Bower Legends

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flatrocker

Post by flatrocker » Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:00 pm

Wow! Lots of memories coming in here. Just a couple that I recall.
The waves weren't really big just really clean and a good direction for Deadmans to Winki Pop. Can't remember much about the rest of the wave as we were watching from what you would say is the carpark area now.

The JJJ event was an event that started at North Steyne and wound its way around to the Bower but it was a junior event and the swell was not huge (I have pix)

I can remember a lot of really big swells (70's to 90's) and some I've seen pix of that I personally missed due to work or being OS :).

Robbie Holt was awesome out Winki. Full stop.

He would take off so late on his single fin and ride that slim piece of face between the lip and the suck that he was actually riding above the start of the vortex of tube. He would then drop into it and trim perfectly to get in the tube and powerfullly ride the wave all the way down the line.

He was always the man to watch. He was not a boisterous person but his surfing spoke heaps about his strength.
I still think about those lines that he took on massive Winki and Bower waves. I remeber him as he was back then with abeard and skinny but wiry. He was the local milkman at one time as I recall? so he could be in the water all day!

John Otton was also a style master. He was a big bloke and he had no problem paddling into big waves. I think he travelled with a few of the eventual top pros of the era and he may have competed but to me he never seemed to be the competitive type. He just surfed for the pure joy of it for himself.
The picture I think of though was one of him with Simon Anderson in Tracks in a country house somewhere ( maybe Narrabeen?) the caption read "Simon and John around the mulling bowl"

The 2SM event Surfabout was the "one" in Sydney, Bells in Victoria and the Stubbies became the "one" in Qld.
I've found recently some of the 2SM contest paperwork and colour brochures that came with press kits form the time.

Larry Blair won the Coke contest at North Steyneon abeautiful sunny day at what is now called the "Coke bank" which was the ever present lefthander just to the north of the North Steyne clubhouse.

Larry and Wayne Lynch surfed out there the afternoon before and then had to surf the next day.

The day dawned and it was just the most perfect swell and conditions that you could ever want to surf at Manly.

It was highly covered by the Channel 9 sports TV crew that had been covering the whole event and ahd been filming in 16mm . George Greenough and Greg Huglin were the water cameramen and Nat was one of the interviewers in the water.
George had a system for the microphone where Nat would hold the "waterproofed" mike up to Larry or Wayne and then uncork it so that the mike was able to pick up the words expressed. It worked!

Thin Lizzy, I was on the steps at the Opera House and have pix of my mates and girls in B&W!!! Too funny.

Also an associate of mine just went down the south coast last week and met Stevie Wright and had his picture taken with him. He doesn't look to healthy but still looks like he's getting on.

On the MP and Nat subject. I can confirm it as I can recall a few of them sparking it up on the sparse headland that the Bower was back then.

The headland forest that you see now was not what it was like back then.
It was a sandstone fest with loads of clay in between the rocks and lots of hard scrub in between the rocks too.

Not much cover from the elements and no real fencing too speak of.
Gerry and a couple of the Hawaiians were pretty out of it too. (Or mellow).

That MP book I'm going to have to read sometime.
I wouldn't be surprised if there was a laugh section in there we he relates how he and his brother Tom scammed me and my mates down at Oz Pipe once.

He was all suited up and ready to go out at 15' + pipe. Tom was smoking something? and came over to me and my mates as we walked onto the grassy area above the reef from the carpark trail.

He was friendly but really determined that I should not take photos of Michael surfing as he was a professional and had to be paid for his work!
A couple of hundred dollars would do.

So not really understanding what the real legality that should have been relevant here in a public space we sat down and watched as MP ripped apart 15'+ top to bottom back breaking tubes.

My 800mm lay on the grass next to the tripod and I'm still kicking myself for not being able to show what transpired that afternoon. I could draw a sketch!!

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baldric
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Post by baldric » Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:21 pm

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Last edited by baldric on Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

flatrocker

Post by flatrocker » Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:44 pm

Thats right they did go down there too. We all went in a mates car and stood around near where the surfers would come up the track from the rock shelf.

Much better arena for viewing the surfing at Cronulla Point, also prime posi for girls as well walking along the promenade in front of the flats.

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baldric
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Post by baldric » Wed Mar 30, 2005 11:29 pm

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Last edited by baldric on Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

BB

Post by BB » Thu Mar 31, 2005 12:45 pm

mmmm flatrocker, someone hanging around on the South Coast with an 800mm in the mid-seventies, it sort of narrows the field for your real identity. Surfed s coast Pipe myself many times including once with John Otton......late in the day this goofy foot kid showed up, only looked about 15 and just got barrelled off his nut, we got talking later and he told me his name was Terry!

flatrocker

Post by flatrocker » Sat Apr 02, 2005 8:07 am

Oh man you are way older than me! MP at pipe scene was probably '77ish?

BB

Post by BB » Mon Apr 04, 2005 8:18 am

Yeh that day with John Otton would have been 70-71........there were a few photos of the session in Surfing World but I lost my copy years ago!

flatrocker

Post by flatrocker » Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:07 am

I'll delve into the catacombs and see if I can find it. if i'm not back in a couple of days call International Rescue!

BB

Post by BB » Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:23 am

Oh and there was a colour shot of that Terry kid! Thanks for that!

ohHEY
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Re: Bower Legends

Post by ohHEY » Thu Feb 17, 2022 9:45 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StewP5O29qE

Kelly back in 05 at deads
remember kelly surfing here in 2020. coolest thing ive ever seen, so electric in such solid waves

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Trev
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Re: Bower Legends

Post by Trev » Thu Feb 17, 2022 11:45 am

You've done well to dig this old thread up.
A good read.

I'll save the vid for later.
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