Phuket: It's just a wave

Phuket: It's just a wave
It's just another empty wave - but isn't that we're all searching for?

Everyone thinks there's no surf in Phuket, Thailand. Wrong. I guess it's because it really has not had much coverage globally. But check out this photo that Saltwater Dreaming's Rick Gamble has sent us that was taken this week - just as their wave season is supposedly coming to an end.

No big deal - it's just a wave. But this is Surin Beach, about 10K's North of the popular Patong Beach. So how about the size? Compare it to guy you can see paddling out.

Surin Beach, Phuket, Thailand this week.
Surin is home of Saltwater Dreaming Surf Shop.

If this sparks your interest in perhaps travelling to Phuket, then I suggest you have a good look over Rick Gamble's Saltwater Dreaming website. It's got a surf report and all the good information about breaks, conditions and wave season.

Phuket's best waves are on the island's West facing beaches - in the vast Andaman Sea.

Phuket doesn't get the deep ocean swells fanning over an abundance of reefs like Bali. But it's beaches are nice and white, the waters are crystal clear and really warm all year round. All you need is a bit of Monsoonal activity offshore and bingo - you've got nice little waves to have some fun amongst.

Rick Gamble is an Aussie ex-pat and has the only true salty surf shop on the island. Apart from carry everything you need for any kind of wave riding or SUP, Rick also makes his own local formula Surf Wax called Gekco Glue surf wax - ['cause Geckos can stick to the wall - get it?]. Nice one Rick.

"Undoubtedly the island's best Surf Shop" - says Lonely Planet

Steve

Steve Core's Ocean Rhythms now available on DVD

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3rd Quiksilver Thailand Surf Competition
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Event: Seventies Sessions

PT's Seventies Sessions
A no pressure, no judges, fun event

My good friend, former '76 World Surf Champion, Peter Townend [PT], is putting on what he calls the Seventies Sessions Surfing event this weekend in his home beach of Huntington Beach.

In the true spirit of the decade of the Seventies, this weekend in Huntington Beach as part of the new 'Surf City Days' weekend the inaugural 'Seventies Sessions' event will take place.

In a celebration of the surfboard culture that swept the globe in the Seventies, heavily impacting in Huntington Beach, this event was inspired by the Golden Breed Expression Sessions on Hawaii's North Shore in the early Seventies. These events were less about competition, they had no judges or scoring system, no winners and losers, but instead were focused clearly on the creative individual expression of wave riding.

The 'Seventies Sessions' will be no different says PT, with a congregation of forty-eight [48] participants gathering in front of the Waterfront Hilton to surf from 8:00a.m. until 1:00p.m. on Saturday September, 17th. Then retire back across the street to the Hilton Hotel's 'West Coast Club' to drink a few beers and 'Talk Story' on those who surfed best and the stories behind the boards they brought to ride.

Here's the unique hook; participants are required to bring their own boards and those baords must have been made under a Huntington Beach surfboard maker's label during the time period of the Seventies.


Photo #1 - PT riding his hollow W.A.V.E.
surfboard at Tea Tree Bay Noosa, 1974.
Photo: Steve Core

Some of those classic '70s Huntington surfboard brands are still around like Check Dent, Randy Lewis, The Greek and Robert August, some have left town like Infinity and Walden, while others have become extinct like Plastic Fantastic, RC, Hawk, David Nuuhiwa/Dyno, Carl Hayward, Bronzed Aussies, Wayne Brown, Corky Carroll Spacesticks, Sunline, Creative Designs and Gordie.

RELATED: Huntington Surfboard Pioneer 'Gordie' passes away.

The format is much the same as the original North Shore, Hawaii event, with four one hour heats of twelve and one final one hour heat 'Free For All' with everyone invited to participate - to express themselves on their vintage weapon of choice.

PT, late afternoon backside turn
at Gas Chambers/Rocky Point,
North Shore, Hawaii.
December '77
Photo: Steve Core



Event producer and organiser Peter 'PT' Townend of The ActivEmpire [ATE] says; “I participated in the last of the very original Golden Breed Expression Sessions on Hawaii's North Shore and that's where the inspiration for this event is coming to me from - only this weekend our event will adapt a localised Huntington Beach flavour”.

Of further interest, PT also posted a couple of old surfing photos of him [taken by me] on his Facebook site this week. I had not seen these photos in many years and they come to us from courtesy of the extensive PT Collection.

Photo #1 above: We were chasing some cyclone surf and headed up North to Noosa from the Gold Coast. Ended up with some nice clean surf at Tea Tree Bay, Noosa. I took this shot from sitting on my surfboard with my Nikons II waterproof film camera in 1974. PT is riding is hollow W.A.V.E surfboard. This is the same board that he rode in the "Pipeline Rights' sequence in my 1975 16mm film 'Ocean Rhythms'.

Photo #2 [left] Originally a Kodachrome slide, I snapped this shot very late one overcast afternoon at Gas Chambers/Rocky Point in Hawaii a few days before Christmas in December '77. PT said this week, that this is just about his favourite backside shot of himself ever.

The view down over Huntington Beach from
the rooms at the Waterfront Hilton. Nice.

Thanks for sharing PT and we should have some photos of the Seventies Sessions to post next week.

Steve

Ocean Rhythms is available on DVD
Some Ocean Rhythms stockists are: Saltwater Dreaming Phuket - Heritage Surf, Manly - Jackson Surfboards, Caringbah, - Express Surfboards, Taren Point

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

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Manly's Heritage Surf Shop to close its doors

A unique Manly Surf Shop falls victim to floundering times

Heritage Surf's founder:
Chris Moss

Things are tough across the board in surf retail right around Australia and Surf Shops have not been spared. After a long slow Winter, Summer can't come soon enough for some. This week Manly’s well known Heritage Surf Shop, announced that it will shutter its doors on October 12th, 2011 and cease trading.

Owner Chris Moss said that due to increased competition and brittle economic times, the store was under performing and was only marginally cash flow positive. Our forecast, he said, indicates slow to negative improvement in all our market segments, so therefore we'll be taking down our shingle. He stressed that this was not a bankruptcy – but rather sliding out gracefully with a soft exit. All our creditors will be paid he confirmed.

Classic wood not chrome.
A corner Surf Shop in the older,
more traditional motif.


A finger count of Surf Shops in the greater Manly area will fill more than two hands. With fourteen Surf Shops in one major beach location, the economic pie can only be divided up so far.

Heritage built its strength by offering a unique selection of smaller to medium brands. Choosing not to carry the major surf brands but supporting the likes of Patagonia, Toes on the Nose, Okanuis, Deus, Critical Slide Society.

Closing the store is the action that will be taken to optimize their current buoyant financial position. Current sales cannot support the assortments and staffing that the company believes the store should be offering.

Across the surfing market, sales at stores that have been open for at least one year, or same-store sales, are considered a key gauge of a retailer’s health. Many Surf Shops are reporting same-store sales for domestic locations falling for several of the last fiscal years. The ranges vary from location to location.

A lot of Surf Shops have not produced top-line growth for several consecutive seasons according to an analyst report released last month. [Top line is a term used by the industry to refer to revenue.]

Many shops are also cutting prices to chase sales, but this tactic is usually unable to translate into positive sales revenue growth.

CommSec economist Savanth Sebastian said although $265 billion passed through the nation's cash registers in the past financial year, it was the weakest annual growth in 50 years.

"The Aussie consumer is certainly depressed. The latest figures show that consumers are still unwilling to spend despite cheaper prices. It highlights how tough business has found the past year," he said.

The effect of weak retail sales is profound. It can lead to a build-up of inventory, a profit killer for retailers, and curbs their appetite to place orders, which is a killer for suppliers. For listed companies, the effect is falling share prices, tighter margins and negative investor sentiment, and for those unlucky enough to be renegotiating debt - good luck.

Finally; Google Earth will now have to update their Street View
image of the Heritage Surf Shop corner that has been
a fixture in Manly for the past 5 years.
*This image taken from Google Earth.

For the next month Heritage Surf will be clearing out their stocks with a Grand Closing Down sale. Clothes, boards, wetsuits, posters and Sydney's best and widest selection of surf books and DVDs are all being marked down to go.

If you are missing something for the collection - here's the opportunity to fill the gap at a closeout price.

Check their website and Heritage Surf are located at 24 Darley Road, Manly - go grab yourself a bargain. You've got until October 12th!

You might also be interested in:
Qld veteran forced out by cheap Asian imports

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

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Bobby Brown: Back to the Heartlands

Bobby Brown Exhibition at Jackos

Part of the Exhibition in the Jackson Surfboards
showroom in Caringbah.

The Bobby Brown Exhibition yesterday returned to Brown's former mystical home at Jackson Surfboards showroom in Caringbah. The official unveiling launch yesterday, marked the start of the 10-day temporary exhibition.

This concept collective is set in a venue that has been a surfboard-maker's showroom for the last 48 years. Its daily role is normally an impressive collection of surfing memorabilia and accolades. Artifacts on display represent milestones to not only Bobby Brown, but fellow surfing luminaries and immortal Jackson stablemates like; Gordon Merchant [founder of Billabong], Laurie 'Froggy' Byrnes, the late Frank Latta and a host of others.

At a time when we all get hectored about lowering our expectations, surrendering our attention spans, and settling for less - a deeper look at the small Bobby Brown collection wants us to demand for more.

Even though as diverse as surfing is now, and being rather somewhat fractured with sub cultivations, it is worth noting that this exhibition, in this showroom, captures the sense of deep culture that embraces all surfers - no matter what they ride or how or when they rode it.

From left; Curator Andrew McKinnon, Steve Core
and veteran South Coast photographer Dave Milne.

The offering is the culmination of several years of research by self-recruited curator Andrew McKinnon. As the last winner of the Bobby Brown Memorial Contest in 1970 and holder of [what became] the perpetual trophy, Andy Mac was there yesterday to chair the floor, fill in any missing gaps and assist guide the launch.

Amid the distinctive special guests were Brian 'Jacko' Jackson, down from his semi-retirement home of Crescent Head. Founding Surfabout Magazine publisher, a doyen of '60s surf photographers, Jack Eden and his wife Dawn. Because of the strong, life-long connection of Jack Eden and Jackos, Eden's powerfully iconic images of Bobby Brown surfing were debuting to the public in this format for the very first time.

Amongst other special guests were Bobby's older brother John Brown and fellow Cronulla surfing great, now surf artist, Garry Birdsall. In his address to the gathering, John earnestly recounted great stories of growing up in an unremarkable Cronulla in the '50s and '60s. When the vast Kurnell peninsular sand dunes sprawled right down into Elouera Beach and there was a dairy farm close to the breaking waves.

Cronulla surfing legend, Garry Birdsall [left] and
Surfabout founding publisher, Jack Eden.

In summary, everyone seems to agree that Bobby Brown was a certain World Champion in the making. Nobody really says 'Number One'. Therefore; carefully not claiming any significant rating of who was the best, even though the deepening interest in old surfing is diverse, the idea of a numerical ranking is not hardwired into surfing's DNA.

There's a huge trust factor with many of Cronulla's old surfing guard and a small posse [that are still left in the Cronulla area] ventured out to pay homage at the exhibition and recount old times. I spotted Mark 'Bluey' Aprilovic, Bruce 'Fox' Hennesey, Andy Britton, John Coleman, Freddy Farmer, John Vass, John Veage, Chris Stroh, Greg McCarthy, Dave Milne, Jamie Hocking and Lazza Lane. Apologises to all those I don't know or didn't recognise.

Many thanks to our hosts; Jackson Surfboards owners since '97; Jim and Christina Parkinson and Dave Mattison

The Exhibition runs for the next 10 days and guess what, in this day of tightening purse strings in the community - it's totally free. No matter what label you ride or where your allegiances may lay, drop in and check it out and say Hi to the good folk at Jackos.

For an extensive photographic coverage of the launch festivities, see the Jackson Surfboards Facebook site.

All the photos in this report are courtesy of Jackson Surfboards.

Steve Core

If you like this you might also be interested in:
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Bobby Brown Exhibition launch on the Gold Coast - November 2010
PT's Seventies Sessions

Something to add or say, email us at: swapsurf@gmail.com

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California mourns the passing of another Surfboard building legend

Iconic Californian Surfboard builder has passed away

Newport Beach, California: Robert ‘Russell’ Brown, founder of Russell Surfboards, who shaped custom surfboards in the city since the 1960s, has died. He was 63. Brown hanged himself, the Orange County Coroner's office has determined his death to be a suicide.

Robert 'Russell' Brown founder

of Russell Surfboards at the

'Echo Beach' movie premiere.

Brown was known for his handmade surfboards, and had become a legend in the Southern California surfing community, since opening his shop, Russell Surfboards, on the Balboa Peninsula, in Newport Beach in 1967.

On Tuesday, flowers lined the Newport Boulevard shop, some with pictures of children with their first board purchased from there. 



Russell, as most knew him, intentionally never changed with the times. He didn’t shift his small shop Russell Surfboards to adhere to the big business of the surf industry. He proudly ran a core surf shop – you’ll find no clothes for sale, except for the Russell Surfboards shirts he’d give away most of the time. Boards were the business here, hundreds of them lining the Newport shop.



Russell Surfboards Surf Shop this week in Newport Beach, closed
as a mark of respect to the founder's passing.

The surf world is now mourning the loss of another classic surfboard maker, who was one of the first to hit the scene in Newport Beach and whose name was synonymous with this part of the coast. If you rode a Russell, particularly in '70s, those next to you in the line up immediately knew you hailed from Newport Beach.

As news of his death spreads, friends and loved ones are remembering Russell for his character, and his contributions to the surf culture.

RELATED: Huntington Surfboard Pioneer 'Gordie' passes away

Customers and friends have been flooding into his shop – which was just recently moved from its long-time location to just north of the Newport Pier, closer to the beach.

Longtime surfer and Newport resident Tom Cozad posted this on his website www.newportsurfshots.com

A note of thanks and and a last
goodbye to Robert 'Russell' Brown

[click photo to enlarge]

“No other surfboard manufacturer has had a grip on the Newport surf culture as long, or as strong, as Bobby “Russell” Brown and his Russell Surfboards has. The older Blackies crew can be found cruising on his boards. The younger Upper Jetties crew can be found flying around on them. And the Underground Point and School Yards crews can be found pulling into pits throughout the world on them. No one person has transcended the vast array of Newport surf crews over the years like Russell has.”

Russell laid down the roots of surfing in Newport, and soon the scene exploded with the start of big brands taking over. While Russell was still a household name in the ‘80s, it wasn’t long before most surf shops were carrying the latest expanding lines of beachwear, sunglasses, and everything in between.

Not at the Russell Surfboard shop.

“There was all this potential money making, but he wanted to stay in his purist surfing ideals,” Reynosa said.

He often ate any profit on boards – if a board had a tag on it for $400, but a young surfer only had $200 in his pocket, he’d say ‘just take it kid, get outta here’, Reynosa recalled.

Despite his rough exterior, Russell has been described as a modest and generous man who became a dedicated friend to many.

Floral tributes garnish the
door of the Russell Surfboards
Surf Shop this week in
Newport Beach.

“The thing that set him apart was his complete lack of ego,” Reynosa said. “He didn’t even understand why anyone would think much of him, or why they would want to take a picture with him. He could never figure out why people wanted him to autograph his surfboards”

Friends say they’ll miss dinners shooting the breeze, the life lessons he shared. They said they hoped to share and maintain his legacy.

“The past few days, people have come in and out of the shop. I never really knew how much he was respected,” said employee J.P. Roberts. “He loved to build boards, he made them all by hand all these years. There are not a lot of shops like this left, but we’re going to try to keep it going.”

Customers and friends have been flooding into the shop - which was just recently moved from its long time location to just North of the Newport Pier, to be closer to the beach.

Russell is survived by his wife Cynthia, brother Richard, and sister Nancy. Thousands of surfers are expected pay tribute to Brown on Sept. 10th and attend a paddle-out at Blackie's, adjacent to the famous Newport Pier, at 7:30 a.m.

Compiled from various US Sources, with special thanks to the Orange County Register, Tom Cozad and Nisha Gutierrez-Jaime for the shop photos and who is the local editor of the Newport Beach Patch.

Have a comment or something to say? E-mail us at swapsurf@gmail.com

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Huntington Surfboard Pioneer 'Gordie' passes away

National Alaia Title migrates South

Southsiders take franchise on new Alaia Australian Title

Cronulla-based surfer and more importantly, Sandshoes local, Matt ‘Cookie’ Cook almost pulled off a National Title last week when the first ever Alaia surfing champion was crowned at the 2011 Australian Surfing Festival in Port Macquarie on the mid-NSW North Coast.



Standing tall in Timberland; with their engineered organic lumber after the blue ribbon event:
the finalists in the inaugural Alaia National Titles. Including Cronulla's Matty Cook [red rashie]
who managed a superb 2nd place in Port Macquarie.

First place went to Bondi's Barney Quinlan in the white rashie.

In an amazing era where pro surfers on the world tour now can score more points for maneuvers they perform in the air, [and not on the face of a wave] a growing group of enthusiastic surfers have propelled themselves back to surfing's most ancient wave riding roots.



Ian Bell of North Haven, NSW in sliding Alaia action.

Ian also won the Men's Single Fin National Title.

Photos Courtesy of Surfing Australia

Australian surfing history was cast in the surf at Port Macquarie last week, at the 2011 Australian Surfing Festival, where the first ever Australian Alaia champion was created and crowned.

Port's Town Beach provided the ideal arena for the maiden Alaia final, pumping out some great conditions for the traditional Hawaiian surfboards, almost fit for a king.

In the final, contested in clean 3ft waves, Bondi's Barney Quinlan etched [just couldn't save carved] his name in the record books, on his finless wooden form to trump runner-up, Matty Cook, of South Cronulla, [Sandshoes] NSW, and Ian Bell [North Haven, NSW], and Jarrad Davies [Margaret River, WA].



Bondi's Barney Quinlan holds aloft the first ever trophy

for Australian National Alaia Champion. While Cookie
[in red] is just stoked to be on the podium with 2nd place.

Barney Quinlan who competed in the final on a beautifully hand carved wooden Alaia, looked in sync with the traditional ancient art of surfing, which is finding its place in the Australian Surfing scene.

It seems this group of surfers are true, to use a cricketing term; 'all rounders' and very adaptive. Cookie normally rides long boards, short boards, single fins and Alaias.

The 5'10" Alaia that Cookie rode in the final, he lovingly hand tailored from Paulownia wood [an incredibly light hardwood] just the week before the contest and had never ridden the board prior to arriving in Port Macquarie.

Boosted by its new found popularity, Alaia surfing continues to grow in Australia and the addition to the 2011 Australian Surf Festival, sparked interest amongst spectators and competitors who witnessed the historical moment in Australian Surfing history.

Well done Cookie - holding the Cronulla flag high.

Steve

Watch a video with some highlights of the event...

Something to comment on or say? E-mail us on swapsurf@gmail.com

Check our new surf swap blog: http://www.swapsurf.com/

 

Surfers in Vietnam during the Vietnam War

Surf City: A perspective of Surfing in the '50s, '60s and '70s.

The countdown is on to muster the nostalgia; we are now just one month away from the opening of the Surf City Exhibition

To capture and present these iconic times, Surf City's curator, Gary Crockett has been publishing some fantastic photos encompassing the era. Of particular interest are images captured during the Vietnam War ['62-'72] while Australian servicemen were taking R&R on 'Vungers' Beach [Vung Tau] in South Vietnam.

A 'friendly' Douglas A-1 Skyraider makes a high-speed, low

pass directly over US servicemen while they enjoy the

waves along Vung Tau Beach, South Vietnam in 1967.

Retired US Army Vietnam veteran Ron Sizemore contributed this amazing photo taken along the 'American stretch' of Back Beach, Vung Tau, and Ron wrote this from his home in the US:

"I took the picture in Dec of 1967 with a Pentax 35mm camera. Here is the story. The plane [I believe a Douglas A-1 Skyraider] had made one pass at that low altitude when I was coming out of the surf. I saw him on his way back toward us and I started running to the Lifeguard tower - because that is where my camera was.

The guy next to me hit the deck [sand] and I stayed on my way. I knew he was going to return for another pass. The second pass was a high one and the third was again low - right on the deck. It was my understanding that we, [the Yanks, Americans] had given the A-1's to the South Vietnamese and it was a friendly South Vietnamese pilot doing the flying. On his last pass he did a `victory roll' that I was unable to capture."

Vungers Beach in South Vietnam; an Australian serviceman on R&R

in Vietnam carries his Australian-made Gordon Woods surfboard
from the surf. Note the rolled barbed wire lining the beach.

Images from: Charlie Don't Surf - But Aussies Do'.



While many young Australians were enjoying the freedom of surfing their local beach at home, our nation had diggers deployed in Vietnam, putting themselves in harm's way to protect and serve our country.

Over 500 Australian servicemen lost their lives in Vietnam, and we had over 3,000 wounded.

We like to thank all those brave young Australian servicemen and women for their service and their sacrifice during the Vietnam Conflict.

We hope that any/all Vietnam veterans will get a chance to visit the Museum of Sydney and view the Exhibition. 

Both Vietnam images above are courtesy of the great Queensland website: Charlie Don't Surf - But Aussies Do'.

The Surf City Exhibition will be on at the Museum of Sydney from September 24th 2011 to March 17th, 2012.

Have a comment or something to add? - Email us at: swapsurf@gmail.com

Question: Which current ASP Head Judge is also a current World Champion surfer? You'd be surprised. The answer here.

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