My lifelong friend Graham ‘Reno’ Gillespie and I were invited to present the inaugural Graham ‘Sid’ Cassidy Award at the 2025 Sandshoes Boardrider’s Annual Presentation this past weekend.
The newly created Award was going to be bestowed on the Outstanding Junior of the Year. And was created to stand as a perpetual reminder and an enduring tribute to Sandshoes Boardriders co-founding forefather, Sid Cassidy.
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Standing proudly with is his Sid Cassidy 2025 Young Person of the Year trophy is Nate Larkin. Flanked by Sandshoes old guard presenters, Graham 'Reno' Gillespie on the left and Steve Core on the right. Photo: Steve Cryer |
The function was held at the South Cronulla Bowling Club, ironically, like the Sandshoes Reef break itself, it is a museum unto itself. The Club is located on the very tip of the South Cronulla peninsula. Making the Bowling Club the southernmost point of metropolitan coastal Sydney where you can purchase a legal beverage.
Casting our minds back even further Reno and I did reminisce that we actually attended one of Sid’s birthday soirees here in the early ‘70s. There were plenty of surf stars in attendance for that one including former World Champion, the Animal himself, Nat Young.
Through his blue ribbon Pro contest administration skills, Sid worked closely with every top surfer in the world. He had plenty of speed dial connections with surfing's 'A' list elite.
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Winner of the 2025 Sandshoes Boardrider's Open Division, Luke Wedesweiler. Photo: Steve Core |
I have to say that Reno and I were so impressed with the Sandshoes Boardriders end of year presentation. What knocked us for a loop was the splendid sense of community and pride that this group has for one another and their environment. They are so supportive of each other it is just beautiful to see.
And I thought to myself, this is exactly the vision that Sid Cassidy had for the Boardriding fraternity that he helped found back in the ‘70s. If he would have been present on this day he would have been super proud of what he saw. Believe me.
Reno and I did get to tell a few old tales of our early days with Sid, starting somewhere back in the mid-sixties.
Sid ended up living at the very end of Orient Avenue, right on the Esplanade that overlooked his most cherished Sandshoes reef break. Next door but one on Orient Avenue was Ross Longbottom and his young family, including (then) toddlers Daz Longbottom and Dylan Longbottom.
In fact Reno is Dylan Longbottom’s godfather.
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Winner of the 2025 Sandshoes Boardrider's Super Grom division - Harvey Richards. Photo: Steve Core |
Between all our thousands of surfs out at Sandshoes, there were endless numbers of barbecues, backyard cricket innings, touch footy games, table tennis matches. Orient Avenue became the hub of our surfing social lives.
The winner of the first ever Graham ‘Sid’ Cassidy Sandshoes Junior Club Person of the Year went to Nate Larkin. A tall unassuming excellent surfer. And guess where Nate lives? Yep, you got it - how ironic… right on Orient Avenue. Who would have ever thought you could join the dots of the Sandshoes long line of surfing pedigree together like that?
I'll tell you why it works... it works because the South Cronulla peninsular is a true cul de sac Surfing community, it's surrounded by salt water on all three sides.
And this 150-strong Sandshoes Club, is chock full of juniors, who are nurtured by a sturdy administration of almost spiritual leaders and supported by young, working-class, healthy families who all thrive on their enthusiasm of hardy, tight community values of like mindedness and sense of purpose.
Sid would be so proud.
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