Tom Hoye (age 75) is the manufacturer of Precision Equip Surfboardsin Margaret River.
The Californian expat was one the first international surfers to relocate to WA’s South West after he saw Margaret River Main Break waves featured in Paul Witzig’s 1969 surf film Evolution.
Tom taught himself to shape surfboards with helpful tips obtained while working for US surf industry legend the late Jack O’Neill in the 1960s.
He is now a renowned designer and innovator of handcrafted surfboards and has been credited with introducing twin fin surfboards to Australia in 1970.
The ocean is an integral part of his life.
This is the second of a three-part series on Tom’s surfing life.
#3. Overseas surf trips and Cowaramup & Margaret River surfboard factories.
Series #2 Covers the period 1971-74 when Tom was manufacturing and selling surfboards at Yallingup. It is based on SDS editor Jim King’s recollections of Tom’s talk stories. The photos are Tom’s unless stated otherwise.
YALLINGUP SURF SHOP
In 1971 I headed to Yallingup to set up a surfboard factory. I arrived at Yallingup car park and asked Surfside Store proprietors Bernie and Eve Young, if they knew of any accommodation suitable for making surfboards. Eve offered me the small ‘Lurch’ cottage next to Surfside, it was ideal, and I started making boards in the cottage at Yallingup beach.
1971 Surfside Store Yallingup. Helen Sceney pic. L-R Helen ‘Spotty’ Smith, Gran Young and Bernie & Eve Young.
I started the Lurch Cottage showrooms with 5-6 boards, two spring suits and some surfboard wax…it was the absolute minimum! This was the first surf shop opened in the Cape Naturaliste/Capes region of WA. Californian ex pat John Malloy ran the showroom for me. It was very early days and John had only been in WA for a few months.
My wife Karen and her friend Helen ‘Spotty’ Smith found a house for us to rent in Hansen Street Dunsborough.
1971 Peter Mac digging leach drain at rear of Lurch cottage Yalls. Peter McDonald pic. 1972 The original Hoye Surfboards sign in the window of Lurch cottage at Yalls. 1973 Surfside Store Yallingup with Lurch cottage (centre) obscured by caravan. Jim McFarlane pic.
SMITHS VALLEY, YALLINGUP
On the same day I was offered the Lurch Cottage in 1971, I drove down the old dirt track to Smiths Beach and saw an old House and shearing shed owned by a Mining Company. I thought it would be ideal place to live and make surfboards.
The next morning, I went into Busselton to see if I could rent the place from the Mining Company but was unsuccessful. Craig Brent-White and Hans Kropp rented the two stone cottages in Smiths Valley and Peter Kidd rented the old Coach House.
Peter Kidd subsequently offered me the old Coach House in 1972.
In 1972 I moved to Smiths Valley and rented the Old Coach House and an old shearing shed. I set up a surfboard factory in the shearing shed with four rooms for shaping, sanding, glassing and gloss. I was making five surfboards a week and supporting my family.
I retained the Surfside ‘Lurch’ cottage at Yallingup as my retail shop and sold my surfboards from there.
Craig Brent-White’s CapeNaturaliste Vineyard in Smiths Valley now occupies the site of the Old Coach House. Tom’s surf factory in the old shearing shed has been demolished.
1972 Hoye Surfboard factory in old shearing shed Smiths Valley at Yalls. 1972 Family & friends outside the surfboard factory. Includes Steve Carter R.I.P. & Tom’s daughter Donyale on the left and John Malloy & Mary on the right. Others unidentified. 1972 Smiths Valley #1 Helen ‘Spotty’ Smith with Tom and his mum 1972 Smiths Valley #2 Left: Tom, daughter Donyale and wife Karen with a local roo. Right: Chris, Mary and Donyale with Helen sunning themselves outside the old Coach House. 1972 Smiths Valley #3 Left: Chris and his Kombi van Right: Old Coach House and farm animals 1972 Smiths Valley #4. Top: Donyale, Mary & Karen. Bottom: Helen, Mary, Karen & Donyale. 1972 Smiths Valley #5. Top: Mary, Tom, Karen and Mario Bottom: Chris, Karen, Helen and Tom with new surfboard packaged for sending to owner. 1972 Smiths Valley #6. Top: Vicky, Donyale and unidentified Bottom: Unidentified, Vicky, Donyale and Glyn Lance. 1973 A spontaneous collection of the Smiths Valley crew at Yallingup. Image courtesy of Ray Stammire Standing: Peter, Tom Hoye, Hans Kopp, Lee Fenwick, Craig Kohtala, Chris Bowen & Jane Saint, Jeff Carroll, Lulu, George Simpson unidentified & Tom Greybill. Sitting: Dog, Scott Andrew (RIP), Jack Kohtala, Dog’s kid, Ray Stammire & Robbo.
SURFBOARD DESIGN
In the early days surfing in the South West was fantasy land with Hawaiian quality waves, not many surfers. Two to eight surfers on the average session, 12 to 15 was the crowd. Most were using 6’6” to 6’10” single fins on the gunnier side 11” to 12” noses 18 1/2” to 19” wide 10 1/2” to 12” tails, also quite a few shorter (under 6′) twin and single fins.
1970s Tom with single fin Hoye surfboard at Contos Beach near Margaret River. Gary Kontoolis pic.
Early WA board
shapes were influenced by what came from the east coast.
As an example, by chance, I brought the first twin fin
to Australia, they took off on the east coast and by the time I got to W.A.
they were here in a big way. I never did really like twins, not enough drive.
Surfing this coast between 1971 and 1981 was so idealistic and free – it’s hard to put it into words. We were so lucky!
1971-73 Margaret River Main Break. Top: 1971 Tom Hoye. Middle: 1972 Tom Hoye. Bottom: 1973 Rob Ward 1973 Tom surfing Big Rock near Gracetown
SUPER TUBES
The late Steve Fordham was a talented surfer from Scarborough. We both liked surfing the fast pitching waves at Smiths Reef at Yallingup. One day in 1971 Steve said, “let’s go surf that break up there“, so we paddled up to the right at the other end of the bay and surfed hollow waves for hours on our own. When we were leaving Steve said, “no one has surfed this break before, let’s call it Super Tubes”. I said there is already a surf break with that name in South Africa. Steve said, “that doesn’t matter, this is WA’s Super Tubes”. And that’s how the surf break got its name.
1976 Injidup Spring Titles Steve Fordham (RIP) and supporters. Ric Chan pic.
MGM aka THREE BEARS
Everyone used to stand at the wall at Yallingup and you could see Bears Beach up the other end of the coast, we thought there must be waves up there. One morning George Simpson, Mick Pearce and Mark Rudenberg said they’d drive to Sugarloaf and walk in to find the beach. Everyone sort of went, “oh yeah, good idea, but sounds hard.” There were no tracks then and you would have to thrash through the bush with your board.
One afternoon in August 1971, they came staggering into Caves House with raving stories of the perfect left-hander, saying “you gotta go, you gotta go.” We trudged in at dawn to find a perfect 4 to 6 foot left-hander with offshore wind. A perfect day at Bears. We were stunned with how perfect it was, and we surfed till we couldn’t surf anymore. Back then we called it MGM’s (Mark, George & Mike) after the three guys who discovered the place, but the Perth guys came down and decided to call it Three Bears and the Perth guys have the population and they always win.
We were living in Dunsborough at the time, and one Christmas morning me, Rob Ward,Tris Coates (UK) and Gary Kontoolas took off in my old FJ Holden from the back of the house I was renting on Hansen Street, Dunsborough behind the back of the cemetery.
We cut through a paddock, pushed the car through another paddock then got onto a firebreak and charged up the hill towards d’Espeissis place. We crashed through up the hill along an overgrown firebreak, punctured the radiator and mangled the fenders, but we got through and connected to the beach track behind d’Espeissis property. We had made a track from my backyard straight to Bears. At the time d’Espeissis track had been closed down and it was a killer walk to get to the beach.
For six months, while Bears became more and more popular Rob Conneeley, George Simpson, Rob Ward, Gary Kontoolas, Glen Lance and I decided not to tell anyone about the track from my backyard to Bears. We would hide our car by parking behind where the parking lot is now, and we would go to the trouble of walking all the way around and coming back down the walking trail like the others had to do. We’d go in for a surf with the other guys, and once the wind came in, they’d head back up the hill on the long walk to their cars and we would let them see us paddling out for another session. Later, as they would pull into the Dunsborough Bakery all hot and thirsty from their long walk, we would be sitting there with our lunches and milkshakes already finished 😊
Tom’s Bears comments courtesy of Surfing Down South Book published 2014 by Margaret River Press.
1973 sequence shots of Tom surfing Mama’s at Three Bears surf break. Karen and Mary are on the beach top left.
Hans Kopp was the chef at the Lobster Pot Restaurant at Yallingup in 1973. He started surfing late in his 20s. I remember Hans’s first tube ride at Three Bears. This day, we were surfing Baby Bears and he wasn’t getting many waves, then he took off on a solid left. He was right in the slot and got the tube ride of his life. The look on his face on that tube ride, was something I will never forget!
1975 Yallingup surfers working on Peter Dyson’s property at Northcliffe. Peter Mac pic. L-R Chris Green, Hans Kopp, Ian ‘Prive’ Morris, Daryl ‘Buggsy’ Edwards & Peter McDonald.
LEFTHANDERS/ELLENSBROOK
Springtime/coming summer in 1971 Tony Harbo, Glyn Lance, Hans Kopp and I went to surf Lefthanders.
When we got to North Point it was 8ft and we knew it would be solid at Lefties. We drove up the old bush track to Lefties and parked behind the break. It was big! It was obvious Tony and Hans were not going to be surfing and I personally did not like the look of it. Perfect conditions and monster size, it looked tough! Glyn picked up on the vibe and was looking at the Ellenbrook bombie and said, “lets drive up there”. So we drove up and parked behind the bombie. When had a close look at the bombie, it was huge!
Glyn paddled out to have a real quick look at the 12 foot waves. He took off on a big left dropped to the bottom of the wave and did one of his late bottom-turns before re-adjusting back up into the pit. We couldn’t see him, he was out of sight then he popped out of the barrel, straightened up and headed to the beach. He run up to the car and said, “it was too dangerous, let’s go back to Lefthanders”.
Back at Lefthanders, Glyn was still in his wettie and went straight out in the 10 foot waves. I was slowly waxing my board on the beach when Glyn took off late on a howler and disappeared into another barrel. He was covered up nearly all the way to Noisies before popping out prone, then he stood up and cranked another turn up the face of the wave to pull out. He paddled back out and slammed a big cuttie back into the tube on the next wave.
A couple of years ago Australian Surf Journalist Derek Hynd contacted me and asked who was best tube rider I have seen, I told him it was four times World Champion Mark Richards surfing in Hawaii, then I thought about it and rang Derek back. I then told him Bunbury’s Glyn Lance was the best tube rider I have surfed with!
1971 Surfside Store Yallingup. Helen Sceney pic L-R Bruce King & Glyn Lance with Bernie Young in background.
In 1974 I sold my surfboard factory in Smiths Valley and surf shop at Surfside ‘Lurch’ cottage at Yallingup to David ‘Dappa’ Plaistead of Sunrise Surfboards. And I travelled overseas chasing waves in South Africa, California and Hawaii.
1975 Sunrise Surfboards factory Smiths Valley. Andy Jones pic. L-R Ronnie Ratshit, Dappa, Gary Gibbon & unidentified.1975 Sunrise Surfboards retail shop Lurch cottage Yalls. Ric Chan pic.
Thanks for sharing your story and photos Tom.
Coming soon Tom Hoye Story #3. Overseas surf trips and Cowaramup & Margaret River surfboard factories.
Tom Hoye (age 75) is the manufacturer of Precision Equip Surfboards in Margaret River.
The Californian expat was one the first international surfers to relocate to WA’s South West after he saw Margaret River Main Break waves featured in Paul Witzig’s 1969 surf film Evolution.
Tom taught himself to shape surfboards with helpful tips obtained while working for US surf industry legend the late Jack O’Neill in the 1960s.
He is now a renowned designer and innovator of handcrafted surfboards and has been credited with introducing twin fin surfboards to Australia in 1970.
The ocean is an integral part of his life.
This is the second of a three-part series on Tom’s surfing life.
#1. Santa Cruz to Margaret River
#2. Yallingup surfboard factory and shop
#3. Overseas surf trips and Cowaramup & Margaret River surfboard factories.
Series #2 Covers the period 1971-74 when Tom was manufacturing and selling surfboards at Yallingup. It is based on SDS editor Jim King’s recollections of Tom’s talk stories. The photos are Tom’s unless stated otherwise.
YALLINGUP SURF SHOP
In 1971 I headed to Yallingup to set up a surfboard factory. I arrived at Yallingup car park and asked Surfside Store proprietors Bernie and Eve Young, if they knew of any accommodation suitable for making surfboards. Eve offered me the small ‘Lurch’ cottage next to Surfside, it was ideal, and I started making boards in the cottage at Yallingup beach.
L-R Helen ‘Spotty’ Smith, Gran Young and Bernie & Eve Young.
I started the Lurch Cottage showrooms with 5-6 boards, two spring suits and some surfboard wax…it was the absolute minimum! This was the first surf shop opened in the Cape Naturaliste/Capes region of WA. Californian ex pat John Malloy ran the showroom for me. It was very early days and John had only been in WA for a few months.
My wife Karen and her friend Helen ‘Spotty’ Smith found a house for us to rent in Hansen Street Dunsborough.
Jim McFarlane pic.
SMITHS VALLEY, YALLINGUP
On the same day I was offered the Lurch Cottage in 1971, I drove down the old dirt track to Smiths Beach and saw an old House and shearing shed owned by a Mining Company. I thought it would be ideal place to live and make surfboards.
The next morning, I went into Busselton to see if I could rent the place from the Mining Company but was unsuccessful. Craig Brent-White and Hans Kropp rented the two stone cottages in Smiths Valley and Peter Kidd rented the old Coach House.
Peter Kidd subsequently offered me the old Coach House in 1972.
In 1972 I moved to Smiths Valley and rented the Old Coach House and an old shearing shed. I set up a surfboard factory in the shearing shed with four rooms for shaping, sanding, glassing and gloss. I was making five surfboards a week and supporting my family.
I retained the Surfside ‘Lurch’ cottage at Yallingup as my retail shop and sold my surfboards from there.
Related content:
John Malloy’s video of Tom shaping in Smiths Valley 1972 Run time 4:27 min
Craig Brent-White’s Cape Naturaliste Vineyard in Smiths Valley now occupies the site of the Old Coach House. Tom’s surf factory in the old shearing shed has been demolished.
Helen ‘Spotty’ Smith with Tom and his mum
Left: Tom, daughter Donyale and wife Karen with a local roo.
Right: Chris, Mary and Donyale with Helen sunning themselves outside the old Coach House.
Left: Chris and his Kombi van
Right: Old Coach House and farm animals
Top: Donyale, Mary & Karen.
Bottom: Helen, Mary, Karen & Donyale.
Top: Mary, Tom, Karen and Mario
Bottom: Chris, Karen, Helen and Tom with new surfboard packaged for sending to owner.
Top: Vicky, Donyale and unidentified
Bottom: Unidentified, Vicky, Donyale and Glyn Lance.
Standing: Peter, Tom Hoye, Hans Kopp, Lee Fenwick, Craig Kohtala, Chris Bowen & Jane Saint, Jeff Carroll, Lulu, George Simpson unidentified & Tom Greybill.
Sitting: Dog, Scott Andrew (RIP), Jack Kohtala, Dog’s kid, Ray Stammire & Robbo.
SURFBOARD DESIGN
In the early days surfing in the South West was fantasy land with Hawaiian quality waves, not many surfers. Two to eight surfers on the average session, 12 to 15 was the crowd. Most were using 6’6” to 6’10” single fins on the gunnier side 11” to 12” noses 18 1/2” to 19” wide 10 1/2” to 12” tails, also quite a few shorter (under 6′) twin and single fins.
Early WA board shapes were influenced by what came from the east coast.
As an example, by chance, I brought the first twin fin to Australia, they took off on the east coast and by the time I got to W.A. they were here in a big way. I never did really like twins, not enough drive.
Related content:
Origin of Twin Fin Surfboards in OZ by Tom Hoye published 10 August 2016.
SURFING THE SOUTH WEST
Surfing this coast between 1971 and 1981 was so idealistic and free – it’s hard to put it into words. We were so lucky!
Top: 1971 Tom Hoye. Middle: 1972 Tom Hoye. Bottom: 1973 Rob Ward
SUPER TUBES
The late Steve Fordham was a talented surfer from Scarborough. We both liked surfing the fast pitching waves at Smiths Reef at Yallingup. One day in 1971 Steve said, “let’s go surf that break up there“, so we paddled up to the right at the other end of the bay and surfed hollow waves for hours on our own. When we were leaving Steve said, “no one has surfed this break before, let’s call it Super Tubes”. I said there is already a surf break with that name in South Africa. Steve said, “that doesn’t matter, this is WA’s Super Tubes”. And that’s how the surf break got its name.
MGM aka THREE BEARS
Everyone used to stand at the wall at Yallingup and you could see Bears Beach up the other end of the coast, we thought there must be waves up there. One morning George Simpson, Mick Pearce and Mark Rudenberg said they’d drive to Sugarloaf and walk in to find the beach. Everyone sort of went, “oh yeah, good idea, but sounds hard.” There were no tracks then and you would have to thrash through the bush with your board.
One afternoon in August 1971, they came staggering into Caves House with raving stories of the perfect left-hander, saying “you gotta go, you gotta go.” We trudged in at dawn to find a perfect 4 to 6 foot left-hander with offshore wind. A perfect day at Bears. We were stunned with how perfect it was, and we surfed till we couldn’t surf anymore. Back then we called it MGM’s (Mark, George & Mike) after the three guys who discovered the place, but the Perth guys came down and decided to call it Three Bears and the Perth guys have the population and they always win.
We were living in Dunsborough at the time, and one Christmas morning me, Rob Ward,
We cut through a paddock, pushed the car through another paddock then got onto a firebreak and charged up the hill towards d’Espeissis place. We crashed through up the hill along an overgrown firebreak, punctured the radiator and mangled the fenders, but we got through and connected to the beach track behind d’Espeissis property. We had made a track from my backyard straight to Bears. At the time d’Espeissis track had been closed down and it was a killer walk to get to the beach.
For six months, while Bears became more and more popular Rob Conneeley, George Simpson, Rob Ward, Gary Kontoolas, Glen Lance and I decided not to tell anyone about the track from my backyard to Bears. We would hide our car by parking behind where the parking lot is now, and we would go to the trouble of walking all the way around and coming back down the walking trail like the others had to do. We’d go in for a surf with the other guys, and once the wind came in, they’d head back up the hill on the long walk to their cars and we would let them see us paddling out for another session. Later, as they would pull into the Dunsborough Bakery all hot and thirsty from their long walk, we would be sitting there with our lunches and milkshakes already finished 😊
Tom’s Bears comments courtesy of Surfing Down South Book published 2014 by Margaret River Press.
Hans Kopp was the chef at the Lobster Pot Restaurant at Yallingup in 1973. He started surfing late in his 20s. I remember Hans’s first tube ride at Three Bears. This day, we were surfing Baby Bears and he wasn’t getting many waves, then he took off on a solid left. He was right in the slot and got the tube ride of his life. The look on his face on that tube ride, was something I will never forget!
L-R Chris Green, Hans Kopp, Ian ‘Prive’ Morris, Daryl ‘Buggsy’ Edwards & Peter McDonald.
LEFTHANDERS/ELLENSBROOK
Springtime/coming summer in 1971 Tony Harbo, Glyn Lance, Hans Kopp and I went to surf Lefthanders.
When we got to North Point it was 8ft and we knew it would be solid at Lefties. We drove up the old bush track to Lefties and parked behind the break. It was big! It was obvious Tony and Hans were not going to be surfing and I personally did not like the look of it. Perfect conditions and monster size, it looked tough! Glyn picked up on the vibe and was looking at the Ellenbrook bombie and said, “lets drive up there”. So we drove up and parked behind the bombie. When had a close look at the bombie, it was huge!
Glyn paddled out to have a real quick look at the 12 foot waves. He took off on a big left dropped to the bottom of the wave and did one of his late bottom-turns before re-adjusting back up into the pit. We couldn’t see him, he was out of sight then he popped out of the barrel, straightened up and headed to the beach. He run up to the car and said, “it was too dangerous, let’s go back to Lefthanders”.
Back at Lefthanders, Glyn was still in his wettie and went straight out in the 10 foot waves. I was slowly waxing my board on the beach when Glyn took off late on a howler and disappeared into another barrel. He was covered up nearly all the way to Noisies before popping out prone, then he stood up and cranked another turn up the face of the wave to pull out. He paddled back out and slammed a big cuttie back into the tube on the next wave.
A couple of years ago Australian Surf Journalist Derek Hynd contacted me and asked who was best tube rider I have seen, I told him it was four times World Champion Mark Richards surfing in Hawaii, then I thought about it and rang Derek back. I then told him Bunbury’s Glyn Lance was the best tube rider I have surfed with!
L-R Bruce King & Glyn Lance with Bernie Young in background.
In 1974 I sold my surfboard factory in Smiths Valley and surf shop at Surfside ‘Lurch’ cottage at Yallingup to David ‘Dappa’ Plaistead of Sunrise Surfboards. And I travelled overseas chasing waves in South Africa, California and Hawaii.
L-R Ronnie Ratshit, Dappa, Gary Gibbon & unidentified.
Thanks for sharing your story and photos Tom.
Coming soon Tom Hoye Story #3. Overseas surf trips and Cowaramup & Margaret River surfboard factories.
Related Content.
Shape shifter: Surfing legend Tom Hoye story by Tom De Souza for Your Margaret River Region Magazine No.17 Autumn 2020
Tom is still producing high quality handcrafted Precision Equip Surfboards in his Surf Factory at Lot 4, 1 Burton Road Margaret River WA.
Phone: 08 97572585 Mobile: 0428224402 Email: hoyequip@gmail.com
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