Arlene Nagtzaam’s first memory of the ocean was when she was four, riding on her father’s back, bodysurfing the Mermaid Beach shore break on the Gold Coast.
In the early eighties Arlene bought a Dick Van Straalen board and braved the highly localised waters of Burleigh Heads and Currumbin, witnessing more than a couple of fights. At the time there were only 5 or 6 girls surfing on the Gold Coast.
Arlene worked and saved to travel. During the eighties, she visited and surfed a range of places- including Tonga, Tavarua, The Ranch, England, Kauai, France and Indonesia.
After graduating with a teacher’s degree Arlene lived in Japan for a year teaching English and managed to get in one typhoon surf.
Arlene – We surfed in front of this nuclear reactor in the Sea of Japan (with snow on the beach) and the locals aren’t very happy about the reactor being there either!
Photo: 1984 Arlene and friends surfing in the Sea of Japan. Arlene pic.
In her early thirties, Arlene came to WA for a six month working holiday.
On a surfin’ safari down to Ocean Beach Denmark with some wahine mates, Arlene met a shy but handsome knee boarder. Romance blossomed and Arlene phoned her mum on the Gold Coast and said, “Mum and Dad I’m goin’ out with a cripple.” Mum and dad didn’t know the slang word for kneeboarder! Dad asked, “How cripple is he?”
Photo: 1995 Arlene and husband Mark in Perth for a friend’s wedding.
The lovebirds married in 1996 and moved to their block in Yallingup in 2001. Mark was a design and technology teacher at a local high school and Arlene started a business called Sugar Mummy, making and decorating exquisite wedding cakes, while looking after newly borns Riley and Duke..
In a letter to Tracks magazine some guy wrote in about how this chick dropped in on him at Bears and she later paddled up and apologised. A joyful feeling came over him for the rest of the surf. She’d been out of the water for nine months having a baby and this was her first surf and the hungry 20 year olds were hassling so much she couldn’t get a wave. What’s more, there was the baby on the beach in dad’s arms.
While surfing one day Chris Foley gave Arlene a modern Malibu and that was it, she’s barely been back on a shortboard since.
Arlene started competing in the Surfing W.A. state Longboard rounds, coming up against formidable competitors like Claire Finucane and Sam Vanderford.
In her first Aussie Longboard titles, Arlene made the final of the Over 28 Women at Middleton Beach in South Aust. Lisa Nicholson from Northern NSW won with Jan Dunton (Vic.) second and Claire Finucane from W.A. third. Three true legends of woman’s surfing. Arlene came 4th in the Over 35s div.
Photo: 2003 Arlene competing Over 35s div of Aust Longboard Titles held in South Aust. Mick Marlin pic.
Spurred on by this, the following year at Bells Beach Arlene surfed through the heats in small Jan Jac beachies to be greeted by beautiful picture postcard twice overhead lines at Bells for the finals. With minutes to go Arlene caught the wave of the final and took out the Australian Over 35 title. Quite a final with Heather Peck (Vic.) second, Sam Vanderford (W.A.) third and Kirsty Webster (N.S.W.) fourth. Chaired up the stairs by team members she was tickled pink, to say the least. Later at the presentation Arlene thanked her dad for her first surfing experience. Mum and dad journeyed from the Goldy/Gold Coast for the event.
Photo: 2004 Arlene on winning wave Over 35’s div at Aust Longboard Titles held at Bells Beach Vic. Mick Marlin pic
Photo: 2004 Arlene holding her Over 35’s winner’s trophy at Aust Longboard Titles held at Bells Beach Vic. Mick Marlin pic.
In 2004 Arlene and a visiting American tandem surfing champion, Jason Lusk treated beachgoers with a rare impromptu display at Injidup WA.
Image: 2004 Arlene and Jason Lusk tandem surfing at Injidup. Image courtesy of Busselton- Margaret River Times.
Arlene’s two kids accompanied her when she competed in the 2005 Aussie Titles held at Caloundra in Queensland. After a few more Aussie titles, Arlene called it quits on competing nationally and instead concentrated on taking the kids to junior contests.
Photo: 2005 WA Surf Team at Alexandra Headland Qld for the Aust Longboard Titles. Arlene is with her kids Riley and Duke in front row. Mick Marlin pic.
In waves more to her liking, at the 2006 Australian Titles held in beautiful head high and more waves at her home break Yallingup Arlene managed a Third in the Open Women and a second in the Over 35 Women. She missed her second Australian title by .01 of a point. Claire Finucane won the Open Women from Emma Wilson (Vic,) with Kirsty Webster (N.S.W.) fourth. In the 35’s Sharon Jackson (N.S.W.) won, with once again Sam and Kirsty in third and fourth.
Photo: 2011 Team Nagtzaam at Taj’s Small Fries event Shallows Beach Yallingup. Jim King pic
L-R Surfboard design guru Nev Hyman speaking with Arlene, Riley, Duke and Mark Nagtzaam.
Duke won a few state junior titles and managed a second in the Australian Titles. He also won Taj’s Small Fries twice once in the Over 12s and once in the Over 14s.
Riley surfed a few contests, but free surfing is her thing. She’s now in her third year of an engineering degree at University.
These days Arlene can be found at Yallingup, surfing the cove while Mark surfs Main Break on his kneeboard. Riley is studying engineering at Uni and Duke is surfing on the WQS and is mostly travelling around the world, chasing points.
Photos of Arlene surfing the South West.
Photo: 2012 Arlene surfing the Cove at Yallingup. Jim King pic.
Photo: 2015 Arlene nose riding Castle Bay. Jim King pic.
Photo: 2017 Arlene ‘Kick 5’ at Castle Bay ex screen shot Mark Nagtzaam video.
Photo: 2017 Arlene and husband Mark sharing a micro wave at Castle Bay. Jim King pic.
Photo: 2018 Arlene bottom turn on Logger at the Cove Yalls. Bruce King pic
Photo: 2018 Arlene on logger at Yalls. Bruce King pic
A big thank you to Arlene for sharing her story with wordsmith Mick Marlin.
Arlene Nagtzaam’s first memory of the ocean was when she was four, riding on her father’s back, bodysurfing the Mermaid Beach shore break on the Gold Coast.
In the early eighties Arlene bought a Dick Van Straalen board and braved the highly localised waters of Burleigh Heads and Currumbin, witnessing more than a couple of fights. At the time there were only 5 or 6 girls surfing on the Gold Coast.
Arlene worked and saved to travel. During the eighties, she visited and surfed a range of places- including Tonga, Tavarua, The Ranch, England, Kauai, France and Indonesia.
After graduating with a teacher’s degree Arlene lived in Japan for a year teaching English and managed to get in one typhoon surf.
Arlene – We surfed in front of this nuclear reactor in the Sea of Japan (with snow on the beach) and the locals aren’t very happy about the reactor being there either!
Photo: 1984 Arlene and friends surfing in the Sea of Japan. Arlene pic.
In her early thirties, Arlene came to WA for a six month working holiday.
On a surfin’ safari down to Ocean Beach Denmark with some wahine mates, Arlene met a shy but handsome knee boarder. Romance blossomed and Arlene phoned her mum on the Gold Coast and said, “Mum and Dad I’m goin’ out with a cripple.” Mum and dad didn’t know the slang word for kneeboarder! Dad asked, “How cripple is he?”
Photo: 1995 Arlene and husband Mark in Perth for a friend’s wedding.
The lovebirds married in 1996 and moved to their block in Yallingup in 2001. Mark was a design and technology teacher at a local high school and Arlene started a business called Sugar Mummy, making and decorating exquisite wedding cakes, while looking after newly borns Riley and Duke..
In a letter to Tracks magazine some guy wrote in about how this chick dropped in on him at Bears and she later paddled up and apologised. A joyful feeling came over him for the rest of the surf. She’d been out of the water for nine months having a baby and this was her first surf and the hungry 20 year olds were hassling so much she couldn’t get a wave. What’s more, there was the baby on the beach in dad’s arms.
While surfing one day Chris Foley gave Arlene a modern Malibu and that was it, she’s barely been back on a shortboard since.
Arlene started competing in the Surfing W.A. state Longboard rounds, coming up against formidable competitors like Claire Finucane and Sam Vanderford.
In her first Aussie Longboard titles, Arlene made the final of the Over 28 Women at Middleton Beach in South Aust. Lisa Nicholson from Northern NSW won with Jan Dunton (Vic.) second and Claire Finucane from W.A. third. Three true legends of woman’s surfing. Arlene came 4th in the Over 35s div.
Photo: 2003 Arlene competing Over 35s div of Aust Longboard Titles held in South Aust. Mick Marlin pic.
Spurred on by this, the following year at Bells Beach Arlene surfed through the heats in small Jan Jac beachies to be greeted by beautiful picture postcard twice overhead lines at Bells for the finals. With minutes to go Arlene caught the wave of the final and took out the Australian Over 35 title. Quite a final with Heather Peck (Vic.) second, Sam Vanderford (W.A.) third and Kirsty Webster (N.S.W.) fourth. Chaired up the stairs by team members she was tickled pink, to say the least. Later at the presentation Arlene thanked her dad for her first surfing experience. Mum and dad journeyed from the Goldy/Gold Coast for the event.
Photo: 2004 Arlene on winning wave Over 35’s div at Aust Longboard Titles held at Bells Beach Vic. Mick Marlin pic
Photo: 2004 Arlene holding her Over 35’s winner’s trophy at Aust Longboard Titles held at Bells Beach Vic. Mick Marlin pic.
In 2004 Arlene and a visiting American tandem surfing champion, Jason Lusk treated beachgoers with a rare impromptu display at Injidup WA.
Image: 2004 Arlene and Jason Lusk tandem surfing at Injidup. Image courtesy of Busselton- Margaret River Times.
Arlene’s two kids accompanied her when she competed in the 2005 Aussie Titles held at Caloundra in Queensland. After a few more Aussie titles, Arlene called it quits on competing nationally and instead concentrated on taking the kids to junior contests.
Photo: 2005 WA Surf Team at Alexandra Headland Qld for the Aust Longboard Titles. Arlene is with her kids Riley and Duke in front row. Mick Marlin pic.
In waves more to her liking, at the 2006 Australian Titles held in beautiful head high and more waves at her home break Yallingup Arlene managed a Third in the Open Women and a second in the Over 35 Women. She missed her second Australian title by .01 of a point. Claire Finucane won the Open Women from Emma Wilson (Vic,) with Kirsty Webster (N.S.W.) fourth. In the 35’s Sharon Jackson (N.S.W.) won, with once again Sam and Kirsty in third and fourth.
Photo: 2011 Team Nagtzaam at Taj’s Small Fries event Shallows Beach Yallingup. Jim King pic
L-R Surfboard design guru Nev Hyman speaking with Arlene, Riley, Duke and Mark Nagtzaam.
Duke won a few state junior titles and managed a second in the Australian Titles. He also won Taj’s Small Fries twice once in the Over 12s and once in the Over 14s.
Riley surfed a few contests, but free surfing is her thing. She’s now in her third year of an engineering degree at University.
These days Arlene can be found at Yallingup, surfing the cove while Mark surfs Main Break on his kneeboard. Riley is studying engineering at Uni and Duke is surfing on the WQS and is mostly travelling around the world, chasing points.
Photos of Arlene surfing the South West.
Photo: 2012 Arlene surfing the Cove at Yallingup. Jim King pic.
Photo: 2015 Arlene nose riding Castle Bay. Jim King pic.
Photo: 2017 Arlene ‘Kick 5’ at Castle Bay ex screen shot Mark Nagtzaam video.
Photo: 2017 Arlene and husband Mark sharing a micro wave at Castle Bay. Jim King pic.
Photo: 2018 Arlene bottom turn on Logger at the Cove Yalls. Bruce King pic
Photo: 2018 Arlene on logger at Yalls. Bruce King pic
A big thank you to Arlene for sharing her story with wordsmith Mick Marlin.
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