Frank Latta
Posted: May 21, 2012 at 12:50 pm
Frank Latta was never destined to be a scholar, not when he lived at Cronulla, the surf was up and all his mates were taking to the waves on boards. As a 15-year-old, he wanted to join them and bought a balsa wood board from Coles Marine in Cronulla, undertaking to pay it back at 2/6 a week.
Latta bleached his hair and became hooked on the sport. When he forgot his 2/6 repayments and Mr Cole repossessed the board, he borrowed a mate’s board and took the day off school. He had a misfortune in the surf, knocked out his front teeth and got a school caning for wagging it. His resolution to that problem was to virtually abandon school. In the decades that followed, Latta became a top competitive surfer, a skilled and prolific surfboard shaper and designer and a character of the Australian surfing scene. Below Frank competing at Bells Beach ’75 photo HM
Posted in 70's
Sandshoes ’64
Posted: April 2, 2012 at 10:30 am
Surfabout Vol 1 No 4 lifts the lid on a little secret spot called Sandshoes on the Southside and introduces local ripper Frank Latta. Pics by Jack Eden.
Posted in 60's
Frank Latta Sandshoes 1964
Posted: March 16, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Frank Latta once tried his hand at proffesional boxing but found out the hard way he was much better suited to surfing and shaping. Especially his local hangout the urchin spine covered reef known as Sandshoes. Franks legend at Shoes is still talked about fondly by the old time locals today. The photo below was by Bob Weeks.
Posted in 60's
Steve Core Surfboards
Posted: February 21, 2012 at 4:13 am
Steve Core has been in involed in many aspects of surfing including Surf mags, photography,retail shop and movie producer. Around 1969 to 1970 Steve also dabbled with his own surfboard brand with Frank Latta as head shaper and team rider at Taren Point.
Posted in 60's
Frank Latta
Posted: December 24, 2011 at 11:38 am
After Bobby Brown untimely death in a bar fight Frank Latta stepped up as the South Sides next main competition contender . This pic of Frank appeared in Surfing World early 70’s.
Posted in 70's
Baron Surfboards
Posted: June 30, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Baron Surfboards order form from the late 60’s with Frank Latta head shaper at the Taren Point factory.
Posted in 60's
Frank Latta 70’s.
Posted: May 24, 2011 at 9:08 pm
This picture taken by Peter Simmons appeared in a Surfing World story in the mid 70’s about Frank Latta returning to Cronulla called The Mayor of Sandshoes written by Steve Core.
Posted in 70's
Frank Latta and Graham King.
Posted: May 11, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Early 70’s advertisment featuring Frank Latta and Graham King at the Kirrawee factory.
Posted in 70's
Frank Latta Adv.
Posted: December 24, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Here’s a Frank Latta advertisement from ’89.
Posted in 60's
Frank Latta @ Sandshoes
Posted: December 8, 2010 at 11:21 am
Frank ruled at Sandshoes in the late 60’s and early 70’s period. Shoes attracted a lot of hot surfers over the years including the ’76 World Champ PT when he spent time in Cronulla. But as far as longboards go Frank was the king always stylish and practical and when boards got shorter he still ruled the takeoff spot. Not sure who took the pics below but they were from Matt Cook and his Sandshoes Facebook site.
Posted in 60's