Gary Hughes Injured

In the late 70’s Cronulla Point standout Gary Hughes embarked on his secong Hawaiian mission. The previous year he was forced out of the water early due to a spleen injury but this year Hughesy was lucky to come out alive. While surfing Sunset ,Gary got speared in the head by a loose board. The injury left a gaping hole and he was rushed to hospital by helicopter for micro surgery to repair the near fatal wound. The injury put the breaks on Gary’s pro career as he was out of the water for months on end and when he returned he was forced to wear a helmet for safety until fully healed. Below Gary from a Tracks article with shaved head and scars.