RealSurf Surfers' Forum

Hi All!
My name is Rach Platt. I am Kevin Platt's eldest daughter. My dad passed away in 2000 under some pretty tragic circumstances but we are trying to piece together as much of his life and his surfing story as possible and would love for you guys to start following the facebook page we have set up as a memorial. http://www.facebook.com/KPlattOriginal

Thanks Rachael.

As a relative newbie to the surfing world, would you mind shedding some history on your fathers life?

Cheers

I had a pair of his boardies many moons ago.

Great Facebook page.

I remember I had a pair of Platt boardshoarts in the 70s - can still see the colour and they lasted for years (I think Kevin's parents had this business). There was a Platts surfwear shop around Dee Why.

Hey Rach
Huie is a member on here and used to work with your dad.
You may be in touch already?
He isn't around that much but send him a message or I can put you in touch

I have a couple of boards that use the 1960s templates they were building but with modern contours and materials and they are like magic carpets

My sister Melissa worked for Platts in the late 80's doing board short designs. Air brush sprays and artwork for the most part I think. The factory/warehouse was in a building on Chalmers street in Surry Hills (now a block of flats). I'll direct her to the face book page (I don't do facebook) and she may have something to add.

Found this in an old Surfing World magazine.
(not sure what year, no date on magazine) Bob Evans was the editor.

THE SEA by Kevin Platt

SW vol 12 no 5

i think Ive got that copy myself. 1970 or late 69.

Beanpole,
I reckon you are close, I was guessing 70 or 71.
Here is a pic of an add for Platts boardshorts from same mag.
That style of boardie were called 'high waisters'.
Looks like a very young Mark Richards on the left.
There are a few more articles by Kevin Platt in that SW edition which I will post in the next few days.

Wow these pics are awesome!!!!! Thanks so much for posting, means the world to us kids!
Would love it if you could post it to the kpmemorial page on facebook!

Rach Platt

Really high quality mags those ones. Great photos for the time and quality gloss paper. I'm pretty sure of the date because that was one of the first mags I ever bought when I started surfing. Short articles, poems. Large format photos. I think John Witzig was learning the ropes there as well.

jean & lance sold that business in 1968 or there a bouts moved to noosa

some off those articles were written on my dinning room table Sunshine beach

looking good rach
cheers huie

Rachael, Im so glad that you are researching your dads past and gathering as much memories and information as you can. Our surfing history should not be forgotten and just let slide away as years past and Kevin Platt was a huge part of that history. Im already following your facebook page and have really enjoyed what you have up there. My old man passed away around twelve years ago now and I still have my memories and some old footy ties of his in my families bus.

Well done

Digger.

Hey digger! Thanks so much.... Yeah all of us kids treasure dads part in the Oz surf story and the 'teenage and short board revolution' of the 60s. It's so crazy to be apart of a cultural change and not even know it is happening around you! It's an amazing story. Unfortunately dad was also a casualty of the free love and drugs that the 70s bought. He never really recovered from that!

Thanks again Huie for all your input it awesome to know your there to touch base with! Legend in your own right!

Rachel.
I'm not on facebook, tried joining a facebook group once using my real name (Jenny Tahlia) and got rejected, don't know why.

Tracked down the date of that magazine, it was spring 1969.

Here is another one of the stories your father wrote in that edition.

EVERYONEOFUS
by Kevin Platt.

After all the waves and boards and everything else has been seen we're left with the people. Those who surf. A mixture of faces, clothes, personalities. Surfers. We're just like the rest of them, two arms, two legs, a consciousness but we surf. Try to put 'em all together and take a look at the mass mind of surfing. Everyone together in a large cauldron, stirring slowly, what would we be ? It's looking real good to me, I don't want to talk about the Zen or Yoga of surfing. The transcendental effects of riding a wave. What I have got to say is simple. Communication. That's what we have got and surfing has promoted it for us, has acted as a catalyst.
Everything we do affects us, sooner or later. Surfing does things to you. Gives freedom mainly. Freedom to express yourself and not be denied. The freedom lasts, after you've left the water you can still taste it. Even the 9-5 weekend surfers feel it, they must. It puts us all on the one level, he's a surfer so am I, I can understand something about him. Between us we've got lots of communication. Not with telephones or newspapers or radios, but just between you and me. We could understand each other. No fear.
This is what surfing is doing to you and me. It's the best part of surfing. Bringing people together. Tuning us all into the one frequency.

Thanks so much Jenny! this is awesome... really appreciate you sending that to me....

Rach

Very funny Carvin........or should I say Jenny?