surfresearch

"Just had a call from John Knobel, Bondi local in the 50s and 60s.
That’s him standing second from the left in front of the red balsa malibu, wearing his home-made blue board shorts with a snazzy rope belt.
John surfed on a Norm Casey hollow 16 foot toothpick before the malibus arrived in Sydney in 1956 although he was never part of the lifesaving scene.
As a youngster he wheeled his board the few blocks to the beach on a hand cart made from a packing case.
The switch to light-weight balsa in the late 50s was an amazing break through because “they could be thrown about from the tail” and unlike the old longboards were thrilling to ride.
It was also pretty clear that shorter boards meant more fun in the surf, so his early boards were under 9 foot.
John also recalled hopping over the back wall into the lifesavers’ change rooms at Bondi to rescue surfboards impounded by the likes of Aub Laidlaw.

BOB, now 22, won the championship last March in competition with the best from Hawaii, California, France, and Peru, and he made such a hit with the people of Lima that they asked him to come back next March - all expenses paid.
An old boy of The King's School, Sydney, Bob's home is at Manly, just north of Sydney Heads.

The first Australian to win a surf championship overseas, he was a member of the 20 strong Australian team which competed in the International Surfing Championships at Makaha Beach, Hawaii, last summer.
Because he injured a leg he had to drop out before the finals.

Several members of the team qualified, but had to return home before the finals, delayed by lack of a suitable surf, were held.
Bob, however, got a lucky break soon after the Hawaiian championships were over.

John Severson, a champion Californian rider who was visiting Hawaii for the surfing titles, offered Bob a trip to Peru.
The editor of the American magazine "The Surfer," John won all the board-riding events in last year's Peruvian championships and, before he left, the organisers asked him to arrange for Australian, Hawaiian, and Californian riders to compete in their 1962 championships.
John chose Bob and a Sydney friend, Mike Hickey, of Bilgola (another northern Sydney beach), to represent Australia.

It was all a great surprise to Bob.
"I didn't even know they surfed in Peru, but what a way to find out!" he said.
So off he went to California, where he joined two other boys heading for Peru, and they all drove down to Mexico with their surfboards tied to the roof of the car.
Taking a couple of weeks for the trip, the boys stopped to surf at all the famous beaches along America's west coast.
From Mexico they took a plane to Lima, capital of Peru, where they were put up at the best hotel, as guests of the city's Waikiki Surf Club.
During their month's stay the visiting surfers went to a party as guests of the President of Peru and were lavishly entertained by the city's citizens.

The servants handed them towels after they showered in the surf club, and even rubbed suntan lotion on their noses before they went out in the sun again.

After leaving school at 15, Bob did a two-year course at Sydney Technical College to become a qualified woolclasser.
He worked in shearing sheds in N.S.W. and Queensland to save the £600 for the trip to Hawaii.
During that time he visited every surf beach in the eastern States.

"Fairy Bower, about a mile off Manly Beach, is THE spot in Australia when the waves are on," he says.
"The surf in Hawaii, however, is even better-j ust like I'd always imagined.
But it is very different from ours.

''But for the keen surfboard rider other Hawaiian beaches have the perfect waves.
These beaches - Makaha, Sunset, Alamoana, and the Banzai Pipeline - have the best surf in the world.
''The waves, building up to heights of 15 to 25ft. and then dumping on the shore, are very exciting to ride.

"And the greatest thrill of all is the Banzai Pipeline.
"This is an area where the waves, often reaching 25ft., curl over at the top to form a 'pipe' before dumping on a rocky shelf of jagged coral.
"And this was the place that put me out of the Hawaiian championships.

"I lost my board going down the Pipeline, but got out of it with a few scratches and an injured leg.
My board, however, was wrecked.
All the front was bashed in and the fin was snapped off."

Bob Bruce, captain of the Port Elliot Surt Lifesaving Club, has been chosen as captain ot the S.A. lifesaving team to represent the State in the Empire Games Surf Carnival at Scarborough Beach, W.A., in November next.

Bob won every surf board race at all carnivals last season, and was a member of the State team

 
which competed in the
                Tasmanian Surt Carnival at Burnie. 
Last year, Christies
                Beach was the venue of the S.A. surf life saving
                championships, but this season they will be held at
                Horseshoe Hay, Port Elliot. 
 
This l)iK event, winch
                is the climax of the season, is being held in
                conjunction with the South Coast Festival on 23rd and
                24th February.
 
The Port Elliot club
                has already begun preparations for this event.

Now its just in season

                DURING the 1962-63 surfing season which begins officially this month, thousands of newcomers to Australia will experience for the first time the pleasures of sun and surf. 
 
If you are one of this
                number, remember a few
                simple precautions and
                you will be able to
                swim happily and safely
                at any of Australia's many magnificent beaches. 
 
At weekends, you will
                see that each beach is
                marked with two red
                and yellow flags.

                The surf between these
                two flags is where lifesavers

                consider it safest and
                best for surfing.
 
Lifesavers keep a
                watchful eye on all
                who surf in this area.
It is foolish to surf
                in a secluded part of
                the beach which is not
                attended by lifesavers.
 
If caught in an
                undertow or current,
                signal for help by raising your arm high in the air and float until help arrives.
 
Never panic or get
                excited.
If you are suddenly
                seized with cramp, do
                not struggle.
 
Signal for help and
                float, keeping the
                affected part still. 
Cramp alone does not cause drowning, but fear does.
 
Even the strongest
                swimmers can be taken
                out in a "rip."
 
If this should happen
                to you, do not try to
                swim against it, but
                swim across it.

                If you feel yourself
                getting into difficulties take up a floating position and give the distress signal.

 
Lifesavers will then
                come to you with a
                rescue line and take
                you back to the beach and safety.
 
Come out of the water
                whenever you feel cold
                and never enter the
                surf within an hour of
                having had a heavy meal or cramp may follow.
 
Don't swim out too far
                on your own.
Always get a few friends to be with you.
 
If you hear a bell or
                siren, it means that a
                shark has been sighted
                and you should return to

                the beach as quickly as
                possible.
 
When the surf is very
                rough and dangerous it
                is unwise to go swimming.
 
A sign saying
                "Dangerous— Beach
                Closed" is displayed on

                the beach and the patrol

                area flags are crossed
                when the surf is too rough for safe swimming.
 
When a rescue is being
                performed, you can
                assist by standing well
                back from the rescue
                line or any other lifesaving equipment.

Shooting the breakers

Out of the water, be
                careful of sunburn.
If you feel yourself getting burned, move into the shade, apply protecting cream or lotion and cover yourself.
 
To experience the
                thrill of"shooting the
                breakers" like an expert,

                observe these useful suggestions:—
 
When swimming out to
                the wave area dive
                under the broken waves
                and do not breast them.
 
If you do try to
                breast them you will
                find yourself being
                forced back to the beach.
 
Having got to the wave
                area, you are in a
                position to "crack" a
                wave.
 
              STEP FOUR:
                  Bend your knees -slightly, one foot in front of the
                  other, and lift your arms to the sides.

                  Try to lean a little forward and let the board make
                  its own way to shore.

                The best way to do this
                is to wait until the wave is about to break then swim in front of it so that, when the wave
                breaks, you will be on
                its crest. 
The surge of the wave
                will pick you up and
                carry you towards the
                beach at a speed of up to28 m.p.h.
 
To maintain your
                position onthe wave,
                lie face downwards, shoulders

                hunched, with most of
                the weight in your shoulders.
 
Keep your head downand kick your feet.
 
If you feel yourself
                slippingback, start
                swimming again and,
                with your last stroke,
                take a deep breath before sliding down the wave.
 
To keep going, tuck
                your arms beside or
                underneath you or stretch

                them over your head, always

                keeping your body rigid.

If you are on a long shoot you will find it necessary to raise your head quickly to lake in air.

Lower your head and kick if you think that you are losing the wave.

To get off the wave, lift your head and transfer your weight to your hips and legs.

A good shoot is one of 50 to 60yards and if you get a few of this length you can consideryourself a surf expert.

Be careful of the waves that rise steeply instead of rolling because they are likely to"dump" you.
To escape them, take a deep breath and dive to the bottom, digging your hands into the sand, and wait until the wave has passed.

Joining a surf club has a lot to offer and if you are 14 years old or more and an averageswimmer, you can become one of Australia's gallant lifesavers.

After a period of training for the Bronze Medallion you will have your qualification as a lifesaver.

In a club you will have opportunitiesto take part in swimming, surf boat racing, surf board riding, beach events and other individual and team events at surf carnivals.

On the administrative side, you could become an instructor or an examiner.

Club membership will enable you to meet many fellows of your own age.

Trove
1962 'S U R F', Good Neighbour (ACT : 1950 - 1969), 1 October, p. 6. , viewed 01 Sep 2016,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17653008

The Australian Womens' Weekly
Wednesday 22 October 1962,
Teenagers' Weekly (Supplement), page 47S.

BY KERRY YATES

This summer thousands of Australian teenagers will be going surfboard-riding.
With the sport growing enormously in popularity, special sections of most beaches are now reserved for board-riders, and the riders have developed a language all their own.

So if you're a sandie who dreams of riding an elephant gun out the back, waiting to beach a boomer without going down the mine,
you'd better study this . . .

SURF - RIDERS' DICTIONARY

ANGLE: Direction a surfboard travels across a wave, for example, left angle.
BAGGIES: Baggy pants worn over swimsuits when riding a surfboard.
BEACH BUM: A boy who doesn't work or go to school, just hangs around the beach all day and surfs.
BEACH A WAVE: To ride the same wave all the way to the beach.
BIG SETS: Groups of extra big waves, breaking and rolling in one after the other.
BIG W: Dramatic fall off a surfboard.
BLASTER: A big wave.
BLEACHIE: Surboard-rider who bleaches his hair.
BOARD SHORTS: Pants worn for riding surfboards. .
BOARD WAGGON: Car used for transporting surfboards from beach to beach.
BOATIES: Members of a surf club boat crew.
BODGIES: Lumps on knees and feet caused by constant surfboard-riding.
BODY SHOOTING: Riding a wave without a board.
BOMBIE: Short for bombora, where waves break over a reef of rocks just below the surface.
BOOMER: Big wave.
"BOWER" BOYS: Name given to expert riders at Fairy Bower, a surfing spot about one mile off Manly Beach, Sydney, famous for its big and sometimes dangerous surf.
CORNER: Changing direction while riding a wave. For example, left corner is to turn to the left.
CUT: Another method of turning across a wave. To right cut is to move sharply to the right when riding a wave.
DEEP-SEA FIN: Special type of surfboard fin, made from fibreglass or balsa, with a solid square shape.
DING: Split or hole in a surfboard.
DOWN THE MINE: When nose board goes under the surface an heads for the bottom, throwing tk
DUMP: A big wave which breaks suddenly and steeply, with most of the water hitting the bottom hard.
Can be very dangerous.
ELEPHANT GUN: A type of surfboard, long, tapered, and heavy, used in big surfs.
Used to shoot the big ones, hence the name.
EL SPONTANEO: Method of trick riding-right at the front of ihe board, feet apart and crouching over.
FLICK-OFF: Method of getting off a wave as it nears the shore. Moving to the back of the board, the rider flicks the board backwards over the wáve.
GAS: Anything which is very good.
GIDGET: A girl surfboard-rider.
GOOFY FOOT: A very good rider whoreverses the usual way of standing by putting right foot in front of left.
GRAB THE RAIL: To grab the side of the board to avoid losing it on a wave.
GREENIE: A big wave before it breaks into white foam.
GREMLIN: A mythical figure who tips up boards, or a young surfrider with bleached hair.
HANGING TEN: A trick method of riding with toes tucked over the front of the surfboard.
HAWAIIAN PULL-OUT: Grabbing nose of board and pulling it through a wave.
HEAD DIP: Trick riding - putting head in and out of a wave while riding it.
HEAVY: A big wave.
HO-DAD: Anyone who annoys board riders while they surf.
HUEY: The surfboard-riders' god of the waves.
They often call, "Come on, Huey, send the waves up," as they wait for a big one beyond the line of breakers.
HUMP: A wave.
KAHUNA: Similar to "Huey" - the god of the Californian and Hawaiian board-riders.
KING: The best rider at any beach.
LAYBACK: A supreme test of skill in trick riding.
The rider lies flat on his back, with feet facing the way board is going.
LEPRECHAUN: Surfboard-rider under 13 years old.
LOCAL: Usually a good rider who lives and surfs most of the time at a particular beach.
MALIBU: Type of surfboard made from foam, balsa, or fibreglass and under 10ft. long.
MUNCHIE: Any type of food.
NOAH: Shark, from rhyming slang "Noah's Ark."
NOSE-RIDING: Standing right at front of the board while riding a wave.
OKINOUIE: Type of board similar to the malibu.
OKS: Bermuda shorts worn for surfboard-riding.
OUTSIDE or OUT THE BACK: A long way out at sea, beyond the first line of breakers.
PIRATE: A board-rider who crashes into other riders and makes a nuisance of himself.
PLANK: Any type of surfboard.
PIG: Type of surfboard with back and front ends shaped to a point.
PITT STREET SHOOT: A wave with four or more riders on it at the same time.
POLY: Type of board made of foam and fibreglass.
POPE: The best rider of a group of locals or, more usually, the best of a number of neighboring groups.
Better than a "king."
QUASIMODO: Trick riding, with body bent nearly double, with one hand stretched out in front and the other behind.
RUBBISHED: To be thrown off wave and dumped on shore.
SANDIES: People who sit on the beach and don't usually surf; and learners.
SHORE DUMP: A wave which breaks heavily on the sand.
SLIDE: Moving smoothly on a wave-front the crest to the trough.
SLICE: To travel across a wave with sharp cut to the right or left.
STRINGER: Strip of hardwood set into a foam board to strengthen it.
SURFTE: A fond term for a good and keen surfer. ,
SURF KING: A good rider in an area, sometimes conceited.
SURF SAFARI: A trip around different beaches to find a good surf.
TANDEM: Two people riding on one surfboard.
TEARDROP: Type of surfboard with wide back and pointed front.
TIKI: Lucky charm worn by some riders.
TOES-ON-NOSE: Trick riding, standing at front of board with toes curled over the edge.
TOURIST: A board-rider who travels from his usual beach to another for the day.
Sometimes refers to a beginner who becomes a pest to other riders.
TUBE: The area of a dumping wave between the breaking crest and the trough.
UTOPIA: Makaha Beach in Hawaii, considered by board-riders as the best surfing spot in the world.
WALL: A steep wave.
WAX: Paraffin wax, rubbed on a board to prevent slipping.
WHITE WATER: Area of surf where the waves are breaking.
WIDOWS: Girls left sitting on the beach all day while their boy-friends ride their surfboards.
WIPEOUT: A dramatic fall off a board when a rider is trying to catch a wave.
WIPEOUT WAGGON: Car used for transporting boards and riders from beach to beach.
ZIP TWEEDS: Long shorts worn for board-riding.

Trove
1962 'SURF- RIDERS' DICTIONARY', The Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), 24 October, p. 3. (Teenagers Weekly), viewed 01 Sep 2014,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4402735