Sue Felton (my sister). I remember when the surfing comps would come to Yallingup and Dad and his mates wouldn’t get out of the water, so the surfing comp would move and then they followed the comp because the waves were better.
Jo and my surf board riding friends would often complain about dad running them over with his ski. We would tell them that he didn’t do it on purpose but without his glasses on, he couldn’t see very far ahead of himself and they were best getting out of his way.
Another story I have, is when Dad and Mr Fussell were surfing at Triggs and there was a surfing comp happening there. Dad and Ron were asked over the loud speaker to leave the water, but they wouldn’t get out because it was “their break”. Then they both caught the same wave from different directions and had a big crash in the middle and wiped out. There was much applause from the crowd and a lot of cringing from me. When their skis washed in to shore some of the surfers ran up and started to take the ski’s up the beach until they were stopped by Murray I think. They got their skis back but I’m not sure if they went back in or decided to call it a day after that.
Images: Sept 1977 Dad and ‘goat boats’ surfing at Trigg Point.
Also, when Dad and Mum would go to Bali, Dad would make me carry his paddle into the airport which was OK until we would see the surfboard riders glares that were lining up to go too. Quite embarrassing for a 15/16-year-old girl!
Judging from these pics, I’m not sure how much surfing was done this Bali trip!
Images: 1980s Bali holiday – bemo tour.
L-R Ron Fussell and Dad.
My brother Peter and a couple of mates (Mark Hills was one of them) took Dad’s Landie without permission, to do a run to Bears on the old track. He rolled it onto its side and they had to get Cliff Hills & Harbo to help right it again. Dads pride and joy was put back into the carport without him being any the wiser. It was one of the best keep secrets in Yalls at the time but afterwards every time dad got in, he’d complain that his door didn’t close properly “Bloody door”! We would all hold our breath and try not to laugh. Pete was one lucky boy!
Images: 1980s Dad’s old Landie on the Bears track from Yalls.
Left: Heading to Bears down sandy hill at back of Shallows Beach.
Right: Heading back to Yalls along the cliffs on rocky track.
Pat Roach (Laurie Roach’s wife and Dad’s sister). A carpet snake used to live in Brian’s old Land Rover while it was parked at Yallingup. My late husband Laurie recalled the old Land Rover wasn’t much good on the bumpy sandy hill at the back of Shallows Beach at Yallingup (on route to Bears). Passengers had to get out & push it up the hill.
Brian also used to hold up traffic for miles when he drove the slow old 4WD backwards and forwards to the city. In the end he left it in the carport at the Yalls house.
Jim King – In the early 80s, Fred Harris from Wardanup Cres and I used to get lifts to Three Bears with Brian and his team of wave ski riders. If the wind was offshore Brian would pack us in his old reconditioned Land Rover wagon and we would head off from Yalls on the bumpy coastal dirt track to Bears. We were tossed around the back of the old Land Rover (with uncomfortable sideways seats with legs intertwined and poor suspension) on those slow trips to Bears and return. The boys told jokes non-stop during the trip which made it bearable. Brian’s son Peter continued to use the Land Rover on the Bears run for years after his dad passed away.
Fred and I used to participate in arvo parties on the Felton’s verandah at Yalls, we had a wonderful time and met lots of interesting people.
Image: 1980s Dad and Ron with their Jacko wave skis at Bears.
Images: 1980s Surf sessions at Three Bears
Top: Ron and Dad wave sharing at Baby Bears.
Middle & Bottom: Sequence of Dad surfing Baby Bears on his wave ski.
Images: 1984 Surf sessions at Three Bears
Top: (left) Murray D’Almeida, Ron and Dad. (Right) Dad with new wave ski.
Bottom: Sequence of Murray D’Almeida surfing Baby Bears on wave ski.
Images: 1980s Dad surfing Baby Bears on his wave ski.
Images: 1980s Dad with friends & family at Three Bears
Top: (Left) Tony ‘Harbo’ Harbison with wave ski. (Right) Dad with Jacko wave ski.
Bottom:(Left) Ron with Jacko surf ski. (Right) young Peter (my brother) with his Al Bean surfboard.
While dad and his mates primarily surfed Yallingup and Three Bears, they loved North and South points, Bunkers, Rocky point, Injidup, Guillotine and Gallows, conditions permitting they also ventured further south in search of waves.
Image: 1980s Surf check at Guillotine surf break.
L-R Mum and Dad (Jenny and Brian Felton), Ron Fussell and Laurie Roach.
Images: 1980s North Point car park at Cowaramup Bay.
Left: Murray d’Almeida with Ron Fussell’s 4WD and Gracetown beach shacks in background.
Right: Dad tying boards on the roof of his Landie.
Images: 1980s surf trip to Black Point on the South Coast
Top: Joy and Ian North, Tess Fehlberg, Laurie Roach & Mum (Jenny Felton) with the Landie.
Bottom: Barry Fehlberg’s 4WD and Mum (Jenny Felton) & Uncle Laurie (Roach) with the Landie.
When there was no surf to be had, one of their favourite pastimes was cray fishing at ‘secret crayfish spot No.1’. They also liked line fishing off Rocky point. Mrs Fuss (Val Fussell) and Kay Kimber were seriously good fisher-women. Dad and Ron were always in competition with them! Mrs Fuss bred her own maggots for bait which we all used. Her fridge always freaked me out because she stored them in there, in large containers of pollard!
Images: 1980s Jumbo crays at Yalls.
Top: (Left) Dad, Uncle Laurie & Murray with the catch of the day. (Right) Dad
Below: Ernst (Left) and Murray (Right).
After a morning surf session, everyone liked nothing more than to gather for afternoon drinks on the verandah at our place. We were often joined by others from Yalls hill and enjoyed some legendary afternoon sessions. Dad made a killer champagne Cocktail (something I have mastered as well) which left most people legless after a couple. Hence the legend!
Dad loved to entertain and it didn’t matter your age, everyone was welcome!
Images: 1980s Typical arvos/parties at ‘the Felton’s’.
Typical Chrissy days, we all loved the Santa truck driving past and seeing all the neighbours out on the street, crayfish, Mrs Fussell’s brandy soaked strawberries for our champagne cocktails, big lunches with as many people as possible squished around our tables, paper hats that never fitted Dad’s head and afternoon visitors for verandah drinks, of course.
Images: 1980s Chrissy days
Top: (Left) Dad, Peter, Choya and myself (Right) Santa truck.
Middle: L-R. Coral Harbison and Bill Oddie.
Bottom: (Left) Geoff Eastaugh with Joy and Ian North (Right) Peter showered in lollies by Santa.
Images: Xmas lunch at the Felton’s
Left: Mum and Dad
Right: (Top) Myself & Choya (Bottom) Lunch fun with the Fussells.
Images: 1980s Barry Fehlberg’s Xmas turkey epic fail, but the stuffing was good though!
Images: 1980s the ’locals’ enjoying a late Chrissy arvo with Mum and Dad
Images: 1980s Dad’s mates
Top: Cliff Hills, Barry Fehlberg, Dad (Brian Felton) & Murray D’Almeida
Bottom: (Left) Dad & Uncle Laurie (Right) Ron and Ray Fussell with Dad in Bali
In the next photo Dad is posing (ALWAYS POSING) in his new wettie with beloved ski and notches in his reef damaged paddle. He always joked the notches were “from whacking board riders over the head”.
They were all more than capable surfing in big waves from Hand Boarding to Surf Skis and spent most weekends and holidays in Yallingup. A wonderful hilariously funny group of mates!
This was probably the last photo these guys had together! Sadly, Dad and Ronnie’s surfing days were cut short tragically in their 50’s, and Uncle Laurie passed away recently. May they all rest in peace.
Image: Late 1980s ‘another day at the office’ at Three Bears surf break.
L-R. Uncle Laurie (Roach), Dad and Ron (Fussell) heading to the water.
Jim King – These wave ski boys certainly enjoyed their time surfing and socialising in the South West.
Many thanks to Jo Felton for sharing her family memories and pics.
Continued from Felton family and friends Part 1
These are Jo’s comments unless stated otherwise.
Sue Felton (my sister). I remember when the surfing comps would come to Yallingup and Dad and his mates wouldn’t get out of the water, so the surfing comp would move and then they followed the comp because the waves were better.
Jo and my surf board riding friends would often complain about dad running them over with his ski. We would tell them that he didn’t do it on purpose but without his glasses on, he couldn’t see very far ahead of himself and they were best getting out of his way.
Another story I have, is when Dad and Mr Fussell were surfing at Triggs and there was a surfing comp happening there. Dad and Ron were asked over the loud speaker to leave the water, but they wouldn’t get out because it was “their break”. Then they both caught the same wave from different directions and had a big crash in the middle and wiped out. There was much applause from the crowd and a lot of cringing from me. When their skis washed in to shore some of the surfers ran up and started to take the ski’s up the beach until they were stopped by Murray I think. They got their skis back but I’m not sure if they went back in or decided to call it a day after that.
Images: Sept 1977 Dad and ‘goat boats’ surfing at Trigg Point.
Also, when Dad and Mum would go to Bali, Dad would make me carry his paddle into the airport which was OK until we would see the surfboard riders glares that were lining up to go too. Quite embarrassing for a 15/16-year-old girl!
Judging from these pics, I’m not sure how much surfing was done this Bali trip!
Images: 1980s Bali holiday – bemo tour.
L-R Ron Fussell and Dad.
My brother Peter and a couple of mates (Mark Hills was one of them) took Dad’s Landie without permission, to do a run to Bears on the old track. He rolled it onto its side and they had to get Cliff Hills & Harbo to help right it again. Dads pride and joy was put back into the carport without him being any the wiser. It was one of the best keep secrets in Yalls at the time but afterwards every time dad got in, he’d complain that his door didn’t close properly “Bloody door”! We would all hold our breath and try not to laugh. Pete was one lucky boy!
Images: 1980s Dad’s old Landie on the Bears track from Yalls.
Left: Heading to Bears down sandy hill at back of Shallows Beach.
Right: Heading back to Yalls along the cliffs on rocky track.
Pat Roach (Laurie Roach’s wife and Dad’s sister). A carpet snake used to live in Brian’s old Land Rover while it was parked at Yallingup. My late husband Laurie recalled the old Land Rover wasn’t much good on the bumpy sandy hill at the back of Shallows Beach at Yallingup (on route to Bears). Passengers had to get out & push it up the hill.
Brian also used to hold up traffic for miles when he drove the slow old 4WD backwards and forwards to the city. In the end he left it in the carport at the Yalls house.
Jim King – In the early 80s, Fred Harris from Wardanup Cres and I used to get lifts to Three Bears with Brian and his team of wave ski riders. If the wind was offshore Brian would pack us in his old reconditioned Land Rover wagon and we would head off from Yalls on the bumpy coastal dirt track to Bears. We were tossed around the back of the old Land Rover (with uncomfortable sideways seats with legs intertwined and poor suspension) on those slow trips to Bears and return. The boys told jokes non-stop during the trip which made it bearable. Brian’s son Peter continued to use the Land Rover on the Bears run for years after his dad passed away.
Fred and I used to participate in arvo parties on the Felton’s verandah at Yalls, we had a wonderful time and met lots of interesting people.
Image: 1980s Dad and Ron with their Jacko wave skis at Bears.
Images: 1980s Surf sessions at Three Bears
Top: Ron and Dad wave sharing at Baby Bears.
Middle & Bottom: Sequence of Dad surfing Baby Bears on his wave ski.
Images: 1984 Surf sessions at Three Bears
Top: (left) Murray D’Almeida, Ron and Dad. (Right) Dad with new wave ski.
Bottom: Sequence of Murray D’Almeida surfing Baby Bears on wave ski.
Images: 1980s Dad surfing Baby Bears on his wave ski.
Images: 1980s Dad with friends & family at Three Bears
Top: (Left) Tony ‘Harbo’ Harbison with wave ski. (Right) Dad with Jacko wave ski.
Bottom:(Left) Ron with Jacko surf ski. (Right) young Peter (my brother) with his Al Bean surfboard.
While dad and his mates primarily surfed Yallingup and Three Bears, they loved North and South points, Bunkers, Rocky point, Injidup, Guillotine and Gallows, conditions permitting they also ventured further south in search of waves.
Image: 1980s Surf check at Guillotine surf break.
L-R Mum and Dad (Jenny and Brian Felton), Ron Fussell and Laurie Roach.
Images: 1980s North Point car park at Cowaramup Bay.
Left: Murray d’Almeida with Ron Fussell’s 4WD and Gracetown beach shacks in background.
Right: Dad tying boards on the roof of his Landie.
Images: 1980s surf trip to Black Point on the South Coast
Top: Joy and Ian North, Tess Fehlberg, Laurie Roach & Mum (Jenny Felton) with the Landie.
Bottom: Barry Fehlberg’s 4WD and Mum (Jenny Felton) & Uncle Laurie (Roach) with the Landie.
When there was no surf to be had, one of their favourite pastimes was cray fishing at ‘secret crayfish spot No.1’. They also liked line fishing off Rocky point. Mrs Fuss (Val Fussell) and Kay Kimber were seriously good fisher-women. Dad and Ron were always in competition with them! Mrs Fuss bred her own maggots for bait which we all used. Her fridge always freaked me out because she stored them in there, in large containers of pollard!
Images: 1980s Jumbo crays at Yalls.
Top: (Left) Dad, Uncle Laurie & Murray with the catch of the day. (Right) Dad
Below: Ernst (Left) and Murray (Right).
After a morning surf session, everyone liked nothing more than to gather for afternoon drinks on the verandah at our place. We were often joined by others from Yalls hill and enjoyed some legendary afternoon sessions. Dad made a killer champagne Cocktail (something I have mastered as well) which left most people legless after a couple. Hence the legend!
Dad loved to entertain and it didn’t matter your age, everyone was welcome!
Images: 1980s Typical arvos/parties at ‘the Felton’s’.
Typical Chrissy days, we all loved the Santa truck driving past and seeing all the neighbours out on the street, crayfish, Mrs Fussell’s brandy soaked strawberries for our champagne cocktails, big lunches with as many people as possible squished around our tables, paper hats that never fitted Dad’s head and afternoon visitors for verandah drinks, of course.
Images: 1980s Chrissy days
Top: (Left) Dad, Peter, Choya and myself (Right) Santa truck.
Middle: L-R. Coral Harbison and Bill Oddie.
Bottom: (Left) Geoff Eastaugh with Joy and Ian North (Right) Peter showered in lollies by Santa.
Images: Xmas lunch at the Felton’s
Left: Mum and Dad
Right: (Top) Myself & Choya (Bottom) Lunch fun with the Fussells.
Images: 1980s Barry Fehlberg’s Xmas turkey epic fail, but the stuffing was good though!
Images: 1980s the ’locals’ enjoying a late Chrissy arvo with Mum and Dad
Images: 1980s Dad’s mates
Top: Cliff Hills, Barry Fehlberg, Dad (Brian Felton) & Murray D’Almeida
Bottom: (Left) Dad & Uncle Laurie (Right) Ron and Ray Fussell with Dad in Bali
In the next photo Dad is posing (ALWAYS POSING) in his new wettie with beloved ski and notches in his reef damaged paddle. He always joked the notches were “from whacking board riders over the head”.
They were all more than capable surfing in big waves from Hand Boarding to Surf Skis and spent most weekends and holidays in Yallingup. A wonderful hilariously funny group of mates!
This was probably the last photo these guys had together! Sadly, Dad and Ronnie’s surfing days were cut short tragically in their 50’s, and Uncle Laurie passed away recently. May they all rest in peace.
Image: Late 1980s ‘another day at the office’ at Three Bears surf break.
L-R. Uncle Laurie (Roach), Dad and Ron (Fussell) heading to the water.
Jim King – These wave ski boys certainly enjoyed their time surfing and socialising in the South West.
Many thanks to Jo Felton for sharing her family memories and pics.
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