WA surfer Natalee ‘Nat’ Fuhrmann won three consecutive Women’s Wave Ski World Championships and dominated the Women’s Wave Ski World Tour in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Nat is the recipient of the ‘Sports Medal of Australia’ for her achievements in surfing.
Nat: “I won the 1990 World Cup on Huntington Beach, California. In 1991, I won the world title at Duranbah, Queensland, then in 1992, I defended my World Cup at Pointe De La Torche, in northern France.
I was three times Australian Champion, three-times New Zealand Champion and a winner of the Canadian Open.
During this period, I also won State Wave Ski Titles and represented WA in the 1991 Australian Malibu Titles held in Queensland.
Here’s a selection of some of the media articles I have…”
1987 Nat wins Australian women’s wave ski title at Margaret River. Evelyn Duffy article in the Stirling Times. 1987 Nat ranked number three in the world and training for world championships in Cornwall, England. Doug White article in the Western Mail. 1987 Nat in Sydney preparing to compete in Monier Gold wave ski classic at Dee Why. Media report. 1987 Nat wins Rumours Wave-ski Classic in Newcastle NSW. The West Australian. 1988 Nat’s promotional tour of Japan. Heather Smith article in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Nat: “This pic of me tucking into a small tube was taken at a “secret spot” in New Zealand during a promotional shoot for national magazine, Surf Ski Quarterly 1987-1993. I was there with a few of the world’s best wave riders, including John Christensen, but don’t ask me if I came out of the barrel, because I can’t remember and not many of us did that day. It was a very fast breaking right-hander that we stumbled across at a river mouth.”
1988 Nat surfing in New Zealand during a promotional shoot for Surf Ski Quarterly magazine.
Nat: “One of the shots from the New Zealand photo shoot made the cover of the magazine”.
1988 Nat’s photo on the cover of Surf Ski Quarterly magazine. 1990 Nat wins World Cup in California. Paul O’Donnell article in the West Australian. 1990 Nat surf reporter for radio station 96FM. Steve Martin article in the Sunday Times. 1991 Nat picked in WA Team for the Australian Malibu Titles in Queensland. Russell Reid article in the West Australian.
Mick Marlin:In 1991 Natalee competed in the first WA Longboard Team at the Australian Malibu Titles held on the Gold Coast Queensland. Nat made the semis; it was WA’s best effort.
1991 WA Longboard Team in Qld. Mick Marlin’s camera. Back: Mick Marlin, Vin Williams, Dave Kennedy, Dave Stedman, Rod Hatchett & Doug Pollain. Front: Kevin Anderson, Natalee Fuhrmann & John Guest.
Nat:“This photo shoot at Trigg was for a sponsor pic. It was used on the back cover of the TAFE student handbook that year”.
1991 Nat photo shoot at Trigg for her sponsor Smoking? no way! 1991 Media article on World Champ Natalee Fuhrmann
Nat: “The photo with me in the white shirt was my channel 9 publicity photo”.
1992 Nat’s TV Channel 9 publicity photo. 1992 Nat story by Darren Walton in The Advocate Sport. 1992 Nat TV leisure presenter at Channel 9 and GWN. West Australian newspaper article.
Nat: “I do remember, that of all my articles, the one titled, “On A Winning Wavelength” got a tremendous response, with readers framing it, or putting it on their fridges for inspiration. I got lots of mail from punters at the time, asking if I’d come and talk to various groups about it.For the record, John Harvey is still alive and thriving. He now lives in our great southern”.
1993 Nat’s ‘On a winning wavelength’ article by Norman Aisbett in West Australian.
Nat: “Here is another magazine cover, from Australasian Post”.
1994 Nat’s photo on the cover of Australasian Post.
Some of Nat’s contest memorabilia is on display at the WA
Surf Gallery, Aravina Estate Yallingup WA.
2019 Nat with her Shane Epoxy World Cup wave ski on display at the WA Surf Gallery. Bruce King pic. Nat’s image on the 1994 TAFE Handbook poster on display at the WA Surf Gallery.Nat’s 1992 World Cup (France) and surfing poster on display at the WA Surf Gallery. 2019 Nat with good friend Marcia Farris at opening night Women in Surfing exhibition at the WA Surf Gallery. Bruce King pic.
Nat: “I still enjoy surfing and ride all types of equipment regularly with friends”.
2012 Nat surfing a short board at Pasta Point in the Maldives. 2018 Nat surfing a shortboard at Lohi’s in the Maldives.
Nat:“This is another pic from the Maldives that I just love. It was taken at Lohi’s in 2018 and I’m on a bodyboard. I remember the wave well, a nice, big set wave on the day we arrived. It certainly got the blood pumping”.
2018 Nat surfing a bodyboard at Lohi’s in the Maldives.
Nat: “My official job title is Content Provider, to the media. At the moment, I’m executive producing a TV series in Melbourne. While my media work sees me travel a lot, my home is still WA. I have two children, a daughter Elli and son Nixon”.
WA surfer Natalee ‘Nat’ Fuhrmann won three consecutive Women’s Wave Ski World Championships and dominated the Women’s Wave Ski World Tour in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Nat is the recipient of the ‘Sports Medal of Australia’ for her achievements in surfing.
Nat: “I won the 1990 World Cup on Huntington Beach, California. In 1991, I won the world title at Duranbah, Queensland, then in 1992, I defended my World Cup at Pointe De La Torche, in northern France.
I was three times Australian Champion, three-times New Zealand Champion and a winner of the Canadian Open.
During this period, I also won State Wave Ski Titles and represented WA in the 1991 Australian Malibu Titles held in Queensland.
Here’s a selection of some of the media articles I have…”
Nat: “This pic of me tucking into a small tube was taken at a “secret spot” in New Zealand during a promotional shoot for national magazine, Surf Ski Quarterly 1987-1993. I was there with a few of the world’s best wave riders, including John Christensen, but don’t ask me if I came out of the barrel, because I can’t remember and not many of us did that day. It was a very fast breaking right-hander that we stumbled across at a river mouth.”
Nat: “One of the shots from the New Zealand photo shoot made the cover of the magazine”.
Mick Marlin: In 1991 Natalee competed in the first WA Longboard Team at the Australian Malibu Titles held on the Gold Coast Queensland. Nat made the semis; it was WA’s best effort.
Back: Mick Marlin, Vin Williams, Dave Kennedy, Dave Stedman, Rod Hatchett & Doug Pollain.
Front: Kevin Anderson, Natalee Fuhrmann & John Guest.
Nat: “This photo shoot at Trigg was for a sponsor pic. It was used on the back cover of the TAFE student handbook that year”.
Nat: “The photo with me in the white shirt was my channel 9 publicity photo”.
Nat: “I do remember, that of all my articles, the one titled, “On A Winning Wavelength” got a tremendous response, with readers framing it, or putting it on their fridges for inspiration. I got lots of mail from punters at the time, asking if I’d come and talk to various groups about it. For the record, John Harvey is still alive and thriving. He now lives in our great southern”.
Nat: “Here is another magazine cover, from Australasian Post”.
Some of Nat’s contest memorabilia is on display at the WA Surf Gallery, Aravina Estate Yallingup WA.
Nat: “I still enjoy surfing and ride all types of equipment regularly with friends”.
Nat: “This is another pic from the Maldives that I just love. It was taken at Lohi’s in 2018 and I’m on a bodyboard. I remember the wave well, a nice, big set wave on the day we arrived. It certainly got the blood pumping”.
Nat: “My official job title is Content Provider, to the media. At the moment, I’m executive producing a TV series in Melbourne. While my media work sees me travel a lot, my home is still WA. I have two children, a daughter Elli and son Nixon”.
Thanks for sharing your story and photos Nat.
——————————————————————
Share this:
Like this: