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Out of stockSOLD OUT!Dimensions: 227 x 295 - Landscape - 120 pages Published by: Surf Research Publication Date: November 2012 ISBN 978-0-9871522-2-0 This book came as a result of a wet North Coast NSW Australian winter and a damaged knee. My wife, Tricia, and I trawled through the 40 year old black and white negatives and colour transparencies. They’d been tucked away in boxes all that time; unopened, unseen. As we scanned in the negatives we realised we had stumbled upon a surfing anthropological find; a dusty archive of images depicting some of the most significant, interesting and creative characters in the history of surfing. Most of these photos have not been seen before, nor their stories told: Wayne Lynch at Lennox while on the run from the draft, rebels Miki Dora and Russell Hughes on the fence in Byron (what were they talking about?) and big south swells rolling by. These are one-off shots taken in a simpler time when there weren’t many people taking photographs. They are of a period remembered as pure and uncomplicated.
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American and Australian surfers in Byron 1960s & 1970s Dimensions: 244 x 210 - Portrait - Hardcover - 184 pages Published by: Surf Research Publication Date: August 2022 ISBN 978-0-9871522-3-7 It is the story of the surfers, American and Australian, who made Byron Bay their home in the 1960s and 1970s. It is a social history of a time in Byron that changed its history forever. Culture wars. Freedom, rebellion, they believed they were going to change the world. “Byron Bay is rich in stories: something has happened in every corner, behind every tree, on (and under) every blade of grass...and of course in every take-off spot. This book is a treasury of those tales that give Byron its unique living spirit. To read it is to feel that you have been welcomed into a tribe.” Malcolm Knox, Australian journalist, author and surfer “Tricia has successfully woven personal stories of drama and daring into a layered social history of the far north coast seen through the eyes of a community of American and Australian surfers tied through a bond of understanding and respecting a feeling. A feeling born out of the joy we experience playing in the waves, how simple and yet how powerful that connection can be.” Simon Baker is an award winning actor and director, a surfer and north coast resident.
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Dimensions: 227 x 295 - Landscape - 104 pages Published by: Surf Research Publication Date: December 2014 ISBN 978-0-987-1522-0-6 Surf Portraits and Stories Hawaii: Oahu-Kauai-Mau 1968-1972 Turning Point II is about a time when surfers headed to the tropical Hawaiian Islands to surf big waves and for some to seek sanctuary from the rest of America. They were at the forefront of new ideas, new surfboards, and a new consciousness. Rusty’s photographs in this book, taken tangentially in the moment as a member of his tribe, reveal a brief idyll when surf heroes were young, immortal and surfed like gods in Hawaii. You are seeing this era of time through the lens of Rusty’s camera and the stories inside. “ Steve Barilotti, Filmaker and former Surfer Magainze editor, veteran surf-culture essayist and documentarian.
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EDITION: 1 to 100 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 26.5cm x 40cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 52cm x 42cm These three, lazily, you could almost say, are grazing in the paddock. I always relate to this shot as it reminds me of when we seemed to have a good balance of surfing, leisure and work, all with a pace which was similar to grazing. Less crowds meant that we did not have to rush to get to the surf before the crowd factor took away the fun factor. There was not as much of a feeling of being behind in getting a large number of waves under our belts.
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EDITION: 1 to 100 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 26.5cm x 40cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 52cm x 42cm This is most likely the only photograph of surfing’s most renowned rogues/rebels together. Mickey had just pulled into town, unexpected of course, and here they sit on the fence on Jonson Street, Byron Bay, discussing where the best waves and opportunities lie. I love this photo showing the contrast in style: Mickey’s Italian leather shoes and groomed attire versus Russell’s country boy bare feet and scruffy long hair. And, of course, a Byron Bay when it was a sleepy town.
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EDITION: 1 to 100 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 26.5cm x 40cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 52cm x 42cm The dynamic, wide ranging and raging personality of Peter has left his mark on the world of surfing. Smiling and vivacious, he is an original thinker: the one who conceived and implemented the first man-on-man format to surfing competition and introduced surfing to China. This same year, 1970, he won the Australian National Titles. Not shy in expressing his views Peter did ruffle the feathers of the surfing power structure. His surfing style was strongly aggressive but very controlled, linked and sturdy. Peter seemed to be always in the motion of making changes in established ways and challenging the staid and standard public perceptions. Recently, Peter has become a woman called Westerly.
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EDITION: 1 to 100 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 26.5cm x 40cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 52cm x 42cm Garth Murphy was one of the early American surfers to settle in Byron Bay. He was my friend and business associate from California who I came to visit in Byron in 1970. I never really left the place completely after that. Russell was Queensland’s State Surfing Champion in the late 60s. He was an excellent surfer in constant motion with a very smooth style in, and out, of the water. After the 1968 World Surfing Championship in Puerto Rico, Russell became shy of competition and lead a more ellusive life. I met him in Kauai when he and Garth stayed with me and surfed perfect point waves at Hanalei Bay in 1969. Russell had come there to pick up his brand new Dick Brewer board. This photo catches his wily nature. His nickname at the time was ‘la Ruse’ French for fox, or so we thought, for those who don’t know.
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EDITION: 1 to 100 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 26.5cm x 40cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 52cm x 42cm There is no surfer more pure in essence of style than Wayne Lynch. Here, you can see the questioning mind. The waves did not show up, and many contestants were reflecting something like, ‘Are the commercial bastards going to make us go out in this?’ For me, Wayne is one of the great dancers of our breed. Three others are Phil Edwards, Joel Tudor, and David Nuuhiwa.
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EDITION: 1 to 100 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 26.5cm x 40cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 52cm x 42cm The three presented faces are Rodney ‘Gopher’ Sumpter (English Champion), Randy Rarick (USA) and Chris Jones (UK). They are wearing the classic wetsuit style of the 1970 models, being cut and stitched up out of neoprene rubber sheets. At this time, wetsuits were the factor that had one of the greatest impacts on the sport of surfing, particularly here in the cold water at Bells and helped shape the surfing world into what it is today. This picture shows the prime designs of the era, which tended to be sleeveless and joined with short and long leg models. Often the long arm part was a separate jacket. I remember them causing a lot of armpit chafing problems. Bells that year was a major testing ground for wetsuits from all different countries. Ripcurl was busy measuring up and giving out samples for the top surfers to test.
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EDITION: 1 to 100 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 26.5cm x 40cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 52cm x 42cm At the moment of this picture being taken Gerry is eying me almost asking by body language what the heck are you doing taking my picture. Gerry is perhaps the most enduring of the Hawaiian surfing legends and the epitome of understated cool. At this time he was Mr. Pipeline having taken over Butch Van Artsdalen’s spot of an aggressive approach and evolved it into the 70s way of groove, flow, and exuding a Zen philosophy into the raw pipeline tunnel… He turned speed on a wave into SloMo. His mentors of shaping are the greats of the 50s, 60s and 70s; Pat Curren, Mike Diffenderfer and especially Dick Brewer. He has also proven to be one of the most adaptable watermen of modern surfing able to leap surf genres in a single bound: Long board to medium to short board to stand up paddlers.
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EDITION: 1 to 100 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 26.5cm x 40cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 52cm x 42cm Wayne, rarely photographed at that time, is shown here with a tiny, Lennox Head village is in the background. A rough, dirt track, that is just to the left of Wayne’s VW Bug, ran parallel to the shoreline and when not too wet you could drive almost all the way out to the Point. Many of the homes along the foreshore were the fibro family holiday places of people who lived further inland in Lismore or Casino. In winter we had it almost all to ourselves.
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EDITION: 1 to 100 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 26.5cm x 40cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 52cm x 42cm Looking here so young and slight, Reno surfed like a dancer, and, was the only Hawaiian to make it to the final. He surfed close to the centre curve of the wave on a thin short pintail gun, a master of speed and intense concentration. Both as a shaper and rider he contributed significantly to what we now refer to as the short board revolution. Reno was influenced by the active shapers in Hawaii at that time: Mike Diffenderfer, Pat Curren and Dick Brewer.
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EDITION: 1 to 100 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 26.5cm x 40cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 52cm x 42cm I didn’t know Jimmy well but I knew his large, exuberant father, who was a famous television wrestler called Tally Ho Blears back when TV wrestling was at its peak. Tally Ho was one of the top organizers and commentators in Hawaiian surf contests and paddle events in the 60s. I believe this is when Jimmy began competing. He won the 1972 World Surfing Champions held in Oceanside California.
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EDITION: 1 to 100 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 26.5cm x 40cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 52cm x 42cm This picture I took has always fascinated and captured me. The girl is a sculptural beauty and a good representation of a surfing girl. I think she may have been a competitor in the event. Gleaming wet in her shiny black wetsuit she seems to be contemplating her latest surfing experience or perhaps the result of her latest heat in the contest. I wish I could find out who she is. Until then we can all enjoy the romance and imagination of the unknown blonde haired girl in her wetsuit.
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EDITION: 1 to 100 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 26.5cm x 40cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 52cm x 42cm The style of the swimsuit and the harmonious colour of the stacked surfboards capture the look of the era. This image is a good representation of the strength and confidence women were bringing on to the beaches and into our surfing culture at that time. For years her identity was a mystery to me so we called the young woman in this photo ‘Bikini Girl’ though we figured she was a competitor. Then I found this beautiful ‘Bikini Girl,’ in New Zealand.
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EDITION: 1 to 50 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 40cm x 60cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 85.6cm x 68.2cm Wayne Parkes, New Zealand’s surfing champion, with boards stacked on the Morris 1100. He is still surfing and shaping in Auckland. To this day he still uses these lightly swept back, narrow tipped, fiberglass, Greenough-influenced fin types on his boards.
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EDITION: 1 to 50 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 40cm x 60cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 85.6cm x 68.2cm When the sun came out and you were surfing Lennox the day just seemed to float. Here, spending suspended long days cushioned by the thick green tufts of grass on the northern hillside of Lennox, is Tommy filming Sea of Joy, Sade and Nyarie, who opened the first women’s clothing shop, Neverlands, in Byron Bay. We all had dogs, Afghans (Cloud here was my Afghan) and Red Setters, farmhouses in the hills, were doing yoga and growing vegetables. We were the new tribe. Surfers were carving their new lifestyle niche into the very conservative, local community of the tough, working class town of Byron Bay.
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EDITION: 1 to 50 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 40cm x 60cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 85.6cm x 68.2cm I have many photos of Russell at this time as he was always around yet he was hard to keep up with in any way. He was an enigmatic figure in the era of the 60s and 70s, always in motion and forever mysterious. Where he was, and what he was doing, was to him not necessarily any of your bees’ wax (business). He always had an interesting car, a Cheshire cat smile and looked like he had just come in from a good surf. But he did not want to be photographed. Somehow I was able to capture him. He sure was photogenic.
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EDITION: 1 to 50 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 40cm x 60cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 85.6cm x 68.2cm Surf love. What keeps a surfer motivated and warm in body and heart when not riding waves and when wetsuits were not as snug as they are today? A post surf session good wrap up in blanket and the closeness of female companionship. In the background wearing the bandana with large sideburns is Dale Dobson, switchfoot from California, who could do anything on a surfboard and an unknown wearing the Bells contest t-shirt.
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EDITION: 1 to 50 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 40cm x 60cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 85.6cm x 68.2cm We used to be able to drive in and park on the hill near the headland at Lennox if you had a four- wheel drive. This was Paul Witzig’s International truck with the peace sign on the inside of the back door. Not every other surfer had one in those days. Paul was filming Sea of Joy. This is my favorite lifestyle shot that shows what we were all into at that time, the perfect Lennox Head point day. Ah, when time suspended into long, warm sun-drenched sessions. The consistent quality waves here were the main dynamic energy source and common denominator. They gave us life force.
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EDITION: 1 to 50 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 40cm x 60cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 85.6cm x 68.2cm Lennox Point, as we called it The Ox, was and still is, to me the ultimate wave and place of North Coast surfing. It is my ultimate surfing pleasure. In the morning when you drive up to the headland and see the lines of a new big south swell, your heart rate cranks. In those days it was a cleared cattle paddock. If this scene were today the roadway would be jammed packed with vehicles from all states and surfers from all nations. Lennox Point is now a dedicated National Surfing Reserve, in recognition of its special meaning to surfers everywhere.
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EDITION: 1 to 50 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 40cm x 60cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 85.6cm x 68.2cm Cool and composed from Huntington Beach California. Absolutely the master of nose riding and a top stylist (both in and out of the water) in his day. Here, he was in the parking lot at Bells. There were no waves. He came in from LA, had a look, and went home. It didn’t fit his style and mood at the time. The stylish hat is from a famous LA designer, whose name escapes me.
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EDITION: 1 to 50 STOCK & PRINT: Giclée prints on Moab Natural Paper. All prints are supplied in matt & backed. IMAGE SIZE: 40cm x 60cm (approx). OUTSIDE MEASUREMENT: 85.6cm x 68.2cm Jenny was part of the original group of the Sydney surfing scene to trail blaze to the North Coast of NSW to pioneer a different way of life than what the city had to offer. She was always a most generous hostess when all the hungry surfers came into her, and her then husband, Lester’s home. In later years she opened the first organic bakery, called Jenny Cakes, in the Orient building on the corner of Jonson and Lawson Sts, Byron Bay. Lester, was Byron Bay’s first surfing solicitor, and also a co-founder/owner of the renowned restaurant/bar/café Dinty’s on Jonson St. just near the intersection with Lawson St. There was many a wild time at Dinty’s. That’s another story.