My old Surfing World cover shot lives on...

10 March 2026

My old Surfing World cover shot lives on...

Peter 'PT Townend was the official guest at Surfing Australia's 'Australian Boardriders Battle' at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast on 7-8th March, 2026. He flew out from his home in Huntington Beach, California for a 5-day visit.

PT was the first ever World Professional Surfing Champion back in 1976, so this year, the WSL and everyone is celebrating PT's historic win of 50-years ago.

Invited up to the commentary booth for the action packed, surf-filled weekend which was live-streamed all over the world. PT was showing some memorabilia of his championship era.

The Surfing World magazine cover shot featured here (above) was my water shot of PT locked inside a Kirra Point barrel. It was the cover of Surfing World magazine for December 1973.

I'm just so stoked to see an old water shot of mine still living on and getting attention so many years later.

Classic Burleigh Heads '74 style...

02 March 2026

Posted on Facebook by Peter 'PT' Townend in Huntington Beach, California this morning

Some Sunday Story!

Heading to Australia this week for a few days to the Australian Boardriders Battle at Burleigh Heads, March 7-8 2026, where they're having a celebratory breakfast to acknowledge me winning the first WSL/IPS World Pro Championship 50-years ago in 1976.

Hard to believe, but it's also stirred memories of great days at Burleigh, on a particular day in '74 when great mate Steve Core woke Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew and myself up and we drove up from Coolangatta early, it was pumping no-one out and we hit it.

This short 16mm clip shot (below) by Steve Core gets me on my first two backlit waves. It was Burleigh barrels at their all-time best and as the day went on it stayed unreal throughout the day.

With Steve's epic footage going into several US productions as well as his own. Eventually to be screened all around the world.

And guys like Burleigh local and standout Paul Neilsen joined us in the lineup!

A day to truly remember!

A 16mm frame grab from Steve Core footage of a
Burleigh Head classic swell in 1974.