Description

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The 1960s was a decade like no other ... the culture, the music and the fashions. It also saw a surfing boom that bred innovation in surfboard design, changes in lifestyle, and most importantly, the development of ‘ surf ’ photography. Mal Sutherland, John Pennings, Barrie Sutherland and Bob Weeks were pioneers of the genre – four young guys who blended their love of the beach with a passion for photography.

Contrasted with this era when the whole planet goes surfing, in Australia in the sixties, riding a surfboard was the exclusive domain of either the very poor, or the wealthy. Consequently, many of us chose the poverty path, throwing our fate to the winds, rejecting the post-war consumerism and the suburban, Saturday Evening Post dream. We just went surfing, with no thought to tomorrow.

Consequently, our cars were old jalopies crammed with bodies and boards, to share the petrol pennies around. Our wardrobe was goodwill – and sparse.

Our dreams were of next day’ s surf, which meant five or six hours of paddling, take-offs, speed trim thrills, and attempting new manoeuvres as they were developed. We made better and better boards as our skill level quickly increased.

About the Author

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From the age of four Kirra Beach was Mal’ s playground. In his youth he rode surf-o-planes courtesy of Jack Evans who had the hire concession for Kirra Beach at the time. He purchased the first of two 16ft ply paddle boards in 1953 at age 13 and in late 1956 obtained one of the first hollowply Okanui boards to come to Queensland. In 1961 Mal became Queensland agent for Scott Dillon Surfboards and sold many boards to the up and coming surfers of the era. He had a long association with Bob Evans Films and also featured in many magazines including Rolling Stone. Barrie Sutherland is an Australian pioneer surf photographer who surfed and photographed the Victorian Surf Coast and Great Ocean Road throughout the 1960s. He was part of the 1960s Torquay-Bells Beach surfing community, a foundation member of the Torquay Board-riders and respected for his surfing ability. Surfing came first and photography second. The combination produced one of Australia’ s finest portfolios of surfing photographs. It contains many of the legends of Australian surfing in some of the best-quality competition surf captured in the country.