In 1987, Surfing Life Magazine (Aus) featured Paddy McGinty’s article on the formation of a new WA surf industry company called Surfrider. It was located at 482 Scarborough Beach Road Osborne Park and operated from 1987 to 1990.
1987 WA Surfrider article in Surfing Life Magazine
1987 WA Surfriders article by Surfing Life magazine #1. Photos by John Small & Van Worley.
1987 WA Surfriders article by Surfing Life magazine #2.
Other Surfrider Coy material
Xmas 1987 Surfrider advertisement posted in WA’s Ocean Express magazine. Image courtesy Bill Gibson.
Murray Smith. “In 1987 Ian Cairns returned from California and approached us to see if we wanted to sell the business, he also spoke to Tom Blaxell (Surfrider) and Tim Duff (surf promoter) to put a syndicate together to formulate a new company called Surfrider, which came into being. Surfrider lasted till 1990 then we went about re-establishing Hot Brewz/Murray Smith Surfboards at Churchlands with a new team consisting of Ado Sheppard, Davy Lewis and Benton Moran,
At this time besides the Churchlands outlet, we also opened a new retail shop in Scarborough, followed by one in Cottesloe, Fremantle and Busselton. Then a little later a discount store in Osborne Park Murray Smith Surf Warehouse which is still run by my son Ben and wife Connie Smith.
In 2007 I retired to the southern climes of Yallingup for summer and the spend winter in Exmouth.”
1987 Surfrider crew. (Left) Tom Blaxell testing Surfrider jet boat. (Right) Tom Blaxell, Ian Cairns & Murray Smith. Photos Van Worley.
Benton Moran. ” I used to shape Mick Black’s boards at Hotbrewz and when the Surfrider Corp came on the scene I was now shaping Hot Brewz, Blaxell and stand-alone Surfrider models in the same factory.Blacky then decided that in 1979 was his stage at Trigg Point and wanted a single fin to suit and here it is, shaped around 1987.
1987 Surfrider Surfboard shaped by Benton Moran for Mick Black. Photos Benton Moran.
1988 Surfrider Surfboard shaped by Benton Moran. Photos courtesy Trevor Pocock Albany Museum of Surfing pic.
Benton Moran. “After the Surfrider experiment imploded in 1987/88, I continued to make boards in the shaping bay on the property for a couple of years under the Kaos label before I got kicked out by the real estate people who ended up with the property on Scarborough beach road in around late 1989 or so.
Anyway the numbers added up to 276 Kaos boards over that year or so. Pics show a board, never surfed as it was a give away board for a tourist chain store which never gave the board away. Amazing what’s still out there! “
1988 Kaos Surfboard shaped by Benton Moran at the former Surfrider factory in Osborne park.Photos Benton Moran.
1988 Surfrider surfboard shaped by Tony Moir. Photos courtesy Brat Myers.
In 1987, Surfing Life Magazine (Aus) featured Paddy McGinty’s article on the formation of a new WA surf industry company called Surfrider. It was located at 482 Scarborough Beach Road Osborne Park and operated from 1987 to 1990.
1987 WA Surfrider article in Surfing Life Magazine
1987 WA Surfriders article by Surfing Life magazine #1. Photos by John Small & Van Worley.
1987 WA Surfriders article by Surfing Life magazine #2.
Other Surfrider Coy material
Xmas 1987 Surfrider advertisement posted in WA’s Ocean Express magazine. Image courtesy Bill Gibson.
Murray Smith. “In 1987 Ian Cairns returned from California and approached us to see if we wanted to sell the business, he also spoke to Tom Blaxell (Surfrider) and Tim Duff (surf promoter) to put a syndicate together to formulate a new company called Surfrider, which came into being. Surfrider lasted till 1990 then we went about re-establishing Hot Brewz/Murray Smith Surfboards at Churchlands with a new team consisting of Ado Sheppard, Davy Lewis and Benton Moran,
At this time besides the Churchlands outlet, we also opened a new retail shop in Scarborough, followed by one in Cottesloe, Fremantle and Busselton. Then a little later a discount store in Osborne Park Murray Smith Surf Warehouse which is still run by my son Ben and wife Connie Smith.
In 2007 I retired to the southern climes of Yallingup for summer and the spend winter in Exmouth.”
1987 Surfrider crew. (Left) Tom Blaxell testing Surfrider jet boat. (Right) Tom Blaxell, Ian Cairns & Murray Smith. Photos Van Worley.
Benton Moran. ” I used to shape Mick Black’s boards at Hotbrewz and when the Surfrider Corp came on the scene I was now shaping Hot Brewz, Blaxell and stand-alone Surfrider models in the same factory. Blacky then decided that in 1979 was his stage at Trigg Point and wanted a single fin to suit and here it is, shaped around 1987.
1987 Surfrider Surfboard shaped by Benton Moran for Mick Black. Photos Benton Moran.
1988 Surfrider Surfboard shaped by Benton Moran. Photos courtesy Trevor Pocock Albany Museum of Surfing pic.
Benton Moran. “After the Surfrider experiment imploded in 1987/88, I continued to make boards in the shaping bay on the property for a couple of years under the Kaos label before I got kicked out by the real estate people who ended up with the property on Scarborough beach road in around late 1989 or so.
Anyway the numbers added up to 276 Kaos boards over that year or so. Pics show a board, never surfed as it was a give away board for a tourist chain store which never gave the board away. Amazing what’s still out there! “
1988 Kaos Surfboard shaped by Benton Moran at the former Surfrider factory in Osborne park. Photos Benton Moran.
1988 Surfrider surfboard shaped by Tony Moir. Photos courtesy Brat Myers.
A big thank you to all contributors.
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