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surfers : robert conneeley

Robert Conneeley

Robert 'Bonza' Conneeley
Bondi, Natural foot.
As a junvenile started with surfoplanes
1958, first balsa wood Malibu by Gordon Woods
Holiday residence at Cudmirra, NSW with direct access to the family named Conneely's Reef.
2nd Juniors, Australian Titles, Bondi 1963
circa 1963-4 Shares house at Sunset Point, Hawaii with Hayden Kenny, Doc Spence and others.
circa 1964 Vice-President of the imported Windansea Surf Club
1st Juniors, 1964 Australian Championships, Manly NSW (May)
1st ,1965 Bells Beach Contest, Vic (Easter) This contest was noted for its large surf.
5th, 1966 Australian Titles, Greenmount, Queensland
In 1966 Robert Conneely was sponsored to San Diego World Titles by Hayden Surfboards.
circa , Robert Conneeley’s Surf Shop, 164 Campbell Parade Bondi Beach.
Hayden Surfboards .Robert Conneeley's Spaceship model, circa 1967
Finalist 1968 Australian Titles, North side, Sydney (May)
Hayden Surfboards. Robert Conneeley Expression, circa 1968
1970, extended North coast excursion includes George Greenough inspired Hull designs at Wilderness Surfboards, Angourie.
See image below.
Gordon and Smith Surfboards 1974
Moved to Western Australia, circa 1975?
REFERENCES
Magazines
Interview : Tracks Magazine :
The Best of Tracks Vol. I 1974
- a compilation of previously published articles 1970 - 1974..

Jimmy O'Keefe : A Life in the Sun... The Robert Conneeley Story
The Australian Surfer's Journal, Volume 3 Number One , Summer 2000. pages 24 to 37.

Film
1965 Paul Witzig's Life in the Sun
1967 May Paul Witzig's The Hot Generation

Robert Conneely, First Board,
Bondi, 1958.
Image Above :Conneely Archive
Reprinted in
Jimmy O'Keefe :
A Life in the Sun...
The Robert Conneely Story
The Australian Surfer's Journal,
Volume 3 Number One ,
Summer 2000. Page 28.

Robert Conneely's Spaceship model.

1967 Hayden Vee Bottom design, about 8 ft.
Robert Conneeley Spaceship Model, with Hayden Dot
Note wide foam stringer.

Surfing World
May 1968
Volume 10 Number 5, page 37.

1970
Robert Conneeley Expression Model for Hayden Surfboards.

1978
Factory relocated to Industrial Estate, Alexandra Headland.
Company becomes major supplier to Life Saving Clubs
of paddle boards and surfskis
- similar to Barry Bennett Surfboards, Brookvale.
The company was given great exposure with the success
of son, Grant Kenny, in competitive Life Saving events.

Image and text from Hayden Surfboards Ad, Tracks magazine circa 1970

Rob on one of the few George Greenough shaped stand-up boards. Angourie, 1970.
Photograph by John Witzig
Image and caption...
The Australian Surfer's Journal, Volume 3 Number One , Summer 2000. Page 33.
First printed in Tracks magazine,circa 1971, reprinted in Nat-History, page 107.