The South West’s first professional surfing contest attracted 102 outstanding surfers. The pro contest was held in reasonable waves up to 6ft at Yallingup in January 1970. There was $500 prize money up for grabs.
Tony Hardy won the event and $250 prize money from WA’s top junior Ian Cairns. Max Hickson was third and Cottesloe’s Ian ‘Mitch’ Mitchell was fourth.
Mitch: “I won the grand sum of $25 and rang my Mum and told her I was staying down a bit longer. I ended staying down for about a month. I do remember being in the final with Ian and watching him slide slipping because his Farrelly side-slipper board had such a skinny fin. I thought I would do pretty well because I was doing what I thought were more turns and reos and stuff. Talk about delusions of grandeur.”
Photos: 1970 Pro Comp competitors at Yalls. Photos courtesy Ric Chan
Top: (Left) Ian Cairns on Farrelly side slipper board. (Right) Tony Hardy surfing Yalls left.
Bottom: (Left) Ian ‘Mitch’ Mitchell from Cottesloe. (Right) Peter Roberts from Bunbury.
Image: 1970 Media coverage of first Pro Comp at Yalls courtesy of Independent Newspapers. Photo credits Ric Chan
Photo: 1970 Pro Comp winner Tony Hardy at Yalls. Photo credit Ric Chan
Photo: 1970 Pro Comp contestants at Yalls. L-R Ian Cairns, Ian Mitchell & Max Hickson. Photo credit Ric Chan.
Image: 1970 Trevor Burslem’s surf column coverage of first Pro Comp at Yalls. Image courtesy of Independent Newspaper.
The South West’s first professional surfing contest attracted 102 outstanding surfers. The pro contest was held in reasonable waves up to 6ft at Yallingup in January 1970. There was $500 prize money up for grabs.
Tony Hardy won the event and $250 prize money from WA’s top junior Ian Cairns. Max Hickson was third and Cottesloe’s Ian ‘Mitch’ Mitchell was fourth.
Mitch: “I won the grand sum of $25 and rang my Mum and told her I was staying down a bit longer. I ended staying down for about a month. I do remember being in the final with Ian and watching him slide slipping because his Farrelly side-slipper board had such a skinny fin. I thought I would do pretty well because I was doing what I thought were more turns and reos and stuff. Talk about delusions of grandeur.”
Photos: 1970 Pro Comp competitors at Yalls. Photos courtesy Ric Chan
Top: (Left) Ian Cairns on Farrelly side slipper board. (Right) Tony Hardy surfing Yalls left.
Bottom: (Left) Ian ‘Mitch’ Mitchell from Cottesloe. (Right) Peter Roberts from Bunbury.
Image: 1970 Media coverage of first Pro Comp at Yalls courtesy of Independent Newspapers. Photo credits Ric Chan
Photo: 1970 Pro Comp winner Tony Hardy at Yalls. Photo credit Ric Chan
Photo: 1970 Pro Comp contestants at Yalls. L-R Ian Cairns, Ian Mitchell & Max Hickson. Photo credit Ric Chan.
Image: 1970 Trevor Burslem’s surf column coverage of first Pro Comp at Yalls. Image courtesy of Independent Newspaper.
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