64 World Titles rematch

Shot at the 1999 Noosa Surfing festival, for a bit of fun and aloha spirit the five surviving finalists of the 1964 World Surfing Titles got back in the water to show they still have what it takes.

These guys are proof that surfing keeps you young.

Joey Cabell turned 70 in December 08 and he and Mike Doyle and LJ Richards still go surfing, sailing, paddling, diving and snowboarding.  Midget and Mick Dooley live and surf on Sydney’s northern beaches.
 
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Biggest Wednesday

On Wednesday January 28 1998 Australian surf film maker Tim Bonython filmed Aussie big wave riders Ross Clarke-Jones and Tony Ray surfing huge waves at Jaws off Maui.

Coastwatch surf reporter John Charlton caught up with Ross when he returned to Aus and scored a first hand account of the day and a horrendous wipe out when he and Tony were overtaken and engulfed by a massive wave.

Tim Bonython’s video of that day is called Biggest Wednesday and is one of the most popular surf videos ever produced.
 
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WA Super Session

This video was shot by Coastwatch cameraman John “Gordo” Gordon just before the WA leg of the 97 Billabong Junior Series.

The location is a vicious beach break local surfer Taj Burrow took Jake Patterson, Brendan Margieson and Maurice Cole to, so they could taste a bit of WA power and indulge themselves in a free surfing super session sans crowds and contest hype.

It’s good surfing in nasty waves and showcases some of the best young surfing talent of the time.
 
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99 Billabong Junior Series

This video was shot in February 1999 at the Burleigh leg of the Billabong Junior Series.

The final had good waves and three Queenslanders in it, Joel Parkinson, Dave Rastovich and Steve Simpson. In the style of Rabbit and MP shooting it out tube for tube at Burleigh in the 77 Stubbies contest, Rasta and Joel went at it, trading disappearing acts.

The lead changed hands many times until in the death Rasta got a beauty and won the event.

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South Straddie

This video was shot in July 1998 with a hot crew from North End Boardriders carving up what was then, the powerful new surf break created at South Straddie by the sand pumped from the Seaway bypass.

These days, Scott Wilden is a lifeguard on the Gold Coast, Shannon Pollard lives on the Goldy and has a Berri Fruit Juice franchise, Will Lewis is landscaping on the Sunshine Coast and Heath Walker lives in San Diego and works for Reef Clothing.

 All are still surfing.

98 Kirra Pro D'Bah warm ups

This story from the Brownies Coastwatch Vault was shot in March 1998 in the week leading up to the Kirra Pro.

Over the previous few years, the pre contest warm up sessions at Duranbah had become an event within the event and crowds would come to watch the world’s best rip into powerful Dbah peaks in free surfing sessions that were often much hotter than the contest itself.

This 98 warm up session was one of the hottest and features Kelly Slater, Occy, Kalani Robb and John Shimooka.

Hot doggin' at Maroochydore

This story from the Brownies Coastwatch Vault was shot in December 1996.

It’s about a border collie called Max and his human Bryan Weir from Inside Edge surf shop at Cotton Tree. Max loved the beach and surfing with Bryan.

He was 2 years old when this was shot and he kept surfing for another ten years. Sadly he went to doggy heaven in December 07, but when he was around, there was no surfer in the line up at Maroochydore more stoked than Max.

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Jason Blewitt

Jason Blewitt won a hat-trick of Australian long board titles in the late '90s. This profile of him was shot in March 1995, just after the first one.

His style and grace in the water reflects his laid back personality and his control on the nose puts his long board surfing in a class of its own.

Jason gave away competitive surfing some time ago and these days lives between Byron and the Gold Coast, free surfing and testing boards for Feral Dave at Diverse Surfboards at Tugun.

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Big Monday

Darren Handley will never forget Monday 24th May 1999. In a huge swell, he was wiped out on a jet ski wide of Point Danger.

As he swam for his life, word spread and crowds gathered to watch his plight. He was eventually rescued by Shane Bevan on another jet ski. This John Charlton story from the Brownies Coastwatch Vault records this memorable moment in Qld surfing history.

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Cyclone Beti

This video from the Brownies Coastwatch Vault captures another moment in Qld surfing history.

In early April 1996 TC Beti created a big swell along the southern Qld coast.

It was two years before tow-in surfing started and people still talk about Thorton Fallander paddling in to the big drops wide of Currumbin Alley on that swell … and many in the life saving community still mourn the passing of young boat rower Robert Gatenby.

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Big Wednesday

This video from the Brownies Coastwatch Vault captures the birth of tow-in surfing in Qld.

On Wednesday 25th March 1998 a really big swell was pounding the coast and a huge crowd gathered to watch Kelly Slater, Tom Curren, Dwayne Thuys and Dave Simons use jet skis to tow one another into the massive waves breaking outside Snapper Rocks and Rainbow Bay.

Since then, tow-in surfing in big swells has become quite common, but on that day, seeing it for the first time was a mind blower.

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Choice tubes

This video from the Brownies Coastwatch Vault is a flashback to some choice tube rides from 1999.

The unridden spitter is somewhere remote in WA. The rest are at D'Bah.  The first one is Kelly Slater, the second Richard Coulsen or “Richie Tube” as he is known and the last one by then visiting Hawaiian John Shimooka.

“Shmooks” liked it here and settled in Cronulla, Slater is still being Slater and surfing unreal and Richie Tube can still be seen lurking in D’Bah barrels by those who look deep enough.

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Outside Tweed bar

From 1994 to 1999 the cameras of Brownie's Coastwatch captured a comprehensive slice of Queensland surfing history, including many memorable swells.

This place is not for the faint hearted!

Classic Kirra

In the past few years the sand pumping to try to stabilise the Tweed Bar has literally covered the once classic surf break at Kirra Point with sand and surfers and other interested people are now pushing to restore the quality waves that made Kirra world famous. www.kirrapoint.org

If you need to be reminded of what we've lost, this video of the final day of the 94 Kirra Pro from the Brownie's Coastwatch Vault featuring classic  tube rides from Tom Carroll, Munga Barry and Donavan Frankenreiter should do it!

D'bah mates session

On September 28 1995 the waves were pretty good at D’bah and the Coastwatch crew had arranged to meet body boarder Paul Barnard there to shoot a story on him.

Occy, Rabbit and Bruce Lee turned up and next thing, a full blown mates session was on the go. Four hot surfers all pushing each other that bit further.

We ended up with two stories that day. This one is one here because it’s what surfing is really all about … having a blast with your mates!

Big Tuesday

February 23 1999 was a memorable day. Big powerful swells were pushing onto the southern Qld coast as the remnants of TC Frank moved slowly south.

This story by John Charlton from the Brownies Coastwatch Vault, features Joel Parkinson’s double overhead stand up tube at D’bah, one of the biggest and best waves ever filmed there and footage of Sasha Stocker at Deadmans at Mooloolaba.

Burleigh barrels

This video is nothing but a bit of fun. Just hot young surfers playing in classic Burleigh barrels.

The footage is from Brownie's Coastwatch vault and was shot at the Billabong Junior Series in March 97.

Hope you enjoy the surfing vids, next week Joel Parkinson talks us through his famous double overhead stand up tube at D’Bah.