Annual State Schoolboy Surf Riding Championships were a big deal in the 60s & 70s. The inter-school contests were sanctioned by WASRA and provided status to competing surfers and bragging rights for the schools. It was a stepping stone for many of WA’s best young surfers. Surf Teams from schools competed for a perpetual trophy donated by Cordingley Surfboards in Subiaco.
Top surfing schools (winners of the Cordingley Perpetual trophy).
1965 Christchurch Grammar School. Individual winners: 1. Peter Dyson (Hale) 2. Don McDonald (Christchurch)
1966 Scarborough High School.
1967 Hollywood High School.
1968 Bunbury High School Individual finalist: 4th Charles Morton-Stewart (Hale) ** edited to add
1969 Swanbourne High School.
1970 unknown Individual winner: Craig Bettenay (City Beach) age 13
1971 Churchlands High School.
1972 unknown Individual winner: Ken McKenzie
1973 unknown Individual winner: Peter Edwards (Scotch College)
Individual place-getters and related memorabilia details are listed below.
(If you have details of unknown results and/or whereabouts of Cordingley Perpetual Trophy, let us know. Ed)
1965 Christchurch Grammar School.
Christchurch Grammar School Surfing Team won the inaugural Schoolboys contest held at Scarborough in ’65. The winning surfing team featured in the Christchurch School magazine. Peter Dyson (Hale) won the individual trophy from Don McDonald (Christchurch). Trophies were supplied by Hawke Surfboards.
Photo: Christchurch Surfing Team at Scarborough Beach L-R Theo Mathews, Craig Brent-White, Guy Leyland, Mike Bibby, Hume Heatley, Phil Hayes & Ashley Jones. Absent Donald McDonald. (Murray Smith is standing behind Ashley). Image courtesy Christchurch School magazine & Theo Mathews.
Mike Bibby former Christchurch student. “We are trying to locate the Cordingley trophy, I gave it to the school when we won it but as surfing was not “approved of” by the headmaster, the trophy was probably put in storage. From looking at the crew in the photo I can see why the school had that attitude!”
Ashley Jones former Christchurch student: “When we won the School Team Trophy, the headmaster said to the whole school assembly on the Friday after we won, “That he seemed to have forgotten to bring the Trophy.” He was roundly booed by the boys of the school, as they were very proud of the surf team’s success. If it had been the cricket or the rowing teams that won the Headmaster would have held the Trophy up high. The Trophy itself was a rather handsome wooden surfboard with blank silver plaques on it, ready for future winners.”
Don McDonald Christchurch student: “I remember taking the Cordingley Surfboard Trophy to the headmaster and he basically told us to shove it, as it wasn’t a school sport.”
1966 Scarborough High School.
Student Brian Trainer reported on the ’66 Scarborough High School Surfboarding Team in the School’s ‘The Student’ High School Annual.
Image: Brian’s report on the Surfboarding Team. Image courtesy of Brian Trainer.
Mike Wynne former Scarborough student. “In 4th & 5th year I only went to school average 2.5 days a week – the rest was surfing. Forged my own notes and signed my mum’s name. My science teacher would swim at Metts every morning. I would go for an early surf before school. He would say to me if it was good day “guess you won’t be in class today?” I replied “that’s right.” He was a great old guy. Never dobbed me in. After the early surf I would go home get ready for school, get on the bus at my street and either get off at Metts or Triggs depending on where I had left my board. Then I would surf all day, get ready again, get on the school bus on its way home and get off at my stop. Then I would have a little sleep and tell my mum I had a hard day at school. They never knew until I told them after I was married.”
1967 Hollywood High School.
In ’67 Hollywood High School won the Challenge trophy and Christchurch student Ashley Jones won the individual trophy at the schoolboys surfboard riding championships held at Scarborough.
Image: Media coverage of ’67 Schoolboys contest at Scarborough. Image credit WA Newspapers.
Ashley Jones former Christchurch student: “Craig Brent-White can remember coming 2nd to me in the 67 Schoolboys contest and has always reminded Ian Cairns of these facts. I would have defended my ’67 title in ‘68 had it not been for fact that I had been given the boot from Christchurch for competing in the State Surfing Titles against the headmasters wishes.”
1968 Bunbury High School **edited to add
Former Hale School Student Errol Considine recently found a copy of the 1968 Hale School ‘The Cygnet’ magazine and answered the question of which school won the Schoolboys Surfing title in 1968.
Errol: “It was not Hale (3rd), not Christchurch (presumably 2nd), but Bunbury High School! They would have had Lex Cornelius (and maybe another Cornelius brother) and I think Peter Roberts who was a really good surfer and State Junior finalist in their ranks…. from memory.
Surfing was the only sport not to have a team pic in the Hale mag of ’68 – as Ashley Jones commented in earlier discussion, the schools’ attitude was very anti surfing back then.”
Image: 1968 Hale School The Cygnet Magazine. Image credit Errol Considine.
1969 Swanbourne High School.
Student Ian ‘Mitch’ Mitchell and Surf Journalist Doug White reported on the ‘69 Schoolboys Surf Riding contest.
Images: (Top) Swanbourne Surf Team. L-R (Back) Steve Thomas, Stuart McKee, Peter de Bruin, Mitch & Wes Babel. (Middle) Neil Peacock. (Front) Mark O’Callaghan, Paul O’Callaghan & George Ward. Absent Paul ‘Smiley’ Watts. (Bottom) Mitch’s Surfing Notes in High School magazine. Image credits Mitch.
Images: (Left) Doug White’s ‘On the Wave Length’ column in the Sunday Times. (Right top) Michael Marino equal 2nd place (Marist), (Right bottom) Ross Utting 4th place (Churchlands).
1971 Churchlands High School.
In ’71 Churchlands High School won the Challenge trophy at the Schoolboys championships held at south Trigg. Individual placings: 1. Bruce Hocking (Scotch) 2. Neil Peacock (Swanbourne) 3. Stewart Bettenay (City Beach).
1973 Unknown school
Ian Cairns was contest coordinator and sent the students out at Margaret River in 12ft waves. Peter Edwards won the contest but the students protested it was unfair to be sent out in such wild conditions. So the event was re-run at Bears in 8ft waves and Peter Edwards won the final again.
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