In 1962 a group of passionate WA surfers formed The West Australian Surf Riders Association (WASRA) in reaction to the threat by suburban councils to ban boards from all metro beaches.
It is from this beginning that in 1964, WASRA was incorporated and established as ‘the official body representing Australia’s largest participation sport’. The name change to Surfing WA occurred in 1996.
This year Surfing WA is celebrating its 60 Year Anniversary.
Former State Open Champion Peter Bothwell (1968 & 1969) looks back on WASRA’s first decade from 1964-74.
State Championships run by the WA Surf Riders Association (WASRA) 1964-74. Events, Champions, Clubs and achievements
WASRA
WASRA the administative body controlling surfboard riding and board riding clubs was effectively run by Scarborough’s Dr Ron Naylor and John Shackley with representation from the dozen or so Board Riding Clubs. State Titles were held, and teams selected for participation in Australian Titles.
The State Titles were usually held in the Yallingup area around Easter starting 1964. Later in the decade after the 1969 Australian Titles at Margaret River, state events extended to Left Handers at Grace Town and Margarets. In the sixties crowds were substantial with most surfers from Board Clubs participating. Participation and crowds dropped off in the 70s with surfers tending towards free surfing. Contests were judged by a selected WASRA Judging Panel with the State Team made up of the two highest placed competitions in the following divisions Open Men’s, Juniors, Women’s & Senior Men’s over 30s.
1964 Yalls State Titles winners with Ampol trophies. Photo Ernie Potter RIP. L-R Barry King, Zac Kochanwitsch & Brian Boynes.
In 1964 the first World Titles were held in Manly NSW and was won by Bernard ‘Midget’ Farrelly. The Australian Titles were held the same week to pick the Australian team. This was the first year coordinated State Contests were run Australia wide with Ampol Australia being the major sponsor across the nation (1964, 65 & 66). First, second & third place getters in the Juniors, Women’s and Open Men’s received the same Ampol trophy in each state.
Sponsors changed but the administration process remained throughout the decade leading to the second World Title event in Peru (1965), the third in San Diego USA (1966) won by Nat Young (Aus), the fourth in Puerto Rico (1968) and then the 1970 World Championships held at Bells Beach Vic.
The state based Australian Titles were amateur events but were in reality Pro/Am with most eventual winners, even at Junior level being semi-professional or professional surfers. To develop the professional side of surfing surfers needed to make their state teams and from the Australian Titles be selected in the Australian Team to compete in the World Titles. In addition, individual State Open Champions could be invited onto the Australian team if they did well in the Australian Titles (e.g. Peter Bothwell 1968 and Ian Cairns in 1970).
WASRA hosted their first Australian Titles in 1969 using a combined Judging Panel with representives from each state. The contest was deemed one of the most successful of the decade. The big names dominated as usual especially those with experience in Hawaii, as two of the four events were held in solid waves at Margaret River. WA surfers also did well and made the finals of most rounds. John Witzig’s article in Surf International magazine covered the event with a front cover headline ‘The Best Contest in the World‘. There is no doubt that this event and WASRA’s success as the event organiser contributed to the development and population growth of Margaret River as a regional town.
1969 Surf International magazine cover featuring Australian Titles held in WA.
Presidents
1962-64 Percy Trainer (prior to Incorporation)
1964-75 Ron Naylor
1976 Ken Trainer
1976-79 Tony Harbison
Board Rider Clubs
Board Rider Clubs were many (approximately 20) in the first decade and just as competitive as they are today. You had to be a member of a Board Club to compete in State Titles.
These are my recollections of the dominant groups from the sixties: –
WA Board Clubs1964 Yalls Board Club. Photo A Orloff Studio Fremantle.
State Champion List
WA State Champions & Duke Kahanamoku Award winners.1970 Yalls State Titles Presentations Doc Ron Naylor & Ian Cairns. Photo Ric Chan
Progress made in the Sixties
I surfed in my first contest in 1964 as a junior at City Beach riding a 9 ft 2 in Cordingley. One of the last contests I rode in was in 1970 on a 6ft 1in West Coast single fin.
When I first surfed in Sydney in the winter of 1966, I realised that in 1964, Western Australia surfers would have been two years behind and our surfboards three years behind the East Coast. There were no leg ropes and limited travel but in that period from the mid-sixties to 1970 we caught up as surfers but not in board design. Improvements were slow in that first decade mainly due to our isolation and WASRA played a positive role going forward.
1969 Angourie NSW Peter Bothwell with his West Coast and Ric Syme’s Keyo surfboards. Photo Ric Syme.
Early Seventies
After the sixties the competition and club system seemed to wane somewhat but the WASRA. Judging Panel State Title system continued to produce competitive amateur surfers, participating at Australian Titles including George Simpson & Tony Hardy in the Open Men’s, Craig Bettenay and Barry Day in the Junior Men’s. And Arty Sherburn and Barry Young won Australian Titles in the Senior Men’s division.
However, the most impressive development emanating from the first decade of WASRA was the progression of the first professional surfer from Western Australia Ian Cairns winning the 1973 Smirnoff Pro, Laniakea Hawaii, then by the end of that first decade to potentially becoming the first professional World Champion.
1979 NSW This Is Your Life TV Program Ian Cairns, Arty Sherburn & Roger Climpson Ch7 Photo courtesy Arty Sherburn RIP.
In 1962 a group of passionate WA surfers formed The West Australian Surf Riders Association (WASRA) in reaction to the threat by suburban councils to ban boards from all metro beaches.
It is from this beginning that in 1964, WASRA was incorporated and established as ‘the official body representing Australia’s largest participation sport’. The name change to Surfing WA occurred in 1996.
This year Surfing WA is celebrating its 60 Year Anniversary.
Former State Open Champion Peter Bothwell (1968 & 1969) looks back on WASRA’s first decade from 1964-74.
State Championships run by the WA Surf Riders Association (WASRA) 1964-74. Events, Champions, Clubs and achievements
WASRA
WASRA the administative body controlling surfboard riding and board riding clubs was effectively run by Scarborough’s Dr Ron Naylor and John Shackley with representation from the dozen or so Board Riding Clubs. State Titles were held, and teams selected for participation in Australian Titles.
The State Titles were usually held in the Yallingup area around Easter starting 1964. Later in the decade after the 1969 Australian Titles at Margaret River, state events extended to Left Handers at Grace Town and Margarets. In the sixties crowds were substantial with most surfers from Board Clubs participating. Participation and crowds dropped off in the 70s with surfers tending towards free surfing. Contests were judged by a selected WASRA Judging Panel with the State Team made up of the two highest placed competitions in the following divisions Open Men’s, Juniors, Women’s & Senior Men’s over 30s.
L-R Barry King, Zac Kochanwitsch & Brian Boynes.
In 1964 the first World Titles were held in Manly NSW and was won by Bernard ‘Midget’ Farrelly. The Australian Titles were held the same week to pick the Australian team. This was the first year coordinated State Contests were run Australia wide with Ampol Australia being the major sponsor across the nation (1964, 65 & 66). First, second & third place getters in the Juniors, Women’s and Open Men’s received the same Ampol trophy in each state.
Sponsors changed but the administration process remained throughout the decade leading to the second World Title event in Peru (1965), the third in San Diego USA (1966) won by Nat Young (Aus), the fourth in Puerto Rico (1968) and then the 1970 World Championships held at Bells Beach Vic.
The state based Australian Titles were amateur events but were in reality Pro/Am with most eventual winners, even at Junior level being semi-professional or professional surfers. To develop the professional side of surfing surfers needed to make their state teams and from the Australian Titles be selected in the Australian Team to compete in the World Titles. In addition, individual State Open Champions could be invited onto the Australian team if they did well in the Australian Titles (e.g. Peter Bothwell 1968 and Ian Cairns in 1970).
WASRA hosted their first Australian Titles in 1969 using a combined Judging Panel with representives from each state. The contest was deemed one of the most successful of the decade. The big names dominated as usual especially those with experience in Hawaii, as two of the four events were held in solid waves at Margaret River. WA surfers also did well and made the finals of most rounds. John Witzig’s article in Surf International magazine covered the event with a front cover headline ‘The Best Contest in the World‘. There is no doubt that this event and WASRA’s success as the event organiser contributed to the development and population growth of Margaret River as a regional town.
Presidents
1962-64 Percy Trainer (prior to Incorporation)
1964-75 Ron Naylor
1976 Ken Trainer
1976-79 Tony Harbison
Board Rider Clubs
Board Rider Clubs were many (approximately 20) in the first decade and just as competitive as they are today. You had to be a member of a Board Club to compete in State Titles.
These are my recollections of the dominant groups from the sixties: –
State Champion List
Progress made in the Sixties
I surfed in my first contest in 1964 as a junior at City Beach riding a 9 ft 2 in Cordingley. One of the last contests I rode in was in 1970 on a 6ft 1in West Coast single fin.
When I first surfed in Sydney in the winter of 1966, I realised that in 1964, Western Australia surfers would have been two years behind and our surfboards three years behind the East Coast. There were no leg ropes and limited travel but in that period from the mid-sixties to 1970 we caught up as surfers but not in board design. Improvements were slow in that first decade mainly due to our isolation and WASRA played a positive role going forward.
Early Seventies
After the sixties the competition and club system seemed to wane somewhat but the WASRA. Judging Panel State Title system continued to produce competitive amateur surfers, participating at Australian Titles including George Simpson & Tony Hardy in the Open Men’s, Craig Bettenay and Barry Day in the Junior Men’s. And Arty Sherburn and Barry Young won Australian Titles in the Senior Men’s division.
However, the most impressive development emanating from the first decade of WASRA was the progression of the first professional surfer from Western Australia Ian Cairns winning the 1973 Smirnoff Pro, Laniakea Hawaii, then by the end of that first decade to potentially becoming the first professional World Champion.
Peter Bothwell.
Thanks for sharing your recollections Peter.
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