RealSurf Surfers' Forum

Tuesday 22nd December: Surfboard Exhibitions Announced. This morning the Sydney Morning Herald announced : “The New South Wales Swimming Association has arranged for a display by Duke Paoa Kahanamoku at Freshwater on Wednesday morning, at 11 o'clock. The famous swimmer will give an exhibition of br...

Monday 21st December 1914: A tour of the South Coast, meanwhile, Freshwater contacts the SMH . The highlight of the day for the Kahanamoku party was intended to be a motor-tour of the South Coast. However, while they were in transit, a brief conversation with Sydney Morning Herald by someone from t...

Sunday 20 December 1914. Not Manly (but Freshwater?) and the ukulele. During the first week in Sydney, Duke shaped his board and visited north of the harbour, in particular, Boomerang , one of several basic shacks built on the frontal sand dune at Freshwater Beach shortly after the turn of the cent...

Saturday 19th December 1914: The Sydney vs. Melbourne Carnival Duke, probably accompanied by George Cunha and Francis Evans, attended his second Australian carnival at the Domain Pool on Saturday 19th as a spectator. His attendance at the carnival does not eliminate this day for the shaping of the ...

Friday 17th - Tuesday 21st December 1914: Duke’s Freshwater Board Duke shaped his famous Freshwater board during the first week of his arrival in Sydney, at some time between 17th and 21st December. In many contemporary articles the width and length are often reported incorrectly, and errors appear...

Thursday 17th December 1914: Competition, Beaches, and the Needs of a Waikiki Beachboy. By the end of the week, the arrival of Duke Kahanamoku in Sydney had been noted by newspapers from Townsville to Perth, including The Farmer and Settle r, The Australian Worke r, and The Catholic Press . While D...

Wednesday 16th December 1914: Coogee Carnival, Surfboard Ban? A Board to be Shaped? Duke Kahanamoku attended the annual Randwick versus Coogee Club carnival at the Coogee Aquarium Baths. The competitors included Cecil Healy, A. W. Barry, L. Boardman, T. Adrian, and W. Longworth and “Miss Fanny Dura...

The following posts roughly detail the daily agenda of Duke during his Australian tour in the summer of 1914-1915. i will try to post a each day's entry on the evening before. Yes, I am a day late- the Duke arrived in Sydney 100 years ago, yesterday. Geoff Monday 14th December 1914: Arrival in Sydne...

1. Who is Robert Conneely? A board builder? Ship builder? Any knowledge in the brains trust? Robert 'Bonza' Conneely Bondi, Natural foot. Began surf riding as a junvenile with surfoplanes. 1958- first balsa wood Malibu by Gordon Woods Holiday residence at Cudmirra, NSW with direct access to the fami...

Uncle Albert suggested that the difference between stupidity and genius, is that genius has its limits.

Exhibition: + 50 Surboards from 1958-1984, 9.30-12.00am. A eclectic collection of wave riding vechicles, including designs by Gordon Woods, Bennett, Keyo, Farrelly, Nat, McTavish, etc. Hobie Alter: The Ocean as Playground. An illustrated presentation by Geoff Cater, 1.00 pm. http://www.surfresearch....

Exhibition at Wollongong Art Gallery, Nov-Dec 2013 The Green Cathedral http://wollongongcitygallery.com/exhibitions/2013/Pages/default.aspx Galleries include: Shooting the Curl (photography), Contemporary Surf Art, and The Boardroom: A handsome quiver of boards, and local surf memorabilia from deep ...

The following appeared on my computer screen this morning, and is possibly of some significance. Geoff Cater. In an article published six months before the arrival of Duke Kahanamoku in Australia, Sydney's Sunday Times identifies Manly beach's premier surfboard riders. The top rider is Tommy Walker,...

COUNCIL BANS SUPs. Story and Photos by JIMMY OLSEN [Staff reporter] At last week's meeting of the Kiama Council, a ban was placed on SUP's (Stand Up Paddleboards) at Seven Mile Beach. A council representative said the action was in response to numerous complaints by residents, local boardriding club...

"Down here," following intensive and extensive research and development in the mid-1980s by Shaun, Dolly and Blackie (local top shapers, great surfers and all-round nice guys), "we" always have the fin/s put on the nose- then we ride the board backwards.

With an occassional interest in surfing history, rather than "favourites," I have a list of some early footage. See: http://www.surfresearch.com.au/rutoobe.html Unfortunately, many are not directly linked and require cut-and-paste. Starts with: Vintage Hawaiian Film - Circa 1913 - Waikiki Honolulu s...

Following some recent research, please find below my account of Tommy Walker and Duke Kahanamoku, 1914-1915. Geoff Cater Where Was Tommy? In the unprecedented press coverage of Duke Kahanamoku's celebrated swimming and surfing tour of Australia in the summer of 1914-15, the one significant person mi...

I do recall something about Side Slippers, see: http://www.surfresearch.com.au/00000306.html The entry notes: "The specific design was first noted at Huntington Beach Contest in 1969 - designed by Reno Abellia for Inter-Island Surfboards, Hawaii. To initiate the side slip the fin had to be dis-engag...