Author Phil Jarratt at the book ’ s launch
Over the past 50 years , surfboard riding in Australia has moved from the rebel fringe to the sporting mainstream , producing some of the greatest champions the world has seen , while maintaining an edgy cool .
For the first time the full story is captured in Surfing Australia : A Complete History of Surfboard Riding in Australia written by Phil Jarratt and commissioned by Surfing Australia for its 50th Year Anniversary in 2013 .
It is a lavish book with more than 150 photographs and chronicles the birth , growth and development of surfboard riding in Australia . It details not just of the half-century of organised surfing , but of the years of adventure and experimentation that preceded it .
With forewards by multiple world champion surfers Layne Beachley and Mark Richards , the book provides the first ever detailed account of the sport ’ s pioneering years : from the repeal of the surf bathing prohibition ; through the first attempts at standing on surfboards ; to Duke Kahanamoku ’ s demonstrations during the Great War ; then on through the paddleboard years to the introduction of the Malibu performance surfboard in 1956 . The book then recounts the years of the surfing boom and the development of competitive boardriding leading to Australia ’ s dominance in the professional era .
“ I developed this history in conjunction with the governing body of the sport , Surfing Australia , which celebrates its 50th Anniversary in 2013 ,” Jarratt said . “ But when I started to write it I realised I had to explain why a bunch of free spirits who rode the waves had felt the need to get organised , and that meant going right back to the introduction of the surfboard .”
While his book details the incredible careers of champions from Midget Farrelly ( 1964 ) to Stephanie Gilmore ( 2012 ), it also covers the grassroots of the sport , telling the story of how champion clubs developed from car pools , and interclub meets often ended in brawls on the beach .
“ Surfing Australia is doing a great job of working in the corporate world to take our sport mainstream , and possibly to the Olympics , but I didn ’ t want to sanitise the colourful aspects that have helped create the culture , and to their credit , Surfing Australia didn ’ t want to do that either ,” Jarratt said .
Jarratt also wanted to make the book accessible to ordinary surfers like himself ( he once made the final of a NSW schoolboys ’ event ), and to that end one of the appendices of the book is the most comprehensive compendium of Australian contest results ever compiled . “ But I never found that result with my name in it ,” he said .
Jarratt has worked in surf publishing and the surf industry for almost 40 years . He has been the editor of Tracks Magazine and Australian Surfers Journal and has contributed to most of the world ’ s leading surf publications .
His books on surfing include The Wave Game ( 1977 ), Mr . Sunset ( 1997 ), The Mountain & the Wave ( 2006 ), For The Love ( with Kelly Slater , 2008 ), Salts & Suits ( 2010 ) and Australia ’ s Hottest 100 Surfing Legends ( 2011 ). He has been the recipient of Surfing Australia ’ s Surf Culture Award three times , and Salts & Suits was shortlisted for the 2010 Blake Dawson Business Literature prize . He is currently working on a “ creative history ” of Duke Kahanamoku ’ s 1914-15 tour of Australia .
Surfing Australia : A Complete History of Surfboard Riding in Australia is available for purchase at www . surfingaustralia . com .
SCAN THE CODE to see a video on Surfing Australia : A Complete History of Surfboard Riding in Australia
www . surfingaustralia . com 7