70s anecdotes news photographs

North Coast Surfers 69’er T-shirt

Former North Coast Surfer Russell Quinlivan (now Busso resident) asked us to research the history behind his North Coast Surfers 69’er t-shirt.

Russell: “I see you have contact with Gary ‘Gooselegs’ Vaughan in Noosa, so I was wondering if you could show him the photo below and ask him did he have input into its design. Being the youngest member of the club at 14 , I didn’t know about the double entendre. They don’t make clothes like they used to as the t-shirt is now 46 years old.”

Photos: 2015 Russell modelling his North Coast Surfers 69’er t-shirt. Photo credit Russell Quinlivan.

2015 North Coast Surfers 69er T-Shirt IMG_001

Gooselegs’s response to Russell’s t-shirt query follows:-

Gooselegs: “Howdy cowdies!
I can’t believe it, I fair dinkum had a dream last week about North Coast Surfers and THAT t-shirt design.
You bet I had a big say in the design and all the crew thought we were all so cutting edge and cool to have 69 on the front.
Yes that particular tee was of an excellent quality and heavy duty cotton.
As you stated Russell the double entendre was well and truly in play and our stock standard answer to any parent or adult that commented was the obvious answer that the club was inaugurated that year.
My tee was orange with black printing.
I reckon the one Russ is wearing is the last one!
There is a photo floating around of Mackie One and I on the front lawn of the Scarborough pub drinking beers and wearing out NCS 69 er tees!
Excellent club with obviously a lot of good surfers, great people and all fascinating individuals.
After our early success with fund raising cabarets and we had a lot of dosh in the bank we virtually had a keg every Sunday!!
As I’ve told you before Jim, next time in Perth I need to go to my sisters who has a heap of old photos and I know a lot of these gems are there.
I trust the above makes sense as I’m a bit tired from a few wines and dinner and a late arvo surf at Tea Tree.( I expected it to be packed and luckily the crowd was marginal and I got my fair share). Let’s hope that cyclone keeps hanging around for next week after the circus has left town and the mayhem settles down, though I must say the punters seemed to be more civil and not so greedy in the water this Noosa Festival. Regards Goose.”

North Coast Surfers club was formed by Mike ‘Spike’ Wynne & others in the late 60s. See Mike comments below.

Mike: “NCS was formed by me, Thunder, Skullcap (Robin Sutherland) and another (Dig I think or Rod Slater) one day on Scarborough Beach as we were sick and tired of all the other board clubs. We put together the then strongest surfer club on the coast. I think it was before 69? As Goose said we had many stomps/cabarets etc the largest was at Perry Lakes Stadium. My brother’s band played the joint was packed and we made about $20k that night. John Paris was the club’s treasurer and I am not sure what happened to all that cash!!!

Some of the members were: me, Thunder, Skullcap, Hoody, Rod Slater, Gooselegs, John Paris, Pee Wee Vos, Did Deghelli, Terry Garrett(?), Big Eyes, Wayne Jacks, Steve Gath, Daryl Gath…..memory has failed me now.  Cheers Spike”

Thanks Russell, Goose & Spike for sharing this piece of WA surfing history with us….

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