Craig Bettenay and his elder brothers Greg & Stewart were amongst WA’s finest surfers in the late 60s & 70s. They started their surfing careers at City Beach in the 60s and then moved down south in the 70s.
METRO SURF
1969 Craig (age 12) surfing City Beach on a Blaxell Deringer surfboard. Photo Ric Chan.
At an early age, Craig & Stewart Bettenay were recruited into the prestigious Cordingley ‘Surf Team’.
Early 70’s Craig at Cordingley Surfboards in Subiaco & Jolimont. Photos courtesy Country Surf Mag & Norm Bateman.
WA State Teams: 1971 Juniors in Vic 1972 Juniors in NSW 1973 Juniors in WA (Stewart also in State Team) 1976 Open in Vic.
SOUTH WEST SURF
Craig (age 11) made his first trip down south in ’68 with his bros’s Greg & Stewart. They camped at Smiths Beach and surfed Smiths Reef and Yallingup main break on modified coolites.
At age 14, Craig was surfing big North Point Cowaramup and Margaret River on a 4’8″ twin fin.
In the 70s Craig & Stewart settled at Yallingup and indulged in their passion of surfing big waves.
Craig surfing photos courtesy of Ric Chan. Top: (Left) 1973 Injidup (Right) 1978 Spring Titles Trigg. Bottom: (Left) 1980 Rottnest (Right) 1976 Margaret River
MIKI ‘Da Cat’ DORA
Stewart Bettenay recalls Craig met & surfed with surfing legend Miki Dora at Yallingup .
Stewart: “My brother Craig told me USA Malibu legend Miki Dora came through Yallingup in the mid to late 70s. Craig went surfing with him twice and said he was a cool dude, handsome, very smooth, well dressed and good company. Miki told Craig “You really can surf”. He also told Craig about a new thing called a ‘credit card’ which he was using to travel the world.”
SURFING WORLD MAGAZINE
In ’76 & 77 Australia’s Surfing World magazine published articles on Craig surfing in the SW.
1976 Craig SW surfing photos courtesy of Surfing World magazine.1977 Craig SW surfing photos courtesy of Surfing World magazine.
HAWAII
In 1977 Craig joined Ian Cairns in Hawaii for a stint in the big waves on Hawaii’s North Shore.
1977 ‘Top Surfer off to Hawaii’ article by journalist Robbie Burns (former Subiaco Footballer). Image courtesy of Daily News & photographer Kevin Davidson.
SURFBOARD SHAPER
In the 70s Craig was a talented surfboard shaper for Cordingley Surfboards and also manufactured boards under his own name in the SW.
Craig Bettenay and his elder brothers Greg & Stewart were amongst WA’s finest surfers in the late 60s & 70s. They started their surfing careers at City Beach in the 60s and then moved down south in the 70s.
METRO SURF
At an early age, Craig & Stewart Bettenay were recruited into the prestigious Cordingley ‘Surf Team’.
CRAIG’S SURF CONTEST RESULTS
Spring Titles:
1970 Juniors 1st (Stewart 4th)
1971 Juniors 1st (Stewart 4th)
1972 Juniors 1st (Stewart 3rd)
State Titles:
1970 Juniors 3rd
1971 Juniors 3rd
1973 Juniors 1st (Stewart 2nd)
WA State Teams:
1971 Juniors in Vic
1972 Juniors in NSW
1973 Juniors in WA (Stewart also in State Team)
1976 Open in Vic.
SOUTH WEST SURF
Craig (age 11) made his first trip down south in ’68 with his bros’s Greg & Stewart. They camped at Smiths Beach and surfed Smiths Reef and Yallingup main break on modified coolites.
At age 14, Craig was surfing big North Point Cowaramup and Margaret River on a 4’8″ twin fin.
Click on this link to view Craig Bettenay surfing Marg’s on 4’8′ twinnie blog published 24 January 2014.
In the 70s Craig & Stewart settled at Yallingup and indulged in their passion of surfing big waves.
Top: (Left) 1973 Injidup (Right) 1978 Spring Titles Trigg.
Bottom: (Left) 1980 Rottnest (Right) 1976 Margaret River
MIKI ‘Da Cat’ DORA
Stewart Bettenay recalls Craig met & surfed with surfing legend Miki Dora at Yallingup .
Stewart: “My brother Craig told me USA Malibu legend Miki Dora came through Yallingup in the mid to late 70s. Craig went surfing with him twice and said he was a cool dude, handsome, very smooth, well dressed and good company. Miki told Craig “You really can surf”. He also told Craig about a new thing called a ‘credit card’ which he was using to travel the world.”
SURFING WORLD MAGAZINE
In ’76 & 77 Australia’s Surfing World magazine published articles on Craig surfing in the SW.
HAWAII
In 1977 Craig joined Ian Cairns in Hawaii for a stint in the big waves on Hawaii’s North Shore.
SURFBOARD SHAPER
In the 70s Craig was a talented surfboard shaper for Cordingley Surfboards and also manufactured boards under his own name in the SW.
Clink on this link to view Craig Bettenay Surfboards blog published 29 July 2015.
WETSIDE NEWS SURF MAGAZINE
In 1993 Journailist Mark Thornley published the following profile of Craig in WA’s Wetside News surf magazine.
Thanks to the contributors.
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