PEOPLE & PLACE
In looking to refurb and update the museum one of the themes we will be exploring is People and Place. There is certainly a LOT locally to celebrate, a pretty epic place, steeped in surfing history, with a raft of interesting characters . . . I love this photo taken...
TURNING POINTS – THE BOARD THAT CHANGED THE SURFING WORLD
Simon Anderson’s Thruster is The Most Significant Design Innovation of the past 100 years, ushering in a new era of wave shredding performance and eventually becoming the most copied board design in history. Over the past 50 years, the majority of surfboard design...
SECRET SURFING HISTORY – FINAL WAVE
An old saying goes: “Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see.” It’s not bad advice these days considering some of what goes on with the internet. This though is a story of one of the most iconic images from Australian surfing history, and how...
SECRET SURFING HISTORY – ISABEL LETHAM
ISABEL LETHAM History can be a slippery beast, to a large degree we only know what we know, in time historical focus can become quite tight ignoring a broader, more detailed past. As time inserts distance between events and recollections, things can get lost,...
SURFERS YOU SHOULD KNOW – HARRY WICKE
Harry Wicke was Australian surfboard champion in 1939, he loved the beach, surfing, and was actively involved in the local Surf Life Saving club. But darker days were looming on the world stage, troubled times that would unfairly impact Harry, his idyllic coastal life...
SURFERS YOU SHOULD KNOW – ARTHUR PARKYN
Arthur Parkyn may not be a name familiar to Australian surfers, but it should be. He facilitated one of the greatest shifts in Australian surfing history. A member of the Mooloolaba SLSA Arthur was chosen by the national surf life saving body to coach a Hawaiian team in anticipation of their participation in the International Surf Carnival at Torquay in 1956. This turned out to be one of the most pivotal moments in Australian surfing history.
TURNING POINTS – FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE
FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE As the 1960s came to a close, the times were a changing, there was revolution in the air. It was a period of dramatic social change, everything was being questioned, and social norms were being turned on their heads. The summer...
BOARD OF THE WEEK – MIGHTY MIGHTY KONG!
MIGHTY MIGHTY KONG! In the mid seventies as pro surfing became more established, there was one surfer who definitely stood out from the crowd. Wearing hyper-coloured superhero inspired wetsuits and riding fully decorated surfboards, Newcastle’s Mark Richards was...
SECRET SURFING HISTORY – WHO INVENTED THE LEGROPE?
WHO INVENTED THE LEGROPE? For a very long time being a surfer meant you had to be super fit and a strong swimmer. For over sixty years in Australia the timber surfboards used were heavy and hard to handle. If you wiped out you had to be able to swim after your board...
SURFERS YOU SHOULD KNOW – GAIL COUPER
GAIL COUPER It is ironic that Victoria's most successful competitive surfer is such a shy and unassuming character, who most people have probably never heard of, yet her sporting record is exceptional. Gail Couper was born in Melbourne in 1947 before moving with her...