The scents and sounds of summer evoke vivid memories of youth. The SSH sat down in the sand with a seasoned surfer to reflect on long days in and by the ocean.
“When I first got into it, I was about 13. In the ’70s – at Bondi and Manly. The board I learned on was a red ‘BJ’, a single fin. My first ‘real’ one was a Morning Star by ‘Narrabeen’ Col Smith. I had that board a while.
“The best thing about surfing is the lifestyle – the sense of freedom, the thrill of speed, the g-forces, the camaraderie.
“There were only a few surf brands then – O’Neal, Rip Curl, Golden Breed, Crystal Cylinders, Hang Ten. The names bring back so many memories. A ‘fashion-conscious’ surfer would wear Levi Californians, a Golden Breed shirt and thongs. My brother went barefoot all year, even at the night-club!
“I remember the surfing movies: Five Summer Stories, A Winter’s Tale, Morning of the Earth with a soundtrack by G. Wayne Thomas (he lived at Bondi Junction).
“I remember going up the coast to Crescent Head, near Kempsey. I lived on a farm there with hippie surfers. I was 16. I surfed all day every day. The hippies always had a pot of brown rice and lentils, which really fills you up …
“The elite surfers of the day were Michael Peterson from the Gold Coast and Simon Anderson from North Narrabeen; Ron Ford and Steve Jones from Bondi. And then, into the ’80s, Richard Cram and Cheyne Horan from Bondi and Tom Curren from Santa Monica, California.
“I also remember Brad Mayes who was a beach inspector and a board-maker. He was a Bondi surfing legend, same as his father, Bluey Mayes.
“The ocean teaches independence and confidence, respect for Mother Nature. Surfing taught me not to panic, even in extreme situations. There are rips and rocks, slabs and reefs, sand banks and channels, winds and tides … lefts and rights, ups and downs.
“Spending time in the ocean, you see amazing things. Once at Bondi, I saw an orca breech. Native Americans say it’s good luck to see an orca. It symbolises family and community, protects you and leads you back home.”
