September 2010 NEWSLETTER

Contents

Secretary’s Report

This always seems to happen, especially when the comp gets postponed. I’m sitting here with one eye on the computer and another on the calendar and one on the surf (you figure that one out). Racing to get the September Newsletter out while it’s still September! And it is close, yet again. (That’s how it’s supposed to be though). And boy, what a September it is! Our comps went from bad to good and then the ocean cut loose with some tow-in conditions that even put a smile on Robbo’s face!

Lots of action by the exec to get ready for the big reunion in November. There are a few ditties that I’ve included just because I could. This would have been sent out 2 or 3 months ago if it weren’t for me waiting on Kerry to finish holidaying and then get into the mood to write about herself. Again, you can do the maths if you want. That was like pulling teeth, truly, she’s much too modest. No more photos of Col Harper in speedos or woollen jumpers this month, just a – wait for it – a wetsuit! Wow, times are a changin’.

This is the month that Spring officially Sprungs. The banks and the driving storms are being kind to those who can fit in surfing time. It’s better than you would expect overall. I think Rob House was wishing for just one more week’s postponement though for the comp. In your dreams, mate!

Fish story, no bull!
Lucky Chris Bull was having a good wave out the back of Suck Rock on Thursday the 16th when he (and three others) spied with his own little eye something starting with ‘shar’ and ending with ‘aARKK!’. Something with a black tip or whatever.

Fortunately it didn’t eat Bull. In fact, it didn’t affect Chris at all. Nope. He finished his surf, sauntered back to his car and then casually drove home. Too bad he left his wettie on the fence in his haste. Yes, cool Chris, calm as a cucumber.

The amazing part is that some Tasmanian surfing tourists who were at Flattie saw Chris drive off and leave it behind. They noted his Tassiriki Ranch horse riding sign, left Chris a note on the fence then drove off with his wetsuit with the intention of trying to find him. On their way up to Byron they passed my place and noticed my neighbour’s horse riding sign. Thinking it might be Chris’s ranch they came up the drive and, in short, left me his wetsuit. No bull. We knew they weren’t trying to steal it because it was a springy and absolutely nobody in their right mind would want to use that in Tasmania, would they? Chris Double Lucky Bull.

All that was superseded two days later with a swell big enough to scare off the fish. Take a look at the Pic of the Month if you were holidaying on another planet or something and didn’t hear about it. A fine showing from a bunch of dumb surfers left a lesser bunch of non-surfers in their wake. A wake of wine. More later. Plus a lesson in history from, who else, but one of our most trivial members (in the nicest possible way, of course). We are getting fully into Anniversary mode this month with the (re-started) beginning of a series of reprints of past club newsletters (you’ve already forgotten about last month’s tech hitches, I know). The names haven’t been changed to protect either the guilty or the innocent. With that I finish my report. Hope you enjoy the September newsletter.

Secretary Alan

Pic of the Month

Flat Rock bay or Sunset Beach? You decide!

The Pic of the Month goes to this unknown charger in the big surf of Sunday September 19th. This section was fair dinkum taken in the bay at Flat Rock, NOT behind the point.

For the next shot in the sequence click on this link here: http://www.coastalwatch.com/gallery/displayImagePopup.aspx?mediaId=df2adfe9-7247-415e-b358-1a146dc4d325

For the whole package see the report on PSYCHOSATURDAY and PSYCHOSUNDAY, below.

President’s Report

Finally got the September comp on the way in what turned out to be reasonable surf. Although short on numbers those who made it onto the beach all had a good time.

I had a chat with my old indoor cricket mate, Geoff Dorey, who along with son Warren run the Beachlife Surf Centre in Ballina Fair. Geoff was keen to come on board and get involved with our club and he made the effort to come down to the beach for our comp along with some goodies for us all. Please support theses sponsors whenever possible. Haven't tried one of Trent’s Malibu Burgers yet but will a.s.a.p.

A few of our members are still travelling all over the world so we wish them a safe journey.

Our 20th Anniversary plans are all falling into place thanks to our hard working committee members. Well done to all concerned.

Since the comp a few of our intellectuals members took part in a trivia night at the Bowlo to raise funds for the Rescue Helicopter. We all had a great night and finished 3rd picking up some lovely prizes. In total $7500 was raised. A great effort by all concerned. Talking of trivia don't forget our club day at Marg and Pete’s on the second Sunday of October which will also be our club comp for the month.

Plenty of waves around so get out there and enjoy.

President Wazza

Captains Report September 2010

G’Day fellow flatties,

We were finally greeted with some decent swell after postponing the comp to the following weekend.

With 20 members turning up for the event we got underway with the first round, most of the competitors choosing to surf a peaky little bank that produced some nice right hander’s running off it. The bank did start to get crowded seeing as it was one of the only decent breaks along the beach. A few minor incidents happened with a few drop-ins and boards colliding. How’s your board Col? Thank god I did not take my new board out for the first round.

Check this, twin fins!

During the second round of heats there were more options with the tide dropping and a few of us chose to ride the point with some long lulls between the sets. One thing you just have to keep your eye out for is those submerged rocks, isn’t that right Wazza? Overall a good session of surfing was put on by all whether it was with 1, 2 or 3 fins still intact on their board.

I would like to mention that we agreed when your heat is over you return to the beach with your rashie ASAP, and then if you choose to go for free surf please do so but only after the rashie has been handed back in. I must admit both Rob House and I were running late returning to the tent with our rashies due to the long wait of trying to get back to the beach from the point with no waves coming through long paddle.

See all the pics in the gallery...

Results for the September round;

Firsts; 1 Eric Walker – 2 Frank McWilliams – 3 Grant Edwards – 4 Warren Wyatt – 5 Alan Rich

Seconds; 1– 2 Paul Abbott – 3 Peter Wilcox – 4 Dave Zeman – 5 Col Harper

Thirds; 1– 2 Brian Delaney – 3 Mick Calnan – 4 Rob House – 5 Bruce Wilson

Fourths; 1– 2 Kerry Wilcox – 3 Doug Blackburn – 4 Brian Fryer – 5 Gavin Calnan

The next club round will be held on Sunday October 10th due to the long weekend, crowds with the school holidays and the Evans Head Longboard Invitational Comp being held.

See you all in the surf.

Captain Bruce

Winners of sponsors prizes for September

MI THAI RESTAURANT dinner, Lennox Head: Frank McWilliams
MALIBU BURGERS vouchers, River and Cherry Sts, Ballina: Eric Walker, Frank McWilliams, Grant Edwards, Warren Wyatt, Alan Rich, Mel Mott, Steve Watts and Marg Bryant
BEACHLIFE SURF CENTRE Rip Curl and Roxy beach bags: to everyone who showed up on comp day!

Thanks to all our sponsors, especially our major sponsor, the CHERRY STREET BOWLING CLUB, who have new caterers for their Tuesday night member’s dinner specials at $9.90 per person including buffet mains, salad, desert and drink. Wotta deal!

Social Report by Alan

A few more of the crew were seen helping themselves to the luxury of the Westlawn tent on the Ballina Cup Day, thanks again to Magic Mick Wilson. Another fine day, except for the bets (except for Wazza and Leonie).

Trivial surfers

Wazza said that his Bowlos honchos mates had asked if he could put together a BMC table of eight for a Westpac helicopter trivia fundraising for Monday night 13 September at $10 a head. Notwithstanding the short notice at our comp on the 12th, your BMC Firsts team went into action!

Wazza, Grant, Alan, Paul A and Brian D answered the call along with Leonie, Ev and a last minute ring-in mate of Grant’s (another Brian) to take over for Mick Wilson who had intended to make it.

This was a heavy-hitting team with our top three place getters from last year’s club trivia wars. We were keen to prove we were more than just pretty faces!

I was getting drinks beforehand at the bar when a bowling type bloke next to me asked if I was at Wazza’s table. ‘Yeah, why?’ I said. ‘Don’t let him answer any questions for you’ he offered by way of advice. I told the bloke we all knew that already and that’s what me and my mates were here for, so we could pick up after him. Obviously he was a mate of Warren’s.

There were some pretty trivial questions alrighty. In the first of the 2 rounds we all relied on Wazza for the sports topics. Our second round score was much improved as a result of that learning experience.

“True or false, a Great White is larger than a White Pointer” was the question. We immediately recognised it as a trick question. As Paul pointed out, “they’re both the same so how could it be bigger?” Unwisely we didn’t tweak to his wisdom and proceeded to answer false. After all, we had a 50/50 chance of getting it right. The answer, however, was true because if they’re the same then one can’t be bigger than the other, can they? Arrrrgh!

There was something for everyone. Our club champ from last year, Ev, once again showed her high value. Do you know “what colour is a peridot”? Green, of course. Ev knows her stuff. Another ‘trick’ question, “which is the hottest planet in the solar system?” This was a triple value question and I was sure it was Venus because of its global warming. Everyone else thought it was Mercury which sounded logical. But everyone else was wrong! As usual. Unfortunately everyone else ignored me, as usual, and away went three points. What else is new?

Even though we felt like we were bumbling around, except for Brian who really had a good handle on 60s and 70s music questions, when the second of the two rounds was tallied up we had somehow done a lot better than we expected.

This was quite a good thing because first place was on 73 points, second placers were on 72 and the good old BMC was tied for third with 71 points. Yes, you heard that right. So not only did we come to the party for the Cherry Street Bowlos and Westpac, all the room (of 24 tables) had it announced for them. I’ll bet more than a few of them did a double take when a group of surfers were announced as having beaten them to a podium finish! Love it!!

It wasn’t quite that easy though. With only 2 points between the top four tables, we had to go through an elimination round to sort out third place because they had limited prizes to give out (making me think of the 3 point Venus question which could have put us in first). That meant all of us standing up for a heads/tails competition. Grant was the last man standing (because the other table had a woman) with both his hands firmly planted on his arse when the toss went tails. YES!! Into the winners circle we went. Collectively the BMC table got 8 bottles of wines and four boxes of chocolates to share (sorry gang, they’re all gone).

If that wasn’t enough, Ev won one of the door prizes too.

Now the rest of you had better get a serious start on memorising your encyclopaedias for next month because the A Team is match fit and raring to go. See you on the tenth at Marg and Pete’s and good luck.

Wine winners are grinners!

Impromptu Free Social Night

This coming Thursday at 7:45 pm I am proposing that everyone show up at the Ballina RSL Club to enjoy the monthly BIG GIG Comedy night. It is FREE so you won’t beat the price.

Presented by Mandy Nolan, THE BIG GIG this Thursday will be featuring Chris Radburn plus support Ellen Briggs and MC Mandy Nolan.

Here is the link to the RSL Club site with more details about the acts: http://www.ballinarsl.com.au/entertainment/the_big_gig.php

Those who are interested please contact Alan with an ‘expression of interest’. As there is no cost (except for drinks or dinner beforehand downstairs if you want) it only means getting an idea of numbers needed to claim a table (or 2?) before the show.

That’s the Big Gig, this Thursday, September 30th. The show starts 8pm (Doors Open 7.30pm) and the entry is free to all. You’re always guaranteed to get your money’s worth at The Big Gig!

Anniversarial

Anniversary and Reunion dinner:

The much-worked-upon celebration of our club’s 20th Anniversary is coming soon. It will be held on Saturday the 13th of November at the Cherry Street Bowling Club (corner of Bentinck St). Lots of effort by our trio of Social Committee women has gone into making it a memorable night: Mal and the Longboarders, surfboard and raffles with good odds of winning, decorations, T-shirts, affordable dining, etc. About the only thing missing would be a keg. Maybe we could get Pete and Kerry to have an after-party as well?

Right now we are at the stage of gauging the numbers. The two critical deadlines to note are:
15 October – deadline for booking for the dinner and ordering special T-shirts
30 October – deadline for booking for the dinner only (no T-shirts will be available by then)

13 November is the date of The Big Night Itself (Saturday). Members old and newer have recently received invitations but if you haven’t seen one (or seen one but deleted it) then click on this Party Central Link:

See you there.

Keeper of the Books

Mick Wilson handed me a CD the other day with some great archival material on our club. In this, our twentieth anniversary year, your executive has had a keen eye towards our club history, especially that of twenty years ago.

That’s why, when I had a look at what Mick had given me, I knew it was destined to be re-exposed to the light of day. In 2003 Brian Delaney, your self-styled “Keeper of the Books”, penned a series of ‘Historical features’ that merits our attention this fine year. Read on, Instalment One from the BMC Newsletter, April 2003 is at hand:

Historical Feature

“At the last club meeting, held on Tuesday 25 March at Westower Tavern, the topic of the club’s history was brought up, so to speak. It was agreed that it would be appropriate that the club’s history be set forth for current & past members to enjoy. All those present unanimously elected Brian Delaney to the position of Club Historian and the following is his first contribution in what should be an interesting & ongoing section of this publication.”

Recently I went with Phil Calnan & Mick Wilson to a secret surf spot down the coast for the day and while driving there, either Phil or Mick, I can’t remember who, said we should put items of interest from our club records into the newsletter for present members to gain an historical perspective, or to build up their trivia knowledge to bore their family and friends with (hint: absorb this and any future articles because there just might be a club social trivia night in the future). I said to my amigos that I have the archives still in my possession from my days as club secretary (there, trivia already), and then there was silence in the car until I said, okay, I will see what I can find.

Fortunately the early years are well documented, with one exception that I will get to later, and I have many months of potential space filler ahead of us, editor willing. So I will start with the minutes of the inaugural meeting on 19th July 1990, 7.40pm at the Australian Hotel, Ballina, I think. The venue is not mentioned, but I am going on my memory of oral history. The minutes are an impressive document, they are on three green A4 sheets, all subsequent minutes over the years were only on white paper. Was this green for go, for optimism? The minutes were written with an elegant, confident, easy to read freehand style. The name of the scribe is not noted.

So, who were the founding fathers? Alas, no founding mothers. Present that night were – Phil Calnan, Brad Smith, Ross Cordery, Ken Watt, Peter MacRae, Phil Myers, Lindsay Wood, Andrew Llewellyn, David Lleweellyn, Bryan Crosswell, Jerry Bennette, Ron Fitzpatrick, Geoff Ellis, Ray Johnsen and Evan Nelson. Also, unable to attend – apologies from Peter Fairley and John Baker.

Ken Watt made opening statements about what they were trying to achieve on the night and seemed to be the informal chairman. Ken’s opening statement listed one agenda item as an “explanation of a special meeting and the election of office bearers – nominations and acceptances.” It seems to me that this meant another meeting was to be held for the election, and there is no mention of elected office bearers (a word related to the weight of responsibility no doubt) in the minutes of the first meeting. I could not find a record anywhere in the archives of this election meeting. There was a meeting with lengthy minutes in the following month of August, then September, and so on, all seemingly scrupulously recorded, but no election! Ye gads, is this by succession an illegitimate club, are we all bastards! Do any of the founding fathers know who was on the first committee? If you do, please let me know for the next newsletter, the archives and posterity.

So we will have to wait till next issue, hopefully, to find out who the founding fathers gave the nod to. Also to be revealed in the next issue is who moved the suggestion of a black club shirt, a shirt that can only be worn at night because it is too hot to wear during the day, and who moved to accept the club logo (original), a very neo-nazi design if ever I saw one. Do not ask me for these answers when you see me before the next newsletter, a refusal may offend.

Brian Delaney – Keeper of the Books

Yesteryear

The dusty bins of yesteryear are being spruced up for your anniversarial amusement and amazement. Was that us?! No!! WARNING: Click at your own risk; this may cause either laughter or embarrassment.

1991 NEWSLETTER
1993a NEWSLETTER
1993b NEWSLETTER
2004 NEWSLETTER

Members Profile - A chat with Kerry Wilcox

Name?
Kerry Wilcox

Age?
As old as my tongue and a little bit older than my teeth…[My grandmother’s quote]

Family?
Well you know Peter; some of you also know our sons Aiden 27 and Brad 24.

Where do you live now?
Lennox Head

Why did you end up where you are now, how and when?
I travelled to this area on holidays in 1978 to visit my sister Jan, and met Peter. After about 6 months and lots of trips back and forth I moved up here from Sydney.

What is your current job?
Cardiac Services Coordinator NCAHS

What is the best job you ever had?
Probably this one

How old were you when you started surfing?
I started when Brad was old enough to come out in the water with me – he got much better much faster though… I was about 34 at the time.

Where was that and why?
I was living here sitting on the beach one day and one of my girlfriends [Jenny Wood] said why don’t we try that? So we borrowed our husbands boards and started doing a regular beach meet, followed by lots of laughing and falling off our boards, then going out for lunch and shopping – a great day.

Kranking

Did your parents surf?
No, we lived at the beach though.

Which is your best foot forward?
My left foot

What is your favourite type of wave?
Peeling, 3-4 foot, uncrowded, at Lennox all the way to the beach!!

Where are your favourite surf spot(s)?
Lennox Main beach and flattie when you can get a good wave and surf without a crowd

Where do you surf locally?
Lennox Main and Flatrock usually

How many surfers does it take to make a crowd at flat rock?
As soon as you get a few aggressive people that don’t have any respect or have the idea that every wave doesn’t belong to them

Have you surfed many different places? For instance…?
Bali, Nusa Lembongan, Fiji

Where and when was the best surf you ever had?
In 1994 I got 6' Wilks Passage in Fiji

What was your best surf holiday?
Probably Fiji

Describe one of the most memorable waves you’ve ever ridden
At Wilks Passage 6’– all the boys paddled out of the boat over to the break [we were the only boat there at the time- so about 7 of us] I was pretty scared but gritted my teeth and thought ‘I’ve go to do it’ so I paddled over last just when one of the big sets came through – so I just kept paddling and got the first wave – I think they were all a bit shocked by the looks on their faces [or maybe it was the look on my face??]. A long peeling wave with lots of power – around the reef. Later that day by the time you pulled off the waves you had wrapped around the reef so much that you couldn’t see your boat. The paddle back around the reef was from about Sharps to Flatrock and we heard from one of the guys later that he was followed back by a reef shark…glad I didn’t see it.

Kruising

Who is the best surfer you’ve ever been out in the water with?
A good friend of mine told me that the best surfer is the one having the most fun...it could be you or me on a good day

Who is the best surfer you’ve ever ridden the same wave with?
Probably Eric

What is your nickname and how did you get it?
Big Bird – don’t know why???

Why did you decide to join the club?
Because I thought you needed some comic relief

Name your favourite surfing movies and why
“Endless summer 1 and 2”, “A little Hawaiian style”

What kind(s) of other movies do you like?
Drama and comedy

What kind(s) of music do you like?
Blues, rock, easy listening, Santana, I like most music except for “both Country and Western!!”

What is/are your favourite tv show(s)?
Spicks and Specks, The Gruen Transfer, The Inventors, Law and Order, Packed to the rafters

Besides surfing, what is/are your favourite sports?
I used to recently play touch football, basketball, netball and soccer but I like watching finals football

What else interests you and why (besides surfing)?
Having fun socialising with my friends, travelling and finding interesting places and people, eating good food and drinking good wine, listening and dancing to live music, reading good books

What is your pet peeve?
Someone taking my surf gear, using it and not putting it back…Brad…where is my wax!!!!!

What do you love most?
My friends and family, and the good feeling after a great surf

What is/are your favourite food(s)?
I have heard that Chocolate is one of the main food groups- Is that right? Otherwise Calamari. (Editor’s note: Absolutely right!)

When you drink, what do you have?
Water…

When you pay?
Wine

When I pay?
Margaritas

What are the details of the surfboards you like to ride the most?
I love my Mal but the 8’ board that Phil Myers shaped for me for Bali is the best board I’ve ever had; I just don’t get the time to ride it as much as I would like to.

What kind of board you are thinking about getting next?
A new one…?? Something pretty maybe – don’t know what colour – maybe an aquamarine?? Colour is very important….

Who are your favourite surfers and why (three or more)?
I love watching my son Brad surf, otherwise I love surfing with Eric and others that don’t hassle and appreciate being out there together

Kerry's kross-dressing hubby, Pete

Who are your nominees for the top 10 surfers (more or less) during your lifetime and why?
Pete, me, my sister Jan (in that order), Bill Webster, Warren Wyatt, Eric, Marg, Mel, Alan Rich and the bloke at the bottle shop that always gives me a discount on Fridays. Anyone who is nice to me really. Oh and I used to like watching Ray Gleave [Godfather of soul] but haven’t seen him for a while. Did I mention Pete? (Editor’s note: I personally know she’s joking).

What have been your best competition results?
Winning the “All Girls” longboards section one year. I’m not into competition much anymore; we spent too many years travelling around with Brad doing the Pro Juniors circuit. I really like the social friendliness of BMC

What do you like most about competing?
Not coming last sometimes… actually getting a good wave or two during my heat

Kasual

Are you a soul surfer at heart?
Yes I think so; I’m not into the competition stress. Surfing is like a meditation exercise for me.

What would be your dream surf trip?
Ten of my best buddies, [family and friends] on a boat trip to uncrowded multiple breaks, off a tropical island that has a great resort, music/dancing, and great cocktails [and panadol]

How much time do you spend in the water?
Not enough – about 2-3 hours a week

Is that enough?
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo……………………………………..

THANKS Big Bird!

Father's Day Brekkie - Sept 2010

Father’s Day 2010 dawned bright and beautiful…. Hold on! Someone must have slept in and still be dreaming. Our September comp scheduled for Father’s Day was absolute rubbish. Windblown waves, overcast skies, at home were cranky wives and kids… really, did I fool you for even a little while?

While the surf conditions were a flop, it all worked out for the best. The comp was postponed a week (and held in much better waves), everybody got to go home early to please the gods of holidays and, best of all, before leaving we all got stuck into a beaut Father’s Day breakfast put together by the Master Chefs of the Flattest Rock, Mel and Marg.

Seeing as how a picture tells a thousand words, here’s the link to the photo gallery. Bon appétit.

See all the pics in the gallery...

Father’s Day Fotos
These weren’t exactly taken on Father’s Day but this is where they belong.

Alex Edwards and Ayla Calnan at Evans Head. No caption necessary. Photo by Ev.

Harper and Sons Surf Team, September 2010

PSYCHOSATURDAY and PSYCHOSUNDAY

It used to be that if you were lucky, lived near the beach and had a clue that was enough to gain the first shot at a new swell. That was the old days. Now it’s computerised Coastalwatch, Swellnet, subscription surf forecasts and, this month if that wasn’t enough, the bloody local rag’s screaming headline: “Massive swell to hit Coast” and “Local board riders are in for a big weekend with a huge swell expected to hit our coastline on Saturday.”

Funnily enough, that is exactly what happened. On the 18th and 19th it was triple and double overhead, just like they said. I took a bit of a drive around on Sunday, having run out of wax and consequently and unfortunately unable to get stuck into it, and have indeed confirmed with photos that it was pumping.

Lennox Point was a disappointment. It had big fat wide ones for the most part but not the classic shape that makes it famous. My neighbours’ house provided a nice place for an overview of Boulder Beach. The wave was breaking quite wide of the point on sand and the takeoff was about in front of the old parking lot. The shape was excellent and the size was double overhead with maybe ten guys out, all paddling in.

Down to Flat Rock and smacking lines were reeling off the end of the shelf. The peak in the bay that has been breaking for a while had a few riders when I stopped by. It looked to be a bit overhead only, which was surprising given the overall swell size. The point was probably too big from the look of it. However, afterwards Rob House said that he was out there for a while along with a few others on Saturday. Although he reckoned it was a good double overhead, he did mention his biggest wave that day was one huge wipeout. Next time you’re going to get smashed like that Rob, give me a call first and I’ll be happy to photograph it!

Next stop was the Lighthouse Beach lookout. There were a handful of separate tow-in riders making the most of it. I reckon it was about 12 to 15 feet in the faces. I saw a lot bigger set on a return trip later. It was probably the pick of the local spots on the day if you had the right stuff.

The next day the surf dropped probably 5 feet or so. It’s on days like that you really realise how big it was yesterday. It was double overhead still, no worries. Lennox Point was brilliant with really top shape. Like night and day from Saturday.

Flat Rock was absolutely cranking. It also was double overhead and had about ten or so takers when I called by in mid-morning. It was breaking far out beyond normal zones and running on sand banks that were unlike any I’ve ever seen before. It had become a big wave spot of long walls. Some were fat and but other sections were nuts. Check the photos.

I saw the longest ride I’ve ever seen at Flat Rock on Sunday. Some bloke got the last wave of a macking great set. He took off as many were, well off the rock shelf and rode a double overhead plus wave on some outside bank out to sea. I think some of the waves were gaining size after they rounded the rock shelf and moved into the bay. This bloke just kept riding so far out to sea, heading north up the beach, the whole time riding over the white-water of the previous wave. His long long right finally came to an end when an equally massive left peak somewhere off the creek mouth area met his ultra-long right and he turned out over the top, the wave still about as big as when he first dropped in. It was truly a whole different surf spot – and anything but flat!

For the proverbial ‘thousand words’ have a look at my snaps.

See all the pics from Saturday in the gallery...

See all the pics from Sunday in the gallery...

Book Report: Salts and Suits by Phil Jarratt

Salts and Suits. Phil Jarratt, 2010. Hardie Grant Books, Prahran, Vic., 265 pp., ill.
Reviewed by Alan Rich

I opened up Phil Jarratt’s ‘Salts and Suits: The amazing true story of how a group of young surfers became industry giants’, and started reading the Preface. It was at this point, first page, that I was hooked. Simple as that. The Preface begins:

“Always an early riser, former pro surfer Danny Kwock, forty-three, president of Quiksilver Entertainment, was out of bed with the first light of Thursday, 30 June 2005, hoping to catch a few uncrowded waves near his new Montecito, California home before getting down to the business of the day…

“Kwock…had already made millions before breakfast. By the end of the trading day he would be more than $50 million richer. He allowed himself the smallest of smiles, slipped his board into the back of the SUV, threw his wetsuits on the seat beside him and headed for the beach…”

Hmmm. I used to know Danny. I read on. I had to.

(The surf industry asks) “…how much longer will kids continue to wear the clothes their fathers wear and how can we convince them they’re not? And out in the water at the slow-moving point breaks that will still tolerate their slow-moving presence, the dads are asking their own question: ‘How did my old beach buddies get so frickin’ rich and why am I helping them get richer by continuing to wear their stupid uniform?’”

How true. That’s a question I’ve often muttered to myself (though not nearly as often as my wife has). Yes, me and just about the rest of the surfing world over 50-something. I’m only into the Preface and by now I can’t put the book down.

Salts and Suits is a complex little narrative that sucked me right in. It doesn’t take long at all to read, the pages just fly by. Author Phil Jarratt has been part of the surf industry for decades (as a Salt), including with the Quiksilver organisation. He writes with the authority and entertainment of an insider.

Jarratt puts his finger squarely on, and follows, the surf industry’s central paradox and constant conundrum, “Big is the enemy of cool … or is it?” As a story about the road to the commercialisation of surfing, Salts and Suits provides constant insight. I expected it to be about board shorts and wetsuits. That certainly is central but Salts and Suits traces the evolution of a lot more than just surfboards, right from the roots. It is a credible history from the early 20th century to today’s industry in all its facets.

Surfers, the ‘salts’, and the surfing culture have always been on the cutting edge and certainly never a good fit with the mainstream. I can readily see that business oriented non-surfers, the ‘suits’, reading Jarratt’s book might find some stories fully stretching their imaginations. Take this one, for instance:

“In the end, it was Greeny’s sense of fun rather than his business acumen that sealed the deal…. At a celebratory dinner at the Sovereign Hotel in Torquay, after many bottles of wine had been consumed, he leaned over the table and said to Greeny: ‘Alan, I’m totally committed to getting this Quiksilver licence. What do I have to do to show that to you?’

“Greeny blew a thoughtful cloud of cigarette smoke into the air while he traced circles on the paper doily at the centre of the table. Finally, he looked Hakman in the eye, pushed the table decoration towards the American and said: ‘Eat the doily.’ Hakman didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the doily and started ripping it apart with his teeth and chewing it into semi-digestible lumps, almost gagging as he swallowed each one, then washing it down with wine. Rolling the floor with laughter, Alan Green gave up. ‘Okay, Hakman,’ he wept, ‘you’ve got a fucking licence!’

If it has a weakness, I would say that Jarratt’s account of Surf Empires is told primarily through Quiksilver’s eyes. Quite understandable, indeed illuminating given Phil’s background, but by comparison Salts and Suits is less detailed when covering Billabong’s development. It is widespread in its discussion of various surfing industries to the book’s credit. Nonetheless, the line does get drawn somewhere and therefore some of the lesser known chapters in the development of the surf industry receive scant treatment. Brian Cregan’s Ocean and Earth is one example. Shaun Tomson is another. Even Fandango could have shed some further light on how things came to be.

As much space as he devoted to his mate Harry Hodge, I felt that Phil was still keeping something in reserve; probably because Harry would make such a colourful subject for a yet-to-be-written biography. I had some fun boggling my mind by imagining (in)appropriate titles for that tale! I’ll keep them to myself for now.

As for Jeff Hakman, his pathway was the subject of a previous Jarratt biography in 1997, ‘Mr Sunset’. Unfortunately too much of it rides on the dark side. Read either book is all I’ll say here. After finishing Salts and Suits I decided to crack open my copy of Mr Sunset. I’ll review that soon.

It didn’t surprise me to read in the week following my finishing Salts and Suits, that Jarratt was doing a lecturing gig to Southern Cross University’s surfing industry students. I rather expect that Salts and Suits will have some considerable legs as assigned reading. Both in the business school as well as, potentially, the behavioural sciences.

Salts and Suits is part surf story, part history, part auto-biography, part whistle-blower, part textbook and, both like it and not, part of surfing. It is about surfers, about money, about image, control, out-of-control and choices. Some have been well chosen, others decidedly not; but they are choices that as surfers we all have faced one way or another.

By the time I’d finished racing through it I had my own personal enlightenment as to why everyone else got so frickin’ rich. You may well reflect on your own choices after reading Salts and Suits. It’s quite an engaging journey, you should take it.

Alan Rich

PARTY HARDY

This month’s celebrants of recent birthdays include the evergreen Warren ‘Wazza’ Wyatt, Mick Calnan and Grant Edwards. Hope you’re still having a good time, gang.

The Ballina Malibu Club monthly newsletter production, photography and editing are by Alan Rich except where otherwise noted. The web site production and management are courtesy of Chris Bull. No unauthorised reproduction, please.