Surfboard Manufacturers

Cronulla has a long history of surfboard manufacturers. In the 80’s the following 4 surfboard builders  were just a few of the brands that kept the local crew well equiped….. This 1988 adv. for Jim Banks appeared in Tracks, Banksy worked out of his Cronulla Original Clothing Shop, the photo was by Chris Stroh….. Geoff Solness was the driving force behind Shark Island Design Surfboards located just across the road from the train station his adv.appeared in Tracks in 87…… Rod Baldwin appeared in this Emerald advert in 84  the photo was by Stroh……while the Graham King Surfboards logo turned up in Tracks in 79.

Unknown Soldiers

         This shot was taken on a pumping mutant southeast day at Shark Island around the mid to late 90’s.  A lot of the usual Island faces were caught napping this day. There were quite a few unknown surfers out having a go , making some and paying the penalty on others. This chunky wave was one of the ones made.   photo Chris Stroh

Sean Charters

So many good surfers have emerged out of the  The Alley Rip bowl over the years. The competitive nature of the wave hungry pack ensures that if you dont prove yourself and standout by ripping you just dont get any waves. Its dog eat dog and only the best survive. In the 80’s one of those who stood out  was a natural foot called Sean Charters. Sean had a clean style with cutting edge moves and was one of the first of the local crew to start busting aerials consistently after Martin Potter moved into town for a while and turned him onto them.This pic of Sean was taken outside Joes Milkbar around the mid 80’s   photo Stroh

Richard Maurer

Richard was another one of those Kurnel kids who in there Grom days would trudge over the Wanda sand dunes to have a surf. Along with his best mate Occy the pair would trade of heavy gouging front and backhand snaps wave for wave. Over the years Richard was a devoted Cronulla Boardriders Club  member surfing in there winning Surf League teams and at one stage a few years back he was even president of the club. This back hand blast was taken at The Alley sometime in the 80’s.  photo Chris Stroh

Dog Cover

Richard “Dog” Marsh has had his fair share of covers over the years.This one generated from a Blackrock session appeared on the Waves poster book.Richard was going through his punk rock stage and had dyed his hair black. Dog along with the other Cronulla goofys like Pete Smith, Greeny and  Occy  would always head south the first sign of a southerly swell and a sniff of north east wind. This day was near good as it gets and Dog was in the box seat.  Circa early 90’s  photo Chris Stroh

Jezza

Jeremy Hrbac grew a taste for mean powerful waves from a early age.He first popped up on the radar around the early 90’s charging Shark Island backside. With his left foot forward it was Voodoo and The Reefs where he would find his real calling. This shot of Jezza was taken early 2000 at Voodoo, loving the reef power.   photo Craig Stroh

Early Days with Dave Wilson

The following post is the first in a series  by longtime Cronulla surfer Dave Wilson. Dave has an extensive knowledge of Cronulla in the early days of the sport and has been involved in surfing ever since……. I was born in Cronulla in the late 40s ,and my parents were born there as well. My family on both sides lived and worked with the ocean and bays. Both my grandfathers worked on the 2 pubs, the odeon picture theatre and all the rock pools on the peninsula. My pop Freddie Wilson was a Narragansett Indian from Connecticut USA  and arrived here in 1919 after fighting in France for Canada in WW1 and never left Australia, he was well known in Cronulla. In the early 30s they built a new house on the corner of Robinson st and Kurnell rd, and owned the block next door, my grandmother owned 18 horses and had the riding school and horses for hire [fond memories of Kurnell and boat harbor when i was little before the road was built] , they had the first surfoplane hire business, so on weekends and holidays they had the rights to rent surfoplanes, sell hot water, rent deck chairs ,wigwams [large beach shades], and horse rides to wanda/boat harbour. This all operated out of Dunningham Park and everything was stored behind old Mr Lucases house beside the surf club and the horses were corralled on vacant blocks of land or out at Kurnell where they owned 2 blocks of land. My father and Frank Lattas father were  shell gritters in the winter and Dick made money by towing people out of bogs [thats how the Kurnell bus service started] who were foolish enough to attempt to drive out to Kurnell… …….more to come from Dave on the surfboard side, including the original surfers and manufacturers plus Dave’s involvement with Floyd Smith and Gordon and Smith in 1966 and eventual ownership in 1995…stay tuned. The photo below is of South Cronulla Beach back in the day pre 1950s.

Spike in Waves

Richard “Spike” James featured in a Waves article around ’88 based on City Surfing. The double spread was taken by Peter Simmons of Spike heavily pitted at The Point.

Bobby Brown Memorial Contest

The 1968 issue of Surfing World Volume 10 No 4  featured a rundown of the first Bobby Brown Memorial Contest at Wanda. In a 5 page article it covered the event blow by blow. The waves were 1 metre and fair for the finals and the best of the best Aussie talent were competing.Ted Spencer, Keith Paull, Midget, Kevin Parkinson, Robert Connelly and Frank Latta were left to battle it out in the final heat. It was Farrely who trimmed and nose rode to victory and walked away with a Bobby Brown sculptured trophy.

Andy King Fundraiser

24 June 2004: The surfing community got together to support Cronulla surfer, Andy King. Following  the injuries he sustained after being vicously assaulted outside a local nightclub. Hoping to raise an estimated $80,000 for cochlear implants, a  golf day, surfing contest and celebrity sports auction took place in the ‘Shire’. The Golf Day, raised $20,000 . Hundreds  gathered  to witness ‘King of the Beach’ with small but contestable waves  local and WCT surfers Keiren Perrow, Beau Emerton, Luke Hitchings, Tom Whitaker, Mark Occhilupo, Mick Fanning and others  were a part of the special event. The crowd was  thrilled  when Andy King entered the water alongside former world champion Mark Occhilupo.

Following the surfing event was the celebrity sports auction, which was held at Cronulla Leagues Club. With Occy and Kelly Slater leading the auction, the night  raised a whopping $50,000 .Kelly Slater auctioned his own surfboard. At the completion of the successful fundraiser, the total of  $90,000 was raised. Below Kingy gets mobbed by an emotional beach crowd as he leaves the water  pic CSP