Ron Marchant (age 68 this year) served his grommethood apprenticeship at Scarborough beach.
These are Ron’s comments and images: –
I grew up in Manning St, Scarbs 500m from the beach, so Scarbs beach culture has been ingrained from day one.
We lived around the corner from the Vidler’s so our early days revolved around getting together and making craft to surf with.
I started with body surfing, then with ply hand-planes, then moulded ply bodyboards with cabinet handles, coolites with ply fins, surf shooters (I used to work on the beach on weekends for 10 bob a day) and finally on borrowed plywood toothpick and poly boards (polystyrene blanks) from Spyder’s place. My first board was a 9’3″ Cordingley single stringer with mickey mouse fin and jarrah tail and nose blocks. I remember I was devastated that we couldn’t afford three stringers!
First coolite shot at Scarbs, probably pre 60s.
My first surf trip down south was with fellow grom Hank Scheppermaker as guests of Scarb Boardriders in the Margaret River shack, with a couple of the older guys, the late Jim Rance and I think Brian Trainer.
They introduced us to Marg’s Main break and I remember spending the first day shitting myself and swimming around trying to find my pre-leg rope 8″10″ Cordingley stringer-less board.
Later I joined North End Boardriders after finishing 2nd in the annual Scarborough novice event (behind great Perth muso, Billy Rogers).
Me coming out of grommet hood. I joined North End about ’69 and was introduced to real surf culture at our infamous Bonnie and Clyde cabaret. Needless to say the op-shop suit was the victim of regurgitation and never worn again.
Pic of me out at WAIT in the early 70’s.
Once our crew started getting cars, we started the weekend ritual, driving down south on Friday night in time for a few rounds of darts at the Caves House front bar and camping on the lawn at Yalls, under the tea rooms, at the Caves carpark, Injidup thickets or wherever we could escape the ranger. Lots of trekking from Sugarloaf through the bush to 3 Bears and Windmills surf breaks.
Bottom turn Bears right in the 70’s.
Cuttie at Windmills in the 70’s.
First Bali trip in 1973, (pre electricity days and zero development at Ulu’s) and subsequently did the usual – return trips over the years and to various other places (East Coast, Cactus, Maldives, Lombok, Sumbawa, Java, Telos, Morocco, Canaries).
Me beside our trusty bush-basher in Lombok ’92 with Brett Hinkley, Ed DeVries and brother Brian behind the lens.
Surfing Leba on a recent excursion to the Telo Islands in northern Sumatra.
I am a member of Indian Ocean Long Board Club (IOLBC) and get down south regularly, particularly for club comps at Yalls.
Competing in 2018 IOLBC contest at Yalls.
Competing in 2018 IOLBC contest at Huzza.
With 3 of my 4 sons. Christian foreground visiting from Austria, Troy and young Harry. Jordan living in Thirroul outside of Wollongong NSW.
Professionally I studied architecture at WAIT and spent my working life practicing as an Architect in Perth, becoming a director at Peter Overman and Partners (now Zuideveld Marchant Hur P/L) in 1987.
I’m now retired and living behind Trigg Point making it easy to get down and make a nuisance of myself on a regular basis.
I consider myself very fortunate to have been born within spitting distance of the ocean, particularly one of the few surfable breaks in the metro area. Growing up on the beach in the 50s with all the colour and activity provided by places like the Snakepit, Luna Park and Peters by the Sea, followed by the explosion of surf culture in the 60s made me a very lucky boy!
My life has been influenced by the surf. It’s given me a great lifestyle with unique travel and cultural experiences and most of all the great friendships gathered along the way.
You can’t beat hanging around the car park at Trigg or Yalls talking BS with the old boys!
Ron Marchant (age 68 this year) served his grommethood apprenticeship at Scarborough beach.
These are Ron’s comments and images: –
I grew up in Manning St, Scarbs 500m from the beach, so Scarbs beach culture has been ingrained from day one.
We lived around the corner from the Vidler’s so our early days revolved around getting together and making craft to surf with.
I started with body surfing, then with ply hand-planes, then moulded ply bodyboards with cabinet handles, coolites with ply fins, surf shooters (I used to work on the beach on weekends for 10 bob a day) and finally on borrowed plywood toothpick and poly boards (polystyrene blanks) from Spyder’s place. My first board was a 9’3″ Cordingley single stringer with mickey mouse fin and jarrah tail and nose blocks. I remember I was devastated that we couldn’t afford three stringers!
First coolite shot at Scarbs, probably pre 60s.
My first surf trip down south was with fellow grom Hank Scheppermaker as guests of Scarb Boardriders in the Margaret River shack, with a couple of the older guys, the late Jim Rance and I think Brian Trainer.
They introduced us to Marg’s Main break and I remember spending the first day shitting myself and swimming around trying to find my pre-leg rope 8″10″ Cordingley stringer-less board.
Later I joined North End Boardriders after finishing 2nd in the annual Scarborough novice event (behind great Perth muso, Billy Rogers).
Me coming out of grommet hood. I joined North End about ’69 and was introduced to real surf culture at our infamous Bonnie and Clyde cabaret. Needless to say the op-shop suit was the victim of regurgitation and never worn again.
Pic of me out at WAIT in the early 70’s.
Once our crew started getting cars, we started the weekend ritual, driving down south on Friday night in time for a few rounds of darts at the Caves House front bar and camping on the lawn at Yalls, under the tea rooms, at the Caves carpark, Injidup thickets or wherever we could escape the ranger. Lots of trekking from Sugarloaf through the bush to 3 Bears and Windmills surf breaks.
Bottom turn Bears right in the 70’s.
Cuttie at Windmills in the 70’s.
First Bali trip in 1973, (pre electricity days and zero development at Ulu’s) and subsequently did the usual – return trips over the years and to various other places (East Coast, Cactus, Maldives, Lombok, Sumbawa, Java, Telos, Morocco, Canaries).
Me beside our trusty bush-basher in Lombok ’92 with Brett Hinkley, Ed DeVries and brother Brian behind the lens.
Surfing Leba on a recent excursion to the Telo Islands in northern Sumatra.
I am a member of Indian Ocean Long Board Club (IOLBC) and get down south regularly, particularly for club comps at Yalls.
Competing in 2018 IOLBC contest at Yalls.
Competing in 2018 IOLBC contest at Huzza.
With 3 of my 4 sons. Christian foreground visiting from Austria, Troy and young Harry. Jordan living in Thirroul outside of Wollongong NSW.
Professionally I studied architecture at WAIT and spent my working life practicing as an Architect in Perth, becoming a director at Peter Overman and Partners (now Zuideveld Marchant Hur P/L) in 1987.
I’m now retired and living behind Trigg Point making it easy to get down and make a nuisance of myself on a regular basis.
I consider myself very fortunate to have been born within spitting distance of the ocean, particularly one of the few surfable breaks in the metro area. Growing up on the beach in the 50s with all the colour and activity provided by places like the Snakepit, Luna Park and Peters by the Sea, followed by the explosion of surf culture in the 60s made me a very lucky boy!
My life has been influenced by the surf. It’s given me a great lifestyle with unique travel and cultural experiences and most of all the great friendships gathered along the way.
You can’t beat hanging around the car park at Trigg or Yalls talking BS with the old boys!
Thanks Ron for sharing your story and pics.
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