Gary Hughes 360

This shot of Gary Hughes was taken in April ’81 at The  Point with a crappy mirror lens. This was taken in the Larry Bertlemann era of twin fin, rip and tear. Hughsy in his sluggos is riding a twinny and busted this threesixty late one arvo on a fun size day. When given a print of  this shot at the time he said it was his favourite pic and framed it on his loungeroom wall. It ended up getting ripped to shreds by a jealous girlfriend. So here it is again decades later.   Photo Chris Stroh

Banksy-Bronzed Aussie.

This mini profile appeared in Tracks in 1990 about the wave that changed Jim Banks life. For the 17 year old amateur surf prodigy it was at the 78 Surfabout at North Narrabeen that one particular tube set Banksy on a different path. During a heat with the unbeatable Mark Richards, Jim caught a cracker of a wave, a long left hand barrel one of the best of the day that had the crowd standing and hooting. By the end of the heat he had done the unthinkable and relegated MR to the beach. That one wave resulted in Jim being picked up and sponsored by the high profile Bronze Aussies Surf Team establishing him from rags to riches as a Pro  Surfer over night.We have that photo of that very tube which we will upload in a later blog.

Surf Films @ The Community Hall

In the 70’s, long before VCRs, Dvds and the internet changed everything most  Saturday nights were spent watching the latest 16mm surf film on the big screen. At Cronulla, The Community Hall would be packed to the rafters with kids hooting every ride while the actual surf film maker worked the projector up the back. As always anything that possibly could go wrong usually did, from food fights to someone turning off the power mid movie. Films like Morning of The Earth, Family Free, Oceans, Seadreams and Waves of Change were just some of the titles floating around this time. Below M.O.E poster early 70s.

PT and G&S

Peter Townend the 1976 World Champion called Cronulla home for a few years. He was a regular sight surfing The Point on his pink surf board in an era where wearing no fluro colours and black wetsuits was almost compulsory.PT’s tube riding performances at Second Reef were legendary and soon earned his spot in the lineup. This G&S advertisement was from 1978 promoting PTs Hot Stuff model with the bottom turn shot taken at The Point.

Fat Tony Graffiti

Cronulla Point Cover

This Dave Shaw pic of Geoff Doig turned up on the front cover of Surfing Magazine 1979. The same issue features an article on Cronulla Point with shots of Gary Hughes, Greg Melhuish and Les Martin all getting barrelled.

Who’s got the Power?

This is still one of the craziest Cronulla tubes ever captured on film. Gerry “Popout” Manion at Cronulla Point Easter Saturday 1977 shot by Greg Button with a Nikonos II camera which appeared in “Surf” magazine “Who’s got the Power” issue. This article exposed the powerful reef waves around the Nulla and proved once and for all that the Southside is a wave power magnet.

Surf Mag Cover

The cover of Steve Core’s “Surf” Vol.1 No.6 Nov 77. A shot of Greg Melhuish at Cronulla Point, Photo by Dave Shaw. Core’s mag put Cronulla on the map as local stars got well deserved media coverage.

Craig ‘Cranky Franky’ Naylor

Late 70’s gouge on a twinny at Sandshoes left.

Photo: Stroh