Bombora Babs

Story & photos by Mick Marlin and Barbara ‘Babs’ Putica

Bombora Babs was born a long way from Bears Bombie. Today, she’s a much-loved member of the Dunsborough community and the youngest female President of the Indian Ocean Longboard Club (IOLC). But her journey to the southwest, and to longboarding, was anything but straightforward.

Barbara “Babs” Putica grew up in Milton, a small town near Toronto, Canada, in a close-knit Croatian-Canadian community. Growing up landlocked, with the polluted waters of Lake Ontario her closest major body of water, she was a long way from imagining a life spent surfing the Indian Ocean.

After finishing university, Babs felt a little lost about what came next. A European holiday changed everything when she met a bunch of wild Australians and realised she’d found her people. In 2015, she packed up her life and moved across the world to complete a Master of Public Health at the University of Sydney.

2015 Babs arrives in Sydney NSW. Photo Babs.

Living in Coogee brought her closer to the beach, but the ocean still intimidated her. Fuelled by movie-inspired fears of what lurked beneath the surface, she decided to tackle her anxiety by getting her scuba diving ticket. Slowly, fear gave way to fascination. Curious about surfing, she tried a lesson in Manly, but without a crew to keep the stoke alive, it didn’t stick.

A couple of years later, a layover in Waikiki, Hawaii, presented another opportunity. Armed with a Groupon voucher for a group surf lesson, Babs wandered into a surf shop, only to have her booking changed to a private sunset session. What she hadn’t signed up for was what felt suspiciously like a date, complete with mini bottles of liquor and a surf instructor whose intentions seemed to extend well beyond teaching her to catch a wave. Babs was there for the surfing, not the seduction, and was less than impressed by the instructor ghosting her after inviting her out that night with the surf shop crew and “losing” her surf footage. Still, it made for a memorable introduction to the colourful characters of the international surf scene!

By 2017, Babs was working behind the bar at the Coogee Bay Hotel alongside her English mate Gemma. Gemma was keen to complete her regional farm work and extend her working holiday visa, but Babs wasn’t so sure. Then a friend told them about a beautiful little town called Dunsborough.

Neither the destination nor the journey was familiar territory for Babs, who hadn’t even worked up the courage to drive on the other side of the road. Nevertheless, within ten days, she and Gemma had bought a 1998 Mitsubishi Pajero and driven across the country, arriving at the Dunsborough Beachouse hostel. Babs still remembers stepping out onto Quindalup Beach on her first evening, watching the sunset and marvelling at the beauty of the southwest.

The next day, she started work picking avocados, a job she’d keep for six months. Visa restrictions made finding work in Public Health difficult, so hospitality became her livelihood.

It was at the hostel that Babs met Matt, a Welsh traveller-turned-resident whose love of surfing was infectious. Knowing just how special the southwest was, Matt would bring boards down to the beach when everyone headed to Smiths or Yallingup to hang out. He encouraged Babs to give surfing another go, offering tips and pushing her onto waves.

When COVID hit and Babs lost her restaurant job, she bought her first foamie from Hillzeez and surfed with friends whenever she could. She was hooked, although the power of the Indian Ocean still kept her humble. A trip to Bali gave her the chance to practise on gentler waves, and when regional borders reopened, she headed north to Exmouth for the winter to make the most of its friendlier surf.

A mate challenged her to catch 100 waves before buying her first fibreglass board. Babs had visions of progressing to a shortboard, perhaps a fish or twinny, and surfing like a pro. Reality had other plans. She soon humbled herself and bought a second-hand Creative Army Jive longboard, realising she was able to catch plenty more waves and just have more fun!

Back down south, the ocean’s power was intimidating all over again. Matt suggested she join IOLC and even introduced her to Ryan Clark ‘Clarky’, but Babs was convinced she was still a kook and nowhere near the standard of the club’s members.

Then Claire Edwards introduced herself in the surf and encouraged Babs to enter the inaugural Gals on Mals event, giving her a chance to meet the women in the local longboarding community.

I first noticed Babs while photographing the event. I remember her jumping off the reef in a bright orange wetsuit jacket, absolutely buzzing to be there. At one point, she even sat down with me to grill me about my camera setup for surf photography. It was clear she’d found her people.

Babs competing in Gals on Mals event at Yallingup. Photo Mick Marlin.

At Gals on Mals, Babs met Chubby, Laney, Bridget and the rest of the crew, quickly discovering that IOLC was far less intimidating than she’d imagined. She joined the club soon after, took on the Social portfolio and threw herself into the community. I even loaned her a camera lens so she could start taking surf photos at club events.

Gals on Mals competitors Babs with Bridget Churack in Yallingup lagoon. Photo Mick Marlin.

After her first year, Babs was elected Vice President alongside Evan Ledger. Together, they introduced the first ever Women’s Old Mal division at the 2025 Yallingup Malibu Classic, where Babs took out third place. When Evan relocated to Albany last year, Babs was unanimously elected President.

Babs (left) on judging panel IOLC event Yallingup. Photo Mick Marlin.

Babs snapping pics IOLC event at Injidup. Photo Mick Marlin.

IOLC Club President Babs with Vice President Chris ‘Chubby’ Trantham at contest presentations held WA Surf Gallery Yallingup. Photo Mick Marlin.

Since then, her enthusiasm for longboarding and knack for bringing people together have helped drive the club forward, growing membership and encouraging more women and juniors to get involved. For Babs, it’s about more than catching waves; it’s about keeping the club thriving, spreading the froth and making everyone feel welcome. Babs has also grown her quiver, having a variety of boards from Moonshine, Yahoo, Bing & McTavish.

Babs winning IOLC Club Person of the Year. Photo Mick Marlin.

Between club events, she still manages to squeeze in overseas surf trips, with adventures in Indonesia, the Maldives, the Edinburgh wave pool and, most recently, Morocco. She’s even connected with the Canadian surf community to surf the freshwater waves of the Great Lakes.

These days, Babs has happily settled down south, sharing life with her adopted kelpie and border collie. After navigating five different visa types since arriving in Australia, she’s now on a government-sponsored skilled worker visa, working towards permanent residency. For the past three years, she’s been working as a Disability Services Coordinator with Enable WA.

Looking ahead, Babs is especially excited about the IOLC wind-up and the upcoming Yallingup Malibu Classic. From a landlocked Canadian who once feared the ocean to a familiar face in the lineup and at the helm of the club, Babs has certainly come a long way.

Keep an eye out for Bombora Babs styling up and down the coast. Chances are, she’ll be sharing a wave, a laugh or a little extra stoke with whoever’s lucky enough to be around.