The History of Surfing in Australia

Apia HISTORY OF SURFING IN AUSTRALIA 1914 1917 Hawaiian legend, Duke Kahanamoku visits Australia and teaches 16-year-old, Isabel Letham, how to surf. Isabel is known as 'the The first recorded reference of 'Surfers 1910s Paradise' is made during a failed auction to first Australian to ride a surfboard'1. sell land along the cost. 1924 Inaugural Australian Board Riding Championship is won by Claude West (taught by Duke)². 1920s 1934 Maroubra's Frank Adler produces 'The 1930s Racing 16': Australia's first hollow board with timber frame and plywood skin to replace the solid timber boards of Duke's era3. 1956 1957 New light weight 'Malibu' balsa wood surfboards are brought to Australia by a group of Californian life guards as part of the Melbourne Olympic Games program4. Australian movie 'Service in the Sun', set in 1950s Bondi Beach, shows 'hot-dogging' and brings surfing to the masses, luring young Aussies towards a freer surfing lifestyle. 1964/65 1966 First ever World Surfing Championship held at Manly Beach7. 1960s 'The Endless Summer' is released and featured Australian surfer Nat Young in a Bernard Midget Farrelly and Phyllis O'Donnell become Australia's first male and cameo role. female World Champions. 1967 1966 Bob McTavish, working in Sydney's Northern Beaches, builds the first vee-bottom board. Nat, riding a thin 9'4" board, wins the World Surfing Championships. 1969 Rip Curl is founded by Doug Warbrick and Brian Singer in Torquay, Victoria°. 1973 1970 1970s Tracks Magazine is established in Sydney's Billabong is founded by Gordon Merchant, in the Gold Coast. Northern Beaches10. 1979 1973 Mark Richards wins his first World Inaugural Bells Beach Surf Classic held. Championship. Winning consecutively for the next four years. 1981 1980s Aussie Simon Anderson designs the three fin 'Thruster' surfboard. 1991 1998 Layne Beachley becomes the Women's ASP World Champion, winning consecutively for the next 5 years, and in 2006. Australia's Bells Beach achieves fame in the 1990s cult classic Point Break. Even if the actual beach filmed is Cannon Beach Oregon, USA. 1999 Mark Occhilupo wins the world championship at the age of 33. 2007 Stephanie Gilmore takes out the world championship for four consecutive years and again in 2012. 2000s 2013 Australian film 'Drift' is released. The film follows the birth of Australia's commercial surf industry in 1970s. Apia is all about insuring what's important so you can go on living at your best. www.apia.com.au Sources 1. Surfingaustralia.com, 'Australian Surfing History', 2011 7. Wikipedia.org, 'Association of Surfing Professionals', 2014 2. Rwnoosaholidays.com, 'History of Surfing Competitions in Australia', 2012 8. Encyclopediaofsurfing.com, 'Short-board Revolution', 2010 3. Surfworldgoldcoast.com, 'Surf History – 1934 the racing 16', 2013 9. Wikipedia.org, 'Rip Curl', 2014 4. Migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au, 'Objects through time - Surfboard' 10. Wikipedia.org, 'Tracks Magazine', 2014 5. Migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au, 'Objects through time - Surfboard' 11. Wikipedia.org, 'Rip Curl Pro', 2014 6. Aso.gov.au, 'Sponsored films - Service in the Sun', 2014