Based on their requirements and full product specifications, Oakley donated 35 pairs of Oakley Radar with Black Iridium lenses in Path and Range lens shapes for the miners who will need the protection… as their eyes return to normal.”


The miners’ eyes will be dilated, which brings the added risk of UV exposure to delicate structures within the eye, the company said. The Radar sunglasses have a single-lens shield that wraps around the eyes to give the miners protection from sunlight not just straight ahead but at the sides of their eyes.


The Radar frames were matched with Oakley’s darkest lens, a dark grey base combined with black iridium coating that balances light and reduces glare. The miners’ color perception may be reduced after the long period in dim light, and this lens is designed to maintain accurate color perception, Oakley explained.


Oakley also reported that Chilean Minister of Mining Laurence Golborne, who was leading the rescue, requested to wear one of the extra pair of the Radars to show solidarity, As one observer later wise-cracked; "who wouldn't say 'no' to a free pair of Oakleys?".


Footnote: Oakley recently signed 23yr old, South African ripper, Jordy Smith to the Global Oakley Surf Team. Smith is currently rated Number Two in the World.


Source and photos: Orange County Register and Oakley


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Upcoming: Bobby Brown Exhibition, Gold Coast

    
Cronulla legend finally recognised;
Bobby Brown Exhibition

A National exhibition celebrating the life of Cronulla surfing legend Bobby Brown will be launched at the opening of the 2010 Kirra Surf Stock Festival on the 11th November, 2010.

Scheduled to tour the Eastern seaboard this Summer, the inaugural launch of the Bobby Brown Exhibition will take place at the Surf World Gold Coast Museum at Currumbin [opposite the famous Currumbin Wildlife Bird Sanctuary].

In a first-of-its-type exhibition, the collection will be dedicated to one of Australia's greatest surfing legends, Robert 'Bobby' Brown. It will be showcasing his significant contribution to the classic sixties era of surfing, forming part of the huge Southside & Cronulla story.

Affectionately known as Brown Bobby, his surfing prowess ranked with the best surfers in the 1960’s such as Midget Farrelly, Nat Young and Peter Drouyn. His short but impressive surfing life was captured in surfing films like Bob Evans' 1963 classic 'The Young Wave Hunters' and Paul Witzig's 1967 groundbreaking movie, 'The Hot Generation'. Clips from both movies will be on media displays in the Exhibition. In addition, featured stories and photos from Bob Evans' Surfing World and Jack Eden’s Surfabout magazine captured during Bobby’s classic era, will also be exhibited.

The Bobby Brown Memorial Contest perpetual trophy has been
proudly in the last winner's hands for the past 40 years. The trophy
was a likeness of Jack Eden's famous photo of Bobby Brown
performing a 'soul arch' bottom turn at Sandon Point, NSW.

He was only 17 years of age when he qualified for the first open men's World Titles in 1964 won by Midget Farrelly at Manly Beach in front of a record crowd of 50,000. That first ever World Title event launched surfing as a sport and the promising career of Bobby Brown who became a perennial open men's finalist in the 1966 Nationals at Coolangatta, Gold Coast and 1967 Nationals at Bells Beach, Victoria.

The Exhibition has been engineered, researched and collated by Gold Coast resident and former pro-surfer Andrew McKinnon, known as 'Andy Mac'. For the last twenty years Andy Mac has been a well known surf reporter for SEA-FM and GOLD-FM, and a local newspaper journalist. Ironically, it was a 16 year old, goofy-footed rookie from the Gold Coast; one Andrew McKinnon, who won the third a final Bobby Brown Memorial Contest in Cronulla in 1970.

With a relentless passion, Andrew has managed to gather a remarkable collection of timeless photos of Brown and others from the 1962-67 era. The Exhibition also includes 16mm movie footage, surfing magazine memorabilia and newspaper clippings detailing Bobby's tragic end. Included too, are original Bobby Brown surfboards and clothing.

The Bobby Brown Exhibition flyer.
[Click to enlarge]

Bobby Brown was destined for surfing greatness and a World Title was just around the corner, when tragically and unexpectedly his life was ended, just two months short of his 21st Birthday. He was fatally struck with a schooner glass over a game of pool at the Taren Point Hotel, in Sydney's South.

"The Bobby Brown story needs to be acknowledged and find its rightful place place in the history of Australian surfing" Andy Mac said. "Bobby loved to surf Currumbin on his early surf safaris to Queensland, I feel honoured and privileged to present this Exhibition at Currumbin, so close to The Alley, a surf spot he loved".

The Bobby Brown Exhibition will be at the Surf World Gold Coast Museum at Currumbin from November 12th and into the new year, then it heads off to the Golden Breed store, Hastings Street, Noosa from March 12-20 for the Noosa Festival of Surfing 2011. Then it travels South down to Kingscliff for the Malfunction Festival held in March 23-27 and finally down South of the border, to Victoria, to the Surf World Torquay Museum during the planned festive celebrations to help commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Rip Curl Bells Beach Easter Classic on April 18-25th, 2011. 

The public are more than welcome to attend the opening night party at Surf World Gold Coast Museum starting at 6:30pm on Thursday 11th November, 2010. A $15.00 admission fee will include live music, light snacks, and a special presentation of Bobby Brown's remarkable life and surfing legacy.

Limited edition framed prints and t-shirts will be on sale in conjunction with the Exhibition. The Currumbin Museum's phone number is 07 5525-6380.

Something to add or say? E-mail us at: swapsurf@gmail.com

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Report: The 3rd Deus Surf Swap Meet

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Stefan's Wall of Death; where old and unwanted
surfboards come to find new life and love.

The 3rd Deus Surf Swap meet went down at the Deus Ex Machina HQ on Parramatta Road, Camperdown in Sydney on Saturday 9th October, 2010. The Weather Channel had predicted light showers for the day, luckily for event organisers, conditions remained dry under foot - but with a flat, cool, overcast permeating for the entire day.

Organisers would have been happy with the eventual dry weather outcome, but there must be growing concern amongst the good folk at Deus that a few of the promoted industry icons that were billed to appear, were all last minute no-shows for the event. Leaving a little more bare concrete in the thinned-out display area than promised. I am not sure of the reasons behind the absenteeism.

As internally promoted and promoted on this site; there was no Alby Falzon and his Morning of the Earth merchandise. No Martin Worthington – celebrated air-brush artist of Hot Buttered fame. No Benny from Six Ounce at Bondi Junction. And several other collectors did not appear with their collections.

Tony the pin striper details a board purchased from
the wall by an Irish tourist. 'The Clashmore Riders'

Retired surf film-maker David ‘The Mexican’ Sumpter did appear; ‘The Mex’ journeyed down from his home in Mullumbimby to vend his collectable surf and surf movie related items. I had to feel sorry for The Mex when one potential customer picked up a Morning Of The Earth DVD set and asked The Mex to sign it. The Mex responded politely with; “you don’t want my signature on there” and the befuddled customer replied; “why? you’re Alby Falzon aren’t you?”.

Despite the gloomy day that may well have contributed to keeping visitor numbers down, a steady and varied crowd trickled through at a consistent rate for most of the trading day. The crowd is an interesting mix of leather and thongs. Motorcycle and surf. Boulevard and Beach. Oil and sand.

On the positive side of the ledger;

Tony ‘Airspeed’ the amazing pin-striper from Goulburn was performing his astonishing, brush-painted, complex web of decorative fine strokes ‘by steady hand & eye’. In these days of computer aided design and vinyl cut graphics, I watched Tony performing his accurate pinline illustration work on skim boards, skateboards, bikes and on a surfboard.

Rainbow Fins and their new 'stained glass' fin

Stefan's Wall of Death had some interesting boards up for sale and prices were quite fair and reasonable. I saw some boards on there for as low as $35 and $50.

I spotted a few celebs in the crowd. Most notable was HG Nelson of the HG and Roy radio and TV comedy duo fame. Their comedic style has been described as; "making the serious trivial and the trivial serious". Not sure if HG was there for the surf or cycles.

Surf Film supremo, Jack McCoy turned up and promptly threw up a couple of classic boards from his own personal collection onto the wall for display. A classic restored Gordon Merchant [Billabong founder] shaped board and another restored classic find, a Gerry Lopez, ex- Bali, personal Lightning Bolt board that spent 20 years as a Bali rental board. For devotees, Jack's new film 'A Deeper Shade of Blue' coming real soon. He promises.

I also chatted with Gary Crockett who is the curator charged with the responsibility of pulling together the Surf City exhibition. He was cruising around looking for ideas, inspirations and contacts. Surf City will be a collection of surf memorabilia and cultural items and will take an incredible, in-depth look at the evolving culture of surfing in the '50s, '60s and '70s in Sydney. Surf City will be on at the Museum of Sydney in September 2011. One to mark in the diary for sure.

Graeme from California Surf Imports had his beautiful Bing Surfboards on display, plus an awesome range of US made fins from the Rainbow Fin company, that he also imports and sells. Their new 'stained glass' fins are a dazzling artwork within themselves. Teal Nippard from Craft Surfboards was under his palm fond lined marquee [nice touch], displaying and working on his Alaia Paulownia timber boards.

Cronulla's John Mingramm has invested in the challenge
of learning to surf again - on a timber Alaia board.
Teal Nippard of Craft Surfboards shows encouragement

A few Cronulla locals were seen strolling the midway. Mathew ‘Cookie’ Cook just back from a month surfing and relaxing in Byron Bay. Cronulla’s hot surfing brother duo; Terepai & Tainui Richmond also checking out the meet.

Cronulla Longboarder John Mingramm, grabbed a bagful of Deus clothing specials and 'Mingo' actually purchased an Alaia timber board from Teal Nippard and is taking it back to the golden beaches of The Shire to “give it a go”.

Word around the Meet suggested that Meet #3 didn't quite have the vibe and buzz of the preceeding Meets #1 and #2. It seems the challenge that now lies ahead is to keep up what appears to a flagging momentum for the 4th Deus Surf Swap Meet – which is ear-marked for March next year.

Original Deus conspirator; the Board Collector; aka Damion, is blowing town and has taken up a new job as world-wide head of apparel at Nixon in Southern California this month. Damion's vacancy of Swap Meet 'Chief Cook & Bottle Washer' will be filled by Deus’ astute Uncle Keith, who will be left to take the helm, steady the ship, maintain a true course and find the wind to fill the sails and move forward once again.

Story & Photos: Steve Core

More photos on the Deus site. Click here

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Deus Surf Swap Meet #3

 
Deus Surf Swap Meet #3

For the second time in two weekends in Sydney, surf aficionados and purveyors of fine collectable surf items will gather to shoot the breeze and try to please, this time; at the Third Deus Surf Swap Meet.

Organised by Damion, aka: The Board Collector who is a Deus employee - the Meet goes down on the tarmac of the Deus carpark adjacent the Deus Ex Machina showroom at 104 Parramatta Road in Sydney's Camperdown. [Hey - I was born in Camperdown... cool!].

Although it's not a salty location, there's further historic surf bloodlines in this immediate area. In the 60's, most surf movies used to screen or premiere at Sydney University's Union Theatre - just up the street a tad from Deus HQ [it's now called the Footbridge Theatre]. It's the first venue I ever saw Bruce Brown's original Endless Summer... way back when.

Attending the compact Number Three Swap Meet cultists can expect to see & meet:

Pioneer surf photographer and surf-film maker, producer of Morning of the Earth, Albe Falzon will be on hand merchandising MoE collectable items, surfboards and DVDs. Martin Worthington who's exceptional airbrush work is famous for gracing many of Terry Fitzgerald's Hot Buttered Surfboards. Worthington's works in this medium are painted with an exquisite sense of colour and are considered to be the best by an Australian artist. Graeme from Californian Surf Imports, importers of Bing Surfboards - will be showing off his latest high-end, US-made boards from this iconic and famous Californian surfboard maker.

Stefan's urban 'Wall of Death' and
the fun of the Swap Meet.
Photo: Carby Tuckwell

There's Stefan's 'Wall of Death' - a wall of surfboards standing upright where for $10, they will vend your pre-1990 surf shooter while you cruise the meet and sip a cappuccino. Tony 'Air Speed', a famous pinstriper and custom painter will be on hand to paint anything you want to bring along to be adorned with his specialised fine line work.

Benny from Six Ounce will showcase is collection of boards and represent the guys from Surf Culture at Bondi Junction. Semi-retired surf film maker, David 'The Mexican' Sumpter will be making the trip down from his hippy home in Byron Bay back hills and will be merchandising his surf collectable memorabilia.

The Board Collector will be hawking off part of his 60+ board collection, as he is moving to California soon. Additionally, Tony, is displaying his beautiful vintage surfboard collection - which is always for sale to the right buyer. Wayne from the Central Coast will be bringing down his lifetime collection of boards for show and sale. Monkey Bike Club will have bikes for sale. Plus heaps more.

Food is readily available both on site and at the next door Deus Cafe. There will be lucky door prizes.

Where: Deus Ex Machina, 104 Parramatta Road, Camperdown.

When: Saturday 9th October, 2010

Any enquires call Uncle Keith on 0417 217 530 or keith@deus.com.au

Admission is free - just bring a smile and some surf stoked enthusiasm.

For additional Info: The Board Collector or Deus

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Report: Action at Mick Mock's Vintage Auction

 
Mick Mock’s Surf Auction of Vintage Surfboards and Memorabilia.

The 9th Annual Mick Mock Vintage Surf Auction went down at the Harbord Diggers club on Sunday September 26th, 2010 on Sydney’s Northern beaches.



Old friend; Surf Film-maker Dick Hoole and his
signed 'Storm Riders' framed poster.

This year’s auction started off with a preview of the goods and chattels of the massive 367 lots up for auction. The pre-auction viewing is the perfect chance for bidders and potential buyers to inspect the goods up close and at first hand. Remember all the goods that are sold at auctions like this are sold: 'as is, where is' and there are no warrantys or guarantees implied or supplied. So it is strictly 'caveat emptor' [Latin for; let the buyer beware].

So if you have a serious interest in any items, the pre-auction viewing is the perfect opportunity to inspect any item close up.

The 'viewing' walk-through was held for 2 hours on the Saturday prior to the Sunday auction. This viewing becomes a mini surf expo in itself with plenty of would-be purchasers, some vendors and interested parties all rubbing shoulders, taking pictures, talking surf, surfboards and chatting.

The viewing becomes a fun time to catch up with surfers, collectors, vendors, surf industry folk and fellow enthusiasts. Also cruising the aisles armed with notepads or cameras are an army of do-it-yourself surfboard restorers.

It also a time when people can register to be a bidder. This cost is $10 to register and you get a well-prepared and presented catalogue. The 50-page catalogue lists every item with a brief but detailed description and pre-auction estimate of the expected price. And it is designed to be an auction aid and is ideal for you to take notes on. It also offers tips, guidelines and auction rules.


Skateboards, poster and old magazines line the tables
during the pre-auction viewing at Harbord Diggers.

The 367 lots this year comprised of vintage surfboards, '60s longboards, '70s single fins and twin fins, skateboards, kneeboards, movie posters, original artwork, photos, clothing and original prints. Plus assorted ephemera of ocean collectables and surf craft rarities.

At an auction like this, you normally expect about a 65% sell through of goods with about 15-30% of items being negotiated for with the vendors for sale after the auction.

On the day of the Vintage Surf Auction, the sharp looking senior auctioneer; Simon Hill moved through the auction at a good clip. Simon is a professional auctioneer [in antiques] and it clearly shows in his smooth, time-conscious and efficient style. He is very comfortable on the Dias with the gavel in hand. Simon came complete with an in-built supply of funny, throw away one-liners to break the ice, keep buyers enthused and to entice healthy bidding. More importantly Simon is a surfer – hailing from Sydney’s Southside and Clovelly Beach. He was good and he knew his stuff.

The auction fell a bit flat when ex-Tracks editor Kirk Wilcox took to the microphone to give Simon Hill a well earned break. No where near as polished as Simon, Kirk made a few gaffs and didn’t quite know how to pronounce McDonagh Surfboards – a famous Northside manufacturer.

Your reporter, Steve Core, checking out some of 200
plus surfboards going up for auction. Photo: Terry Day

It entire auction took around 7 hours to get through from start to finish. It was a long but interesting day of surf auction action. Over 200 surfboards and way too many individual sales of varying interest to report all the details.

It was interesting to watch and hear the bidding unfold. A rare Barry Bennett ‘Toothpick’ 16’ x 20” hollow wooden surfboard from the 1950’s went for $4,000. It was in 9/10 condition and was originally custom and hand-made for a butcher at Avoca Beach. Amazingly, the board has only had two owners during its half century life. Quite a rare item and superb specimen of '50s surfcraft in Australia.

A couple of late sixties, Brookvale-built Keyo surfboards drew plenty of attention and bidding fever. A 7’ 11” Keyo ‘Plastic Machine’ Design Stringerless, circa ‘67/’68. In 7/10 condition, it went for $1,900. Another similar Keyo went for $2,000.

Apart from the surfboards, some of the more 'odd' items on hand were; an Andy Irons Bobble Head doll, commemorating his 2nd World Title, with a pre-auction estimate of $200-$400 - was passed in with no bids. Glass shower screens with ocean scenes also came under the hammer. Surf dance posters and old surf music LPs. The most interesting item that blew a few minds with its final fall-of-the-hammer price was a 1950's turtle shell that went for, wait for it... a cool $1,000.


Cronulla's Larry Cohen poses with his newly accquired
G&S Bobby Brown shaped 7'10" pintail. Circa '68/'69.

A good, long-time friend from Cronulla, Larry Cohen, picked up two boards to add to his growing collection. Larry is a niche collector of stringerless era surfboards and has about 60 surfboards in his collection. Larry paid $800 for a 8’ x 23” Peter Clarke ‘Stringerless’ Tracker Pintail single fin. Shaped by Glenn Ritchie and would have been finished coated by my good-self when I worked at Peter Clarke’s northside factory in Brookvale in 1968.

Larry also snagged another Southside classic that came out of the G&S Taren Point factory of Gordon & Smith circa '68/’69. A 7’10” pintail, in 8/10 condition and shaped by ex-Cronulla surfer, ‘Blond’ Bobby Brown [now of Forster, NSW]. It went at the fall of the auctioneer’s hammer for $600.

The auction featured surfboards from a massive range of famous and not-so-famous shaping names came up for bids. Here's just some of the shaping names; Dick Van Straalen, Midget Farrelly, Simon Anderson, Geoff McCoy, Bob McTavish, Michael Cundith, Mick Dooley, Nat Young, Peter Townend, Terry Bishop, Keith Paull, Colin Gow, Dominic Wibrow, Warren Cornish.

A signed photo of MP winning the first Stubbies in '77
being interviewed by Hawaiian Lord James Blears

Here's just some of the classic named surfboard labels; Country Corn, Nirvana, Lightning Bolt, Natural Awareness, Chris Crozier, Bob McTavish, Inner Release, Emerald, Summercloud, Mark Richards, KC, Maddog, Neilson Brothers, Bronzed Aussies.

There were even a few US made boards with well-known brand names like; Bing, Dewey Weber, Greg Noll, Lightning Bolt.

I had a short chat with the NSW Central Coast's shaping icon Bill Cilia [Nirvana Surfboards] who was in the house. I counted about 12 Nirvana or Bill Cilia shaped boards on the auction blocks. Bill was the vendor for some of the lots - does this mean we won't see a Bill Cilia Collection Museum on the Central Coast in the near future?

I noted that the momentum and the crowd numbers really dropped off towards the end of the auction [which to a certain degree is natural]. Mick and his team need to come up with some creative solutions to help hold the numbers towards the end of the day. Perhaps some cool door prizes where registrants needed to be present at the end of the day in order to claim a winning prize.

A selection of the surf movie posters up for sale. The
top right three are all Paul Witzig's classic old movies.

Interestingly, but not surprising, there were no surfboards from China or Taiwan present. As Mick Mock says and this term should become the catch-phrase of the auction; "Classic not Plastic".

All in all, a very enjoyable day. A big thanks to Mick and his hard working team for their co-operation to assist me to compile this report.

As our sport grows in age since its conception and our original surfers reach their tender, more well-heeled mature years, I think collecting surf memorabilia will only grow stronger and more valuable each year. Surf Museums have begun to spring up in recent years and surf industry giants have budgets and growing history now that is worthy of collection.

I can recommend the auction as being more that well worth a look in next year folks, plus the bonus is that the surf is just out the door if you feel the urge half way through the salty proceedings.

Story & Photos: Steve Core

AUG 2011: If you have an interest in Surf Swap Meets or Surf Auctions; then check my brand new blog; Swap Surf - a blog [as it grows] that will list, detail and report on Surf Swap meets and dry land surfboard events. Click Here

Something to add or say? E-mail us at: swapsurf@gmail.com

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