An airline Pilots’ strike put an end to the WA Team’s plan to fly to NSW for the 1977 Australian Surfing Titles. To resolve the transport issue, WA Surf Riders Assoc (WASRA) President and Team Manager Tony Harbison organised hire cars for competitors and officials. Media was on hand to record the team’s departure from Trigg Point.
1977 Team Manager Tony Harbison speaking to TV media at the Team’s departure from Trigg Point. Ric Chan pic.
These are WA Team Member Arty Sherburn’s recollections of the road trip to NSW.
Arty Sherburn – “If I remember correctly, Australia experienced its first Pilots Strike just prior to us departing to NSW for the 1977 Aussie Titles.
WASRA and our Team Manager, Tony Harbison organised at very short notice a number of Hire Cars in lieu of the cancelled flights. We all met on a Wednesday morning at Trigg Point Car Park (great to see some of Ric’s Photos covering the departure) and left in convoy (sort of!) at about 11am. I remember in our vehicle (a Falcon Stn Wgn) we had Tony Hardy, Peter Davidson, Blair Meiklejohn and myself. We shared the driving except for Pete who was a Junior Grom in the back whose main contribution to the journey was continually asking “are we there yet Dad?”
Thankfully the Nullarbor section was mainly sealed, and we drove continuously stopping only for fuel, something to eat and the necessary “lightening of the load so to speak.” We must have thought that all the road maps were out of date because we all seemed to have a different idea of the short cuts and “this way is quicker” routes. As the Titles started on Saturday, we were under the pump to get to Sydney by Friday so we decided to head north from South Aust up through Cobar, fuel up and beat the rest of the Crew into Sydney. Great idea except by the time we got to Cobar (what a God forsaken place!) the town was closed including the Servo and we were out of Fuel! We had our first sleep for the trip on the forecourt of the Garage waiting for them to open, and from memory it was about as comfortable as the floor of the Dunnie’s at Yall’s on a winters night in the early 60’s. Finally, we arrived at our destination, a Caravan at North Narra Beach at around 2pm Friday, after leaving Trigg about 48 hrs earlier.
We all had a surf and were ready for the Contest to start the next morning. Not the sort of Pre-Competition preparation I would recommend, but we got there on time.
Thankfully the Pilots’ strike ended and the WA Surf Riders Association were able to fly us back to WA after the Contest.”
Nationals NSW
Contest heats for the 1977 Australian Surfing Titles in NSWwere held in stormy conditions at Warriewood, Palm Beach & Collaroy. The finals and grand finals were held in near perfect 6-8ft Narrabeen lefts and rights.
WA’s Arty Sherburn won the Senior Men’s division of the Australian Surfing Titles. He avenged his second placing in the same event the previous year and became the first West Australian surfer to win an Australian Title after 14 years of National competition.
1977 WASRA President Tony Harbison presenting the National Senior Men’s Title trophy to Arty Sherburn (WA) in Sydney NSW. Photo courtesy of Arty Sherburn.
Arty’s surfing mate Barry Young finished 6th in the Senior Mens and WA’s Ross O’Brien came fifth in the Kneeboard division.
In the Open division WA surfers Tony Hardy and Bruce Hocking made it into the second-round semi-finals and Chris Fullston was unlucky to miss out on a berth in the final.
WA judge Greg Laurenson was rated the fourth best judge at the Titles.
Contest Results:
Open: 1. Col Smith (Sydney) 2. Col Smith (Newcastle) 3. Andrew McKinnon (Vic)
Junior: 1. Chris Bryne 2. Tom Carroll 3. Steve Wilson (all NSW).
Senior: 1. Arty Sherburn (WA) 2. C Coulsen (Vic) 3. G Black (Qld).
Kneeboard: 1. Peter Crawford 2. J Waterworth 3. G Wilson (all NSW).
Women: 1. L Goebels (Qld) 2. V Burke (NSW) 3. G Couper (Vic).
WA surf journo Randell Owens covered the National Titles in his West Coast Tubes surf column in the Sunday Independent Newspaper on 29 May 1977.
1977 Randell Owens’ coverage of the National Surf Titles in the Sunday Independent newspaper. 1977 WASRA Annual Award Presentation at Karrinyup Tavern. Adrian Wilson is presenting an award to Arty Sherburn. Tony Harbison is the MC in the background. Ric Chan pic.
Photo Gallery
1968 Jacko Surf Team – John ‘Jacko’ Jakovich, Ian Cairns & Arty Sherburn at Cottesloe Beach. Rod Taylor pic.1979 This Is Your Life TV Program honouring Ian Cairns, special guest Arty Sherburn with compere Roger Climpson Channel 7 NSW. Image courtesy Arty Sherburn.2006 Yallingup Longboard Contest legends line-up. Image courtesy Arty Sherburn L-R John Jakovich, George Simpson & Arty Sherburn2007 Arty Sherburn with his mate Baz Young at Injidup car park. Baz Young pic.
Arty is now retired and lives in Cowaramup South West WA. He is still a talented surfer.
This material is based on an extract from 1997 Australian Surfing Titles in NSW published 10 May 2017. It has been reformatted and contains additional images.
Team Departure
An airline Pilots’ strike put an end to the WA Team’s plan to fly to NSW for the 1977 Australian Surfing Titles. To resolve the transport issue, WA Surf Riders Assoc (WASRA) President and Team Manager Tony Harbison organised hire cars for competitors and officials. Media was on hand to record the team’s departure from Trigg Point.
These are WA Team Member Arty Sherburn’s recollections of the road trip to NSW.
Arty Sherburn – “If I remember correctly, Australia experienced its first Pilots Strike just prior to us departing to NSW for the 1977 Aussie Titles.
WASRA and our Team Manager, Tony Harbison organised at very short notice a number of Hire Cars in lieu of the cancelled flights. We all met on a Wednesday morning at Trigg Point Car Park (great to see some of Ric’s Photos covering the departure) and left in convoy (sort of!) at about 11am. I remember in our vehicle (a Falcon Stn Wgn) we had Tony Hardy, Peter Davidson, Blair Meiklejohn and myself. We shared the driving except for Pete who was a Junior Grom in the back whose main contribution to the journey was continually asking “are we there yet Dad?”
Thankfully the Nullarbor section was mainly sealed, and we drove continuously stopping only for fuel, something to eat and the necessary “lightening of the load so to speak.” We must have thought that all the road maps were out of date because we all seemed to have a different idea of the short cuts and “this way is quicker” routes. As the Titles started on Saturday, we were under the pump to get to Sydney by Friday so we decided to head north from South Aust up through Cobar, fuel up and beat the rest of the Crew into Sydney. Great idea except by the time we got to Cobar (what a God forsaken place!) the town was closed including the Servo and we were out of Fuel! We had our first sleep for the trip on the forecourt of the Garage waiting for them to open, and from memory it was about as comfortable as the floor of the Dunnie’s at Yall’s on a winters night in the early 60’s. Finally, we arrived at our destination, a Caravan at North Narra Beach at around 2pm Friday, after leaving Trigg about 48 hrs earlier.
We all had a surf and were ready for the Contest to start the next morning. Not the sort of Pre-Competition preparation I would recommend, but we got there on time.
Thankfully the Pilots’ strike ended and the WA Surf Riders Association were able to fly us back to WA after the Contest.”
Nationals NSW
Contest heats for the 1977 Australian Surfing Titles in NSW were held in stormy conditions at Warriewood, Palm Beach & Collaroy. The finals and grand finals were held in near perfect 6-8ft Narrabeen lefts and rights.
WA’s Arty Sherburn won the Senior Men’s division of the Australian Surfing Titles. He avenged his second placing in the same event the previous year and became the first West Australian surfer to win an Australian Title after 14 years of National competition.
Arty’s surfing mate Barry Young finished 6th in the Senior Mens and WA’s Ross O’Brien came fifth in the Kneeboard division.
In the Open division WA surfers Tony Hardy and Bruce Hocking made it into the second-round semi-finals and Chris Fullston was unlucky to miss out on a berth in the final.
WA judge Greg Laurenson was rated the fourth best judge at the Titles.
Contest Results:
Open: 1. Col Smith (Sydney) 2. Col Smith (Newcastle) 3. Andrew McKinnon (Vic)
Junior: 1. Chris Bryne 2. Tom Carroll 3. Steve Wilson (all NSW).
Senior: 1. Arty Sherburn (WA) 2. C Coulsen (Vic) 3. G Black (Qld).
Kneeboard: 1. Peter Crawford 2. J Waterworth 3. G Wilson (all NSW).
Women: 1. L Goebels (Qld) 2. V Burke (NSW) 3. G Couper (Vic).
WA surf journo Randell Owens covered the National Titles in his West Coast Tubes surf column in the Sunday Independent Newspaper on 29 May 1977.
Photo Gallery
L-R John Jakovich, George Simpson & Arty Sherburn
Arty is now retired and lives in Cowaramup South West WA. He is still a talented surfer.
This material is based on an extract from 1997 Australian Surfing Titles in NSW published 10 May 2017. It has been reformatted and contains additional images.
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