70s photographs

1970s Sunrise Surfboards Yallingup

In the 70s former Cottesloe surfer David ‘Dapper’ Plaisted moved to Yallingup and started manufacturing Sunrise Surfboards. The surfboards were made in an old limestone coach house located on a rural property on Caves Road. The site had been previously used by surfboard maker Tom Hoye (Precision Equip Surfboards). Later it was used by Ken McKenzie (Energy Surfboards) before becoming part of Cape Naturaliste Vineyard owned by Craig Brent-White. See Surfing Down South book for more details.

Dapper (who now lives in the South West near Cowaramup) was the main craftsman but Ian ‘Kanga’ Cairns also shaped some surfboards for Sunrise.

Margaret River surfer Adrian Wilson recalls Sunrise surfboards were typically 6’10”-7’6″ long x 20″ wide with narrow tails suited for SW reef break peaks.

Photo: 1975 Adrian Wilson at Margaret River with a Sunrise bum tail surfboard possibly shaped by Ian Cairns.  Photo credit Ric Chan.

1975 MR Adrian Wilson & surfboard - R Chan img549

The images below show a battle scarred 1973 Sunrise single fin, square tail, hand shaped by Ian Cairns, the Sunrise logo and Ian’s signature on the board. Images courtesy of Grant Mooney surfboard collection.

1973 Sunrise Surfboards compilationB

The images below show a 1975 Sunrise single fin, flyer swallow tail, hand crafted by Dapper and the board’s logo. Images courtesy of Mark Dumesny, Yallingup Siding. (bottom right) 1976 Sunrise Surfboards advertisement in WASRA Spring Surfing Title Program. Image courtesy of Sunrise & WASRA.

1975 Sunrise Surfboards  compilationB

 

 

 

 

 

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