In the mid-50s Wembley surfer Ray Geary (19) owned a circa 1930 Essex Super 6 four door sedan.
Ray and his surfing mates loaded their plywood boards on the roof of the vintage sedan and toured Metro and Mandurah beaches looking for waves.
The Essex automobile was produced by the Essex Motor Company between 1918 and 1922 and by Hudson Motor Company of Detroit, Michigan USA between 1922 and 1932. During its production run, the Essex was considered a small car and was affordably priced. The Essex is generally credited with starting a trend away from open touring cars design toward enclosed passenger compartments. By 1929, the Essex was third in U.S. car sales, behind Ford and Chevrolet. Source Wikipedia.
1955 Ray’s Essex ‘Super six’ at Wembley with a 14-16ft plywood toothpick surfboard tied on the roof. Ray Geary pic. L-R Mark Whittome, Barry ‘Stretch’ Gallon & Ray Geary.
Heavy plywood ‘Toothpick’ surfboards became obsolete with the arrival of lighter more manoeuvrable balsa Malibu surfboards introduced to Australia by the American lifeguard team (which included renowned big wave surfer Greg Noll) in a demonstration Surf Lifesaving Carnival, held in conjunction with the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne Vic.
1956 Ray’s Essex Super 6 at City Beach with plywood Toothpick surfboards tied on the roof. Ray Geary pic L-R Barry ‘Stretch’ Gallon, Artie Taylor, Ray Geary, Rob Wakefield & Colin Taylor
In the late 1950s early 1960s Geary’s beach surf break south
of Mandurah was named after Ray and Helen Geary’s beach shack in Sandra Street
Falcon. (Falcon Bay was formerly called Miami). Ray and the boys would head
over the back beach with their ‘planks’ and drink beer at the shack afterwards.
Source Wikipedia.
Thanks Ray, for sharing your WA surf history images.
In the mid-50s Wembley surfer Ray Geary (19) owned a circa 1930 Essex Super 6 four door sedan.
Ray and his surfing mates loaded their plywood boards on the roof of the vintage sedan and toured Metro and Mandurah beaches looking for waves.
The Essex automobile was produced by the Essex Motor Company between 1918 and 1922 and by Hudson Motor Company of Detroit, Michigan USA between 1922 and 1932. During its production run, the Essex was considered a small car and was affordably priced. The Essex is generally credited with starting a trend away from open touring cars design toward enclosed passenger compartments. By 1929, the Essex was third in U.S. car sales, behind Ford and Chevrolet. Source Wikipedia.
L-R Mark Whittome, Barry ‘Stretch’ Gallon & Ray Geary.
Heavy plywood ‘Toothpick’ surfboards became obsolete with the arrival of lighter more manoeuvrable balsa Malibu surfboards introduced to Australia by the American lifeguard team (which included renowned big wave surfer Greg Noll) in a demonstration Surf Lifesaving Carnival, held in conjunction with the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne Vic.
L-R Barry ‘Stretch’ Gallon, Artie Taylor, Ray Geary, Rob Wakefield & Colin Taylor
In the late 1950s early 1960s Geary’s beach surf break south of Mandurah was named after Ray and Helen Geary’s beach shack in Sandra Street Falcon. (Falcon Bay was formerly called Miami). Ray and the boys would head over the back beach with their ‘planks’ and drink beer at the shack afterwards. Source Wikipedia.
Thanks Ray, for sharing your WA surf history images.
—————————————————————–
Share this:
Like this: