You gotta make it look good, no good doing the moves without your own style. Surfing has always had stylists to steal a bit off and add your own too. Some of my favourites are Phil Edwards Miki Dora Midget Farelly and Gerry Lopez, more recently Tom Curran and Joel Tudor, they all make anything they do look great.
Newcastle has many surfers with their own style.
For example Steve Butterworth shown here at Redhead in 1978, tubed with style.
Steve Butterworth Redhead 1978
Paul “Davo ” Davis – the legend of the Leggy at the Mattara contest Newcastle 1978. Paul surfed the Leggy with style and with an uncanny wave knowledge, always making it through the bowl.
Paul Davo Davis at Newcastle Mattara comp 1978
Around 1964, one of the first great Leggy surfers was Peter “Hector” Hogan who surfed it with a few Redhead guys with only a sprinkle of other guys. Hector was fearless and rode the place well always coming from behind, and it was long before legropes, and as such his boards were always a mess.
Mark Richards at the Leggy in 1978 cuts back effortlessly and gracefully and with style.
Mark Richards cutback Leggy1978
Dave Robbo, Col Smiths sidekick, at Redhead in 1979. Dave is an excellent tube rider and him and Col, were always getting tubed at Ghosties.
Dave Robbo Redhead 1978
Roger Clements had his own style, shown here at the Mattara contest 1978. Roger seemed to just skate around sections on a tiny twin fin.
Rodger Clements Newcastle Mattara contest 1977
Kenny once told me a clanger about style. He was surfing in Bali when an Italian guy paddles out with the nose of his board way out of the water and he was paddling with a very shallow stroke. He says to Kenny – heya mate you surfa good, you givva me some tips aye. Kenny tells him he could give his paddle style some improvment and catch waves if he moved up the board a bit and did deeper strokes. The guys goes – now way – THATSA MY STLYE! Well at least he had his own style and was happy with it.
Onother kind of style. Aussie girl in Bali 1977
Aussie surf girl in Bali 1977
Weather worn rock formation. Over years holes have been worn by wave movement of small rocks.
Rock weathered patterns 1980
The country side was pretty as picture at Sale in Victoria around 1977. When I found the negative was a bit worse for wear I photo shopped this one to look like a watercolour painting.
Sale Victoria countryside in watercolour
Surf EXPO 1987 – In conjuction with Surfest an exhibition of Newcastle’s finest surfing collectors items was arranged by Ronnie Rudder and others. A photo shoot was arranged at Redhead beach, then the boards were displayed at the Newcastle Showground, with buses provided from Newcastle beach and back. Here the Redhead groms eagerly grab some Newcastle surfing history and pose with a fine collection of 60’s Mals.
Surf Expo 1987 Mals Redhead Beach
Crow's Garage 