In May 1969, the Nation’s best surfers competed in the Australian Surfing Championships held in WA. These were the first Oz Titles held in WA and an opportunity for WA surfers to see 1966 World Surfing Champion Nat Young and the cream of OZ surfers competing in metro & SW waves. Prior to that time, WA surfer’s exposure to the top OZ surfers was through surf magazines and surf movies.
Like a lot of other WA surfers, young Scarborough surfer Gavin McCaughey followed the Championships from Scarborough to Margaret River and then onto Yallingup in the Southwest.
GavinMcCaughey. “World ChampionNat Young (NSW) broke his big wave surfboard in the solid waves at Marg’s Main Break. Nat changed to his other surfboard and went onto win the Open Men’s division.”
1969 World Champion Nat Young leaving the surf with broken surfboard at Marg’s. Photo Gavin McCaughey.
GavinMcCaughey. “In the next photo NSW teammates Nat Young & Ted Spencer and an unidentified surfer are repairing Nat’s replacement surfboard on the beach at Marg’s. In the background watching the process are WA representative Kevin Ager, Lex Cornelius (Bunbury), WASRA President Ronald ‘Doc’ Naylor (striped shirts were his signature)and an unidentifiedsurfer.”
Kevin Ager.“I have a clear memory of the event surrounding this photo. In fact, what Nat had done, prior to Gavin’s pic, was extend the hard edge further into the softer leading main rail section, as the board had little grip in the more powerful waves. Remember it was a Dewey Weber 7ft something, quite full Californian influenced design. Nat was struggling for drive and speed compared to Peter Drouyn and Richard Harvey in the early heats when it was pumping.
After the bog mix gelled Nat placed the board under a car exhaust to promote a quick cure. Unfortunately, the mix had been over primed, and the heat of the exhaust made the bog mix ignite, badly burning the board.
The photo actually captures Nat and good mate Ted repairing the damaged section.”
Nat (NSW) went on to win the 1969 Open Mens Title from Peter Drouyn (QLD) and Richard Harvey NSW.
In May 1969, the Nation’s best surfers competed in the Australian Surfing Championships held in WA. These were the first Oz Titles held in WA and an opportunity for WA surfers to see 1966 World Surfing Champion Nat Young and the cream of OZ surfers competing in metro & SW waves. Prior to that time, WA surfer’s exposure to the top OZ surfers was through surf magazines and surf movies.
Like a lot of other WA surfers, young Scarborough surfer Gavin McCaughey followed the Championships from Scarborough to Margaret River and then onto Yallingup in the Southwest.
Gavin McCaughey. “World Champion Nat Young (NSW) broke his big wave surfboard in the solid waves at Marg’s Main Break. Nat changed to his other surfboard and went onto win the Open Men’s division.”
1969 World Champion Nat Young leaving the surf with broken surfboard at Marg’s. Photo Gavin McCaughey.
Gavin McCaughey. “In the next photo NSW teammates Nat Young & Ted Spencer and an unidentified surfer are repairing Nat’s replacement surfboard on the beach at Marg’s. In the background watching the process are WA representative Kevin Ager, Lex Cornelius (Bunbury), WASRA President Ronald ‘Doc’ Naylor (striped shirts were his signature) and an unidentified surfer.”
1969 Nat Young, unidentified & Ted Spencer repairing Nat’s burnt surfboard at Marg’s. Photo Gavin McCaughey.
Kevin Ager.“I have a clear memory of the event surrounding this photo. In fact, what Nat had done, prior to Gavin’s pic, was extend the hard edge further into the softer leading main rail section, as the board had little grip in the more powerful waves. Remember it was a Dewey Weber 7ft something, quite full Californian influenced design. Nat was struggling for drive and speed compared to Peter Drouyn and Richard Harvey in the early heats when it was pumping.
After the bog mix gelled Nat placed the board under a car exhaust to promote a quick cure. Unfortunately, the mix had been over primed, and the heat of the exhaust made the bog mix ignite, badly burning the board.
The photo actually captures Nat and good mate Ted repairing the damaged section.”
Nat (NSW) went on to win the 1969 Open Mens Title from Peter Drouyn (QLD) and Richard Harvey NSW.
Click on this link 1969 Australian Surfing Titles at Margaret River to view a one minute video of the event (ex Surfing WA Facebook).
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