Cronulla tribal elders hook-up...

Wednesday 5th March - 2025

A great mini reunion in Cronulla yesterday at the 'Next Door Cafe' in the Alley at North Cronulla for three old salty surf mates from yesteryear in Cronulla.

Once red hot Cronulla goofy footer, Mick Anastas, better known as simply 'MA', who these days lives in Seminyak, Bali and Graham 'Reno' Gillespie once part of the ruling masters in the Sandshoes line-up. Or as Peter 'PT' Townend calls them, the 'Sandshoes Mafia'. And of course myself.

A rare catch-up for three lifelong Cronulla surf mates at the Next Door Cafe in Cronulla.
Steve Core left, Mick 'MA' Anastas in the middle. Graham 'Reno' Gillespie on the right.
Plenty of re-lived tall tales and true from the legendary past were dissected
and the fun times were discussed and laughed about.
Photo: A self-timed selfie by me.

Also I've included below, the Taren Point-based Gordon & Smith surfboard advertisement from 1975. We all get a nod in this famous glossy magazine ad that truly bonds us all together. So 50-years ago.

The theme of the ad features former World Champion Peter 'PT' Townend as 

the headline act, the big star for G&S in the middle (naturally), 

surrounded by lots a of smaller stars.

They include a lot of famous old Cronulla surfing personalities 

(all good friends to this day) including, you guessed it, 'Reno', 'MA' and myself.

The theme of the ad features former World Champion, Peter 'PT' Townend as the headline act, the big star for G&S in the middle (naturally), surrounded by a cluster of smaller stars. They include a lot of famous old Cronulla surfing personalities including, you guessed it, 'Reno', 'MA' and myself.

By the way, that big star photo in the middle of PT, locked inside in a spinning vortex barrel at Kirra Point is a water shot by me.

*

110-years since Duke Kahanamoku surfed Cronulla

Saturday 15th February - 2025

Just 12-years after the Wright Brothers made the world's first powered flight on the Kill Devil Hills along the sand dunes scattered behind the beaches of Kitty Hawk, in North Carolina. A legendary Hawaiian athlete, Duke Kahanamoku was demonstrating the art of surfboard riding on the Pacific Ocean's Australian shoreline, at Cronulla - of all places.

For that very reason, Surfing Sutherland Shire today celebrated the 110th anniversary of that first visit to Cronulla beach by the world’s most celebrated waterman, Duke Kahanamoku.

Surfing Sutherland Shire President, John Veage
addressing the seaside gathering of the faithful

Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku, a celebrated Hawaiian Olympic swimmer and surfer, visited Sydney in 1914-15. Between his Olympic medal-winning feats, Kahanamoku travelled internationally performing swimming and surfing demonstrations. It was during this period that he popularised the sport of surfing in Australia.

Surfing Sutherland Shire President, John Veage, said it was an honour for the Duke to paddle out at Cronulla and for it to also be the first Australian surf spot where the Americans surfed their Malibu surfboards in 1956.

Amazing craftsmanship in these contemporary
wooden Riley surfboards on display.

“Even if you’re not into surfing's early history, it’s a great story of how surfing came to Cronulla,” he said.

During his stay in Sydney, ‘The Duke’ – as he became known – constructed a board from solid sugar pine and with it famously performed ‘Hawaiian-Style surf shooting’ at Freshwater Beach on December 24, 1914.

On February 7, 1915 Duke Kahanamoku and his party, travelling by steam train,  were met at Sutherland Railway Station by members of the Cronulla Surf Lifesaving Club. They undertook a sightseeing tour to Waterfall, returning to Audley in the Royal National Park for lunch.

The Duke replica surfboard on display right where
the Duke first surfed in Cronulla 110-years ago.

A motor launch then took Duke Kahanamoku and the others up the Port Hacking river to Gunnamatta Bay in Cronulla where the ocean beach was packed with people.

An impromptu surf reel race was staged before Kahanamoku took to the water at the ‘Big Beach’ (North Cronulla) for an exhibition of surfboard riding – standing upright, standing on his head, diving off, twisting the board.

“It all looked so ridiculously easy,” reported the St George Call newspaper at the time, “and so it was to the Duke, but local men, who tried after came to the conclusion that they had a lot to learn about the game.”

Plenty of Esplanade pavement pounders stopping by
to admire the heritage display in North Cronulla, commemorating
Duke Kahanamoku's surfboard riding exhibition here, 110-years ago.

The day ended with tea at Cronulla’s beachside clubhouse followed by music where the guests of honour entertained and sang Hawaiian songs with Duke Kahanamoku strumming on his ukulele.

Duke left one of his surfboards behind with a Cronulla SLSC member, Ron Bowden, which has never been found, but it sparked a new level of interest in board riding on Sydney’s southern beaches.

Surfing in Cronulla; front and center.
Where it should be.

Surfing Sutherland Shire had this historic wooden surfboard exhibition at Peryman Place (North Cronulla) which included the replica Duke surfboard that was created for the 100th 'Duke' anniversary ten years ago in 2015.

Coverage & photos: Steve Core