Rocky Point surf break in south west WA has been surfed since the early 60s.
City Beach surfers Geoff Berry, Brian Boynes and Barry King first surfed Rocky Point in 1963. The boys had heard about the potential surf break from a boatie. When the conditions were right, Geoff drove his VW Beetle through a farm gate and along a creek bed to access the waves.
Yallingup Board Club members were surfing Rocky by 1964.
Access to the surf break was usually by crossing other people’s land, so there were problems with the landowners from the outset.
In the 60s surfers borrowed the gate key from the d’Espeissis family (landowners at Cape Naturaliste) and used a dirt track through the family farm to access the surf break. Surfers parked their cars on a clearing at the point or in the corner of the bay.
Photo: 1968 Murray Smith and Bob Shenston chatting on the Rocky Point track through d’Espeissis property. Jim Breadsell pic.
This arrangement worked well until an irresponsible intruder shot the testicles off one of the family’s prize bulls and put an end to that access option.
After the d’Espeissis track was closed, surfers accessed Rocky by car and/or scooter via a firebreak track from Eagle Bay. This continued until local property owners became unhappy with vehicles passing through their properties and put up fences to stop to that caper.
These days, there is no public vehicle access to Rocky Point, users (surfers, fishermen and hikers) walk in on a coastal track from Eagle Bay or access the surf break by boat or jet-ski.
For more information on Rocky Point access issues refer to the Surfing Down South book published 2014 by Margaret River Press.
This is a collection of 1970s Rocky Point surfing pics and anecdotes from various contributors.
Image: 1971 Country Surf Magazine (Vol 1. No 2) cover shot of Ian Cairns surfing Rocky Point. Tom Collins pic.
John Balgarnie – “The mission at Rocky was always to get to the farmer before he handed the gate keys to someone else. We always drove in, we never walked”.
Photo: Early 1970s Cottesloe goofy footer John Balgarnie (age 22) surfing Rocky Point. Photo courtesy of John Balgarnie and Mike Wynne.
Photos: 1972 Rocky Point. Tom Collins pics.
Left: uncrowded Rocky Point line-up.
Right: Kelvin Loveridge with Greenough spoon knee board.
Photos: 1970s Rocky Point unidentified surfers. Tom Collins pics
Mark Hills“Bill Webb and his older brother Wayne from Kealy (suburb of Busselton) used to be regulars at Rocky Point in the early 70s. Wayne never wore a wettie even in the middle winter. The Webb boys were probably the first indigenous surfers in the South West”.
Photos: 1970s Bob Monkman surfing Rocky Point. Ric Chan pics.
John ‘Tex’ Branch – “Back in the early 70s when side slipping surfboards were in vogue, Steve ‘Horny’ Campbell was an accomplished exponent of slide slipping at Rocky Point”.
Photos: 1970s Rocky Point.
Left: side slipper ace Steve ‘Horny’ Campbell. Horny Campbell pic
Right: Steve ‘Blue’ Nicholson cuttie. Tom Collins pic.
Photos: 1970s unidentified surfers at Rocky Point. Ric Chan pics.
Rocky Point can be fun, but it has its limitations and is not everyone’s cup of tea. We will let Margaret River surfer Bill Gibson have the last word on this matter.
Bill Gibson – “In the 70s I did 13 weeks in a row Down South and I think I surfed Rocky Point every time. To this day, I hate Rocky Point, it’s on my banned list”. 😊
Rocky Point surf break in south west WA has been surfed since the early 60s.
City Beach surfers Geoff Berry, Brian Boynes and Barry King first surfed Rocky Point in 1963. The boys had heard about the potential surf break from a boatie. When the conditions were right, Geoff drove his VW Beetle through a farm gate and along a creek bed to access the waves.
Yallingup Board Club members were surfing Rocky by 1964.
Click on this link to view Early 1960s SW surfing recollections by Mike Bibby.
Access issues
Access to the surf break was usually by crossing other people’s land, so there were problems with the landowners from the outset.
In the 60s surfers borrowed the gate key from the d’Espeissis family (landowners at Cape Naturaliste) and used a dirt track through the family farm to access the surf break. Surfers parked their cars on a clearing at the point or in the corner of the bay.
Photo: 1968 Murray Smith and Bob Shenston chatting on the Rocky Point track through d’Espeissis property. Jim Breadsell pic.
This arrangement worked well until an irresponsible intruder shot the testicles off one of the family’s prize bulls and put an end to that access option.
After the d’Espeissis track was closed, surfers accessed Rocky by car and/or scooter via a firebreak track from Eagle Bay. This continued until local property owners became unhappy with vehicles passing through their properties and put up fences to stop to that caper.
These days, there is no public vehicle access to Rocky Point, users (surfers, fishermen and hikers) walk in on a coastal track from Eagle Bay or access the surf break by boat or jet-ski.
For more information on Rocky Point access issues refer to the Surfing Down South book published 2014 by Margaret River Press.
This is a collection of 1970s Rocky Point surfing pics and anecdotes from various contributors.
Image: 1971 Country Surf Magazine (Vol 1. No 2) cover shot of Ian Cairns surfing Rocky Point. Tom Collins pic.
Photos: 1970 Ian Cairns surfing overhead Rocky Point. Ric Chan pics.
John Balgarnie – “The mission at Rocky was always to get to the farmer before he handed the gate keys to someone else. We always drove in, we never walked”.
Photo: Early 1970s Cottesloe goofy footer John Balgarnie (age 22) surfing Rocky Point. Photo courtesy of John Balgarnie and Mike Wynne.
Photos: 1972 Rocky Point. Tom Collins pics.
Left: uncrowded Rocky Point line-up.
Right: Kelvin Loveridge with Greenough spoon knee board.
Photos: 1970s Rocky Point unidentified surfers. Tom Collins pics
Mark Hills “Bill Webb and his older brother Wayne from Kealy (suburb of Busselton) used to be regulars at Rocky Point in the early 70s. Wayne never wore a wettie even in the middle winter. The Webb boys were probably the first indigenous surfers in the South West”.
Photos: 1970s Bob Monkman surfing Rocky Point. Ric Chan pics.
Photos: 1970s Steve ‘Sheepdog’ Cockburn surfing Rocky Point. Ric Chan pics.
Photos: 1970s Rocky Point. Ric Chan pics.
Top: Chuck Stewart in the keyhole at Rocky.
Bottom: Stewart Bettenay surfing.
Photos: 1970s Jeff ‘Re’ Marshall climbing rocks and surfing Rocky Point. Ric Chan pics.
Photos: 1970s Vin Nolan from Blaxell Surfboards surfing Rocky point. Ric Chan pics.
Photos: 1970s Rocky Point. Ric Chan pics
Left: unidentified on the rocks.
Right: Tony Hardy bottom turn.
John ‘Tex’ Branch – “Back in the early 70s when side slipping surfboards were in vogue, Steve ‘Horny’ Campbell was an accomplished exponent of slide slipping at Rocky Point”.
Photos: 1970s Rocky Point.
Left: side slipper ace Steve ‘Horny’ Campbell. Horny Campbell pic
Right: Steve ‘Blue’ Nicholson cuttie. Tom Collins pic.
Photos: 1970s unidentified surfers at Rocky Point. Ric Chan pics.
Rocky Point can be fun, but it has its limitations and is not everyone’s cup of tea. We will let Margaret River surfer Bill Gibson have the last word on this matter.
Bill Gibson – “In the 70s I did 13 weeks in a row Down South and I think I surfed Rocky Point every time. To this day, I hate Rocky Point, it’s on my banned list”. 😊
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