From 1989 to 1997 (excluding 1990) the City Beach Surf Riders Club ran pro surfing Night Surfing Classic events under lights at City Beach. During the 90s the event become a highlight of WA’s surfing calendar.
City Beach by night was transformed – the groyne and beach with lighting towers, provided an amphitheatre that created a surreal atmosphere. The gladiator man-on-man competition attracted an appreciative crowd, sometimes in the thousands, watching City Beach surfers take on some of the best surfers in Oz, on home turf.
The format of the Night Surfing Classics was man on man due to the small take off area. The first night was the City Beach trials. On the second night the successful trialists were each up against a State invitee in the first round of the Main Event. The State invitees were chosen from the top ranked Open, Junior and Cadet surfers according to WASRA’s ratings.
1992 Spectators at Night Surfing Classic City Beach. Image courtesy of Richard Stone
The first ever Night Surfing Classic in 1989 was part of the City of Perth Beach Classic – a weekend of beach sports, activities and music. In that first year, well known surfer Richard Kelly defeated Matt Branson in small fun waves.
1989 Beach Classic poster and Programme.1989 Thank you letter to City Beach Surf Riders Club from the Lord Mayor.
There was no Beach Classic night surfing event in 1990. City Beach Surf Riders Club ran an intraclub night surfing contest.
1990 City of Perth approval to run Club night surfing contest at City Beach groyne.
Over the years, different sponsors created naming rights variations, but in essence it was always known as the ‘Night Surfing Comp’ run by the City Beach crew. The commitment of vision of Richard Stone saw the event expand and become an attractive proposition to sponsors. With well-known local sponsor, The Star Surf and Skate Shop, the 1991 Night Surfing Classic was billed as a battle of Big Mac’s – Dave Macaulay and Mike McAuliffe. The 11pm final had a scare when a dark shape entered the floodlit waters, luckily it was just an inquisitive seal. Dave Macaulay defeated young City Beach surfer Adam Morrison.
1991 City of Perth Beach Classic poster.1991 City of Perth Beach ClassicProgramme.1991/92 Taj Burrow competing Night Surfing Classic. Image courtesy of Richard Stone.1991 Night Classic event.Mark LucasHot City Nights article in Get Wet News.
In 1992 the Star Night Surfing Classic expanded to three nights. After two good nights, the Saturday was washed out with storms. The finals were held on the Sunday and Mike McAuliffe was successful over Peter Hayes.
1992 Beach Classic Poster and layout map.1992 City of Perth Beach Classic Programme.1992 Spectators on the groyne and beach at Night Surfing Classic City Beach. Image courtesy of Richard Stone.1992 Night Surfing Classic. Media coverage by News Chronicle and The West Australian.
In 1993 the City of Perth abandoned their Beach Classic, but still fully supported the Night Surfing Classic. Over four thousand spectators viewed the event over three nights with Dave Macaulay regaining the title after defeating Rick Jakovich.
1993 Star-Gath Night Surfing Classic advertisement in X Press Magazine.1993 Star-Gath Night Surfing Classic. City of Perth Welcome to Night Surfing and Breakfast Launch.1993 Results National Mutual City Beach Classic and Round 1 Star-Gath Night Surf ClassicWomen & OpenMens.1993 ResultsStar-Gath Night Surf Classic Round 2 and Open Mens finals.1993 Gath Night Surfing Classic photos by Marcello Palacios in News Chronicle Community newspaper.
To make the event bigger, in 1994 City Beach attracted dual World Pro Surfing Champion Tom Carroll (1983 and 1984 ASP World Tour and the 1987 Pipe Masters). It worked!
1994 Aqua Vital Night Surfing Classic poster.1994 Aqua Vital Night Surfing Classic media previews. Top. Tom Carroll – Post News Bottom. Dave Macaulay – West Australian News1994 Aqua Vital Night Surfing. Preview by Russell Reid in the West Australian.1994 Night Surf Classic preview by Cameron Bedford-Brown for Post Newspaper.1994 Night Surfing Classic. Wayne Murphy article in X-Press mag.1994 Night Surfing Classic. Tom Carroll article The Chronicle News.1994 Night Surfing Classic. Local Darren McNab wins event. The West Australian.1994 Moonlighting article in Who Magazine (US) featuring Night Surfing Classic event at City Beach.
In 1994 a Tom Carroll, Dave Mac coaching clinic was set up to help pay for their appearance fees.
1994 Star Surf Shop Coaching Clinic posters.1994 Star Surf Shop Coaching Clinic certificate and Tee Shirts signed by Tom Carroll & Dave Mac.1994 Coaching Clinic photo signed by Tom Carroll & Dave Mac. Image courtesy of Richard Stone. L-R Tom Carroll, Contest Director Richard Stone and Dave Macaulay.
The 1995 event garnered even greater media coverage and the Council estimated crowds over seven thousand. The dual World Champion lost in the semis to Pater Hayes while City Beach’s Darren ‘Spaz’ McNab took out Dave Macaulay in the final. McNab won $3000 and City Beach partied that night😊
1995 Coca Cola Ocean Action Night Surfing poster signed by Tom Carroll, Dave Mac & Stuart Bedford-Brown.1995 Coca Cola Night Surfing Classic photos by Marcello Palacios in News Chronicle Community newspaper.
The following year, in 1996, the event reverted to the multi-sport festival approach – The City Beach Ocean Action with the surf event headlining the card and Cottesloe pro surfer Stuart Bedford-Brown joining Tom Carroll as the top seeds. After two successful nights the surf went flat, and twenty surfers shared the prize money.
By 1997 the Ocean Action Night Surfing Classic was clearly a standout on the annual surfing calendar and was still attracting impressive fields of Pro surfers. Yallingup’s pro surfer Jake Paterson surfed to victory ahead of three-time runner-up Peter Hayes. Sadly, this was the final year the event was conducted in that format. ☹
Declining sponsorship dollars, combined with the splitting up of the city of Perth into four smaller councils made it impossible for the event to continue at that level.
1997 City Beach Ocean Action posters.1997 Night Surfing Classic congratulations from Jim Taylor City Beach Kiosk. PostNewspaper.1997 City Beach Surf Dig raffle winnerwith Richard Stone.
The 90s Night Surfing Classics were a lot of fun, and many contributed to their success. Richard Stone pays tribute to Tom Wilson, Jimmy Childs, Duncan Taylor, Simon O’Sullivan, Anthony Hilton and Jaxon Crocker along with Dave Kennedy, Bill Oddy, Andy Harler, Rick Gath and Cameron Bedford-Brown.
In 2002 a Night Surfing Classic was run by Jaxon Crocker and Tom Wilson as a Board Rider Teams event.
2002 Night Surfing Classicposter.
Richard Stone. “As a result of the popularity of the Night Surfing Classic at City Beach, in 1994 and 1996 I was invited to the Gunston 500 surfing event in South Africa to assist them with their night surfing event. On each occasion I ventured down to Jeffreys Bay on the eastern Cape for a surf”.
1996 South Africa pro night surfing posters.1996 South Africa Gotcha Glodina Pro Surfing Classic Night coverage by Pierre Tosteein Natal Mercury.
Today the City Beach Surf Riders Club continues to run club night surfing events at City Beach.
This material is based on Richard Stone’s article in the Surfing WA Celebrating 50 Years book published 2014 and includes additional comments and images courtesy of Richard.
Thanks Richard Stone and Surfing WA for sharing your WA surf history material.
From 1989 to 1997 (excluding 1990) the City Beach Surf Riders Club ran pro surfing Night Surfing Classic events under lights at City Beach. During the 90s the event become a highlight of WA’s surfing calendar.
City Beach by night was transformed – the groyne and beach with lighting towers, provided an amphitheatre that created a surreal atmosphere. The gladiator man-on-man competition attracted an appreciative crowd, sometimes in the thousands, watching City Beach surfers take on some of the best surfers in Oz, on home turf.
The format of the Night Surfing Classics was man on man due to the small take off area. The first night was the City Beach trials. On the second night the successful trialists were each up against a State invitee in the first round of the Main Event. The State invitees were chosen from the top ranked Open, Junior and Cadet surfers according to WASRA’s ratings.
The first ever Night Surfing Classic in 1989 was part of the City of Perth Beach Classic – a weekend of beach sports, activities and music. In that first year, well known surfer Richard Kelly defeated Matt Branson in small fun waves.
There was no Beach Classic night surfing event in 1990. City Beach Surf Riders Club ran an intraclub night surfing contest.
Over the years, different sponsors created naming rights variations, but in essence it was always known as the ‘Night Surfing Comp’ run by the City Beach crew. The commitment of vision of Richard Stone saw the event expand and become an attractive proposition to sponsors. With well-known local sponsor, The Star Surf and Skate Shop, the 1991 Night Surfing Classic was billed as a battle of Big Mac’s – Dave Macaulay and Mike McAuliffe. The 11pm final had a scare when a dark shape entered the floodlit waters, luckily it was just an inquisitive seal. Dave Macaulay defeated young City Beach surfer Adam Morrison.
In 1992 the Star Night Surfing Classic expanded to three nights. After two good nights, the Saturday was washed out with storms. The finals were held on the Sunday and Mike McAuliffe was successful over Peter Hayes.
In 1993 the City of Perth abandoned their Beach Classic, but still fully supported the Night Surfing Classic. Over four thousand spectators viewed the event over three nights with Dave Macaulay regaining the title after defeating Rick Jakovich.
To make the event bigger, in 1994 City Beach attracted dual World Pro Surfing Champion Tom Carroll (1983 and 1984 ASP World Tour and the 1987 Pipe Masters). It worked!
Top. Tom Carroll – Post News
Bottom. Dave Macaulay – West Australian News
In 1994 a Tom Carroll, Dave Mac coaching clinic was set up to help pay for their appearance fees.
L-R Tom Carroll, Contest Director Richard Stone and Dave Macaulay.
The 1995 event garnered even greater media coverage and the Council estimated crowds over seven thousand. The dual World Champion lost in the semis to Pater Hayes while City Beach’s Darren ‘Spaz’ McNab took out Dave Macaulay in the final. McNab won $3000 and City Beach partied that night😊
The following year, in 1996, the event reverted to the multi-sport festival approach – The City Beach Ocean Action with the surf event headlining the card and Cottesloe pro surfer Stuart Bedford-Brown joining Tom Carroll as the top seeds. After two successful nights the surf went flat, and twenty surfers shared the prize money.
By 1997 the Ocean Action Night Surfing Classic was clearly a standout on the annual surfing calendar and was still attracting impressive fields of Pro surfers. Yallingup’s pro surfer Jake Paterson surfed to victory ahead of three-time runner-up Peter Hayes. Sadly, this was the final year the event was conducted in that format. ☹
Declining sponsorship dollars, combined with the splitting up of the city of Perth into four smaller councils made it impossible for the event to continue at that level.
The 90s Night Surfing Classics were a lot of fun, and many contributed to their success. Richard Stone pays tribute to Tom Wilson, Jimmy Childs, Duncan Taylor, Simon O’Sullivan, Anthony Hilton and Jaxon Crocker along with Dave Kennedy, Bill Oddy, Andy Harler, Rick Gath and Cameron Bedford-Brown.
In 2002 a Night Surfing Classic was run by Jaxon Crocker and Tom Wilson as a Board Rider Teams event.
Richard Stone. “As a result of the popularity of the Night Surfing Classic at City Beach, in 1994 and 1996 I was invited to the Gunston 500 surfing event in South Africa to assist them with their night surfing event. On each occasion I ventured down to Jeffreys Bay on the eastern Cape for a surf”.
Today the City Beach Surf Riders Club continues to run club night surfing events at City Beach.
This material is based on Richard Stone’s article in the Surfing WA Celebrating 50 Years book published 2014 and includes additional comments and images courtesy of Richard.
Thanks Richard Stone and Surfing WA for sharing your WA surf history material.
—————————————
Share this:
Like this: