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Name: Alan Rich Family: Wife Evelyn and twins April and Nikki who just turned 25. Origins: Well, we all evolved from fish... but more recently I was born in the city of Lost Angels (LA) in a former hotel converted to a hospital during WWII. Hotel California? Moved permanently to Sydney in 1978 then Lennox around 1985. Ever since I’ve had to answer “because of the surf” whenever non-surfers ask me why I’d emigrated. I speak fluent English. Current job: Self under-funded retiree and very part-time surf photojournalist/film producer, environmental consultant and/or local government consultant. I never like this question, it always creates an identity crisis for me. Surfboard(s): I just picked up a 9’1” Bonga Perkins model epoxy which is going really well for me, (contrary to this month’s comp results). Thin, light and manoeuvrable. First time on an epoxy. I plan to sell some old ones and buy some new ones when it warms up a bit. Natural or Goofy footer: Natural. Best Job you ever had: Probably making surfing movies although I really like doing stills too. Being a councillor was also really rewarding in an altruistic way. Musical Preference: Rock and acoustic folk/rock Movie Preference: Mostly guys movies, chicks movies don’t usually do it for me. I saw Benjamin Button a while back though and was thoroughly impressed by it. Fav. Surf Movie: It’s hard to say. I like all of mine about equally but since I made them to suit my own taste, that would figure. Other favourites include Morning of the Earth, 5 Summer Stories, Barefoot Adventure, Evolution and Surfers The Movie. Oh yeah, and the original Endless Summer. Fav. Non Surf Sport: Swimming for participation, baseball and tennis as a TV jockey. Fav. Grog: New, Bundy and cola, Strongbow dry. Why be limited? Fav. Surfer: Ah, this is a tough one. The late great Mickey Dora maybe (but not as a person). Kelly Slater probably although I’ve never seen him in person. Rick Irons for years and years. I’ve seen an awful lot and it’s really hard. I like Mick Fanning’s driving cut-backs too and some of the absolutely experimental stuff the kids are doing like Bede Durbridge and others. Oh! I almost overlooked one of my most favourite of all, the original BK, Barry Kanaiaupuni. He was sort of a class by himself when it came to power especially. An artist's artist. A joy to watch, surf with and know. Best Surf Holiday: NZ in 1974. I had Muckerow 2 all to myself virtually for two perfect days. Even though it was lefts it was unbelievable and I kept surfing well after my ability to paddle faded into oblivion. It was too perfect to go in. The holiday in Australia’s been pretty good too. Fav. TV show: I like most ethnic TV, like all those neat American shows. Life On Mars was really good but I think they canned it. Master Chef has locked me in lately (but none of it rubs off). Hobbies: Photos, surfing, guitars and ukuleles and just doing what I’m doing. Nickname & why: HA! Since Bob Franjose left almost nobody in Australia calls me this but I don’t mind, and since you asked, in the far distant past, when I was a teenager down at Torrance Beach, I got nicknamed “Bag of Tricks”. I’m pretty sure it was based on a caption in Surfer Magazine somewhere. Franjose insists he came up with the name but Jimmy Irons thinks he was the one who thought it up too. We’re all way too old now to either remember or to give a stuff. It had to do with my silly surfing style which never hesitated to incorporate useless stuff like spinners and head-dips or anything else I could think of back then. Not much has changed (except for the short board interlude), I still love to go for a kamikaze nose ride.... What I hate most: The extent of greed and selfishness in the human genome which threatens to prevent humankind from taking adequate preventive responses to global warming and the consumption of environmental resources crucial for the survival of our children and their generations through overpopulation primarily. Or in short, the propensity to and probability of us causing our own terrible extinction. That and crowds in the surf. That’s enough to worry about. Where and when was the best surf you ever had: That trip in NZ in 1974 at Muckerow comes to mind. I also had Jefferey’s Bay pretty good. Age when you started surfing on a board: 14 in earnest Before you had a car, where did you surf most: Same place I did after I got a car: Torrance Beach and Haggerty’s in LA County’s South Bay. How many overseas surf trips: I’ve surfed North America, Australia, Asia, Europe and Africa. Don’t ask me to count. Life is just one long surf trip if you play it right. Where was your first ever surf on a surfboard: Redondo Breakwater in April 1960. My Dream surf trip: Some long cruisy right point break, running close enough to shore to walk back up the point. No crowds, no fish or other things that bite you, no crowds, warm water and air and the waves would break just like Malibu about head-high. Either that or jump a time-machine to Malibu in the 1800s (taking board and wetsuit though). I’ve actually found a kilometre-long target surf spot overseas but I’m not talking about it until after I go there (in my dreams). Good night.
NEWSLETTER & NEW WEB SITEThe club has a web site – www.ballinamalibuclub.org. All the club newsletters can now be accessed via the web site and viewed online. Members who have provided their email addresses to the secretary will receive an email each month containing a link to the newsletter. The Committee urges all members to take advantage of the new web site and register their email address. Members without an email address will still receive a printed copy via surface mail. Members interested in submitting stories for inclusion in our monthly newsletter should Email submissions to secretary@ballinamalibuclub.org MEMBERS CLASSIFIEDSItems for sale (eg. used surfboards, surfing-related items etc) may be listed free of charge by members. Members are invited to lodge advertisements by Email to the Secretary. Please include a description, asking price, contact details, and preferably a color photograph of the item(s) for sale. |
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The PRESIDENT's REPORT from Wazza
We had 21 turn up for our Lennox Head bistro night. The food was very good and most stayed on till about 10 o'clock. When the conversations came to a natural end a game of "hangman" got going, (a group quiz game to name movie and song titles from progressive hints). Trivia sucks the crowd in again.
