Watch: Night surfing at Cronulla
Never mind the Orwellian foreboding, in 1984 professional surfing had a glorious future. The ASP had wrested control of the sport from the IPS, the industry was exploding amidst a second surf boom, and the money was streaming in. And the best thing, at least for the organisers, was that the surfing public was comparitively easy to please. Stop the circus at a suburban beach in mid-summer, run a fancy dress event, bikini parade, and wrap the final at 3pm Sunday arvo for the contest to be deemed a great success. Surf quality barely came into it. Dream Tour? That implies disillusion and there wasn't much of that in the early-80s.
In March 1984, Sutherland Shire Council hosted a night surfing event in conjunction with the Beaurepaires Open at Elouera Beach. Contestants were careful not to overstate the night's significance. "This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen," said MR. "It's one of the greatest step forwards for surfing ever."
PT went one better: "It's the greatest thing that ever happened!"
"It's a real, real positive step for the future of the sport."
Comments
It goes to show:
a: Pro surfing seemed to have such an incredibly bright future in the 80's and
b: Never trust a pro surfer pontificating about pro surfing. Very unreliable witnesses.
When was the last CT level comp in Sydney?
Coke Surf Classic, Manly, 1999. Taj Burrow's first CT win.
That's for the men, the women had the Beachley Classic up till a few years ago.
It's hard not see some similarities between the forced novelty of night surfing and the oddity that is the wavepool contest. Neither is surfing in its natural state, but an innovation for the sake of an audience.
I guess 30,000 spectators explains why guys who had long dreamed of a professional sport were so excited.
I think I remember a final in overhead surf where Curran was slick on better waves but Cram was more powerful on some heavy sections.
The east coast should have been banned from surfing from day one. They've got shit, soft fucking waves, so they always have to come up with this sort of embarrassing, ludicrous debacle, to have something to claim. Or else they brag to anyone that will listen, how they came over here, and even more famously, 'bin over west'. Surfing history needs to be completely rewritten. Leave the east coast out of it altogether, for the sake of the pass time. Call the fiasco over there something else for God's sake.
Poor blinder... no wonder he's undergoing intensive anger management.
As for the newies... God help them too!!! First MR, then the johnsy saga, then the knights dismal crumble. A fucking shambles!!!
Who in their right mind would live over there???!
Thank God Trump wasn't around back then, lil' wazza, rabs/abs, MR, PT and co would have been spanglin' and janglin', drivelling and gibberin' and sucking up to him all night, and he would have been presenting the fucking trophies for sure. In a nutshell.
go away pest. In a nutshell
Haahhaaa - more interesting watching my cat spew unchewed sardines than reading that palaver. Fuck.
West Coast? That joint's full carneys and retarded chimpanzees throwing their shit at unsuspecting passers by. You'd better ask somebody. Mind you, I'd never actually heard of the East Coast before you mentioned it. I'll have to check it out some time.
In related news, Mark Richards is basically god. Anyone saying anything bad about that bloke better bring their A-Game, since I'll be opening up a can of jihad on their ass.
You better believe MR is a champ.
I searched all over for a balsa blank to shape for a project years ago, walked into this surf shop as a last ditch attempt to find a blank.....
Next thing he is hooking me up with a pu blank , Giving me a few tips, telling me what's what...and there is the next phase of my surfing life . What a gift !
Remember how Tracks used to have the "International MR day"? I was all for it. One year they even had a cut-out MR mask that you could wear. I wore it round for a while till my girlfriend started getting stroppy. I had to let her go for being so disrespectful to MR.
Don't check it out. All you'll hear is how everywhere is breakin' like somewhere else. Except it isn't and doesn't. Shelley's is breakin' like gland... lennies is breakin' like sunset... bouldas is breakin like... FFS... worst of all, southwall is breakin' like blax. They fucking well aren't and don't, ever. Nobody ever says anywhere good is breakin' like somewhere else. If you pulled up at anywhere over my way, and it was breakin' like the east coast, you'd just start cryin'. Same if that ludicrous fate happened to anywhere good. 'Look, its breakin' like the fuckin' east coast'... tears... sell up and move... plus anger management...
Stupe' reckons MR and his twinnies are useless, stupid, a hoax, lucky at best... in a nutshell...
Thanks for the advice man. I did some research though and I heard that there's a place on the East Coast that breaks "Like Pipeline" That sounds pretty good. I won't go there though. You see I was looking at a map of Australia and I noticed that there's a South Coast as well. There seems to be quite a lot of it. I imagine the locals are rather friendly down there since they have so much coastline to go around.
Shark island shits on blacks
Percy's training ground hey GS
Yeah he was the man back in the day out there..moved onto more consistent pastures now.
Yep surf with him quite regularly DS, he loves cobbles
hope you get some sleep tonight mate
Uplift?
I’ve got the popcorn on. Sounds like over your way is better than the East Coast “Ever”... where u at? In a nutshell?
Uplift? Fuck, that guy gets blamed for everything>!!< All he ever did is tell the truth... in a nutshell!?! And if there's one thing swillnuts hate, with a stinkin, foul vengeance I might add, its the the fuckin' truth!!! Look at poor simbo, all he wants is for occo to spill his guts... and tell a few truths, instead, they just stand on their fuckin' heads and do reruns of the waltons. And, by the way that's not so hard if your legs weigh as much as toothpicks.
Sando1... I hope you aren't that guy that rolled up on the cliff, that fateful day, from sandon point. Fuckin 'ell, what a brutal flogging he got. Reckons it was too small and fat, and that he liked long sucky pits. He said he'd go out anyway because it was offshore. It was triplin' up, about 10 foot high x 10 foot thick, NE howlin' into it, ribs 5 foot high dredgin' up the face, low tide, super west... One of the most vicious floggin's on record. Sandon he reckons... HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAARRRRR!!!!
Poor cunt!!! Lucky there's a hospital close by!!! Ya gotta laugh or you'd fucking cry!!!!
I'm off to do a proper workout... again... somebody has to do one!!!
That's fantastic Stu! I've been researching Night Surfing and needed a push.
History of Australian Night Surfing {Swellnet Exclusive} With Swellnetonian Assistance!
1914/15 Duke Tour kick board demos in floodlit seabaths as 1st ocean tided Arenas
We're told that Saltwater Folk were secure by night but reports do exist of Night Fishing.
Saltwater Jenny Graham attended Pilot lights up Broadwater -Nerang River from 1919-29.
Pioneers on rafts then fishermen rowed the night even lighting the way to attract fish.
This technique led SLSC to trial Night Surf Patrols...Which beach first? I can't say for sure.
1935 Gold Coast imported their 1st Hawaiian Ski this may have lent confidence to rescues.
1936 Tugun SLSC hosted Night Surfing.(Possibly the least known GC Night Life location)
Some time after possibly during the 1940's other Oz Clubs introduced Night Surfing.
* West Australian' Capital
*South Australian Central
* New South Wales
Please excuse the lack of detail...A work in progress.(Continue with 1940's)
1948 Broadbeach SLSC cited all these examples when promoting their Night Surfing Venue.
Trials were seemingly carried out... SLSQ were furious and wished to ban the Club.
Broadbeach Club challenged all validity of any/all Powers to try and stop them...Big Call!
(Bonus Exclusive) Broadbeach 1948/9 Summer (Night Surfing Venue).
* Floodlights
*Shark Tower has 2 lookout crew with Black Ops Night Goggles (War Surplus or NYE rave)
* Surfzone 45m wide (Standard) x 20m (surfbound) Note: Size may mirror 1984 Cronulla?
* Beyond Surfline is patrolled by Surf Boat
* Flanks are trawled by Surf Skis.
1950-60's Beach Cars/Races,beach fires,booze,Turtle spotting in this era.
Cars did arrange to light camps / shories for a quick wave or dip.
Panel -Vans Beach Sleepovers (Xmas / Easter Campers still join to light up beaches)
1970's Skinny Dip Era. No shortage of examples of Moonlight Couples Surfing in the raw.
More on the Naked Surfing in a sec!
1977 Gromz hit inshore well lit River bridge breaks.
1984 -86 Cronulla Comps. 40,000 crowd (re: Details are above/ Thanx Stu)
1992 Swellnet crew member Spuddups pioneers lone Night Surfing
1996-99 Bondi Nude Night Surfing Expression Session (These were comps of a sort)
1996...(2,000 spectators) Attended this sausage fest...(Re: Swellnet Garry for more detail)
1999...(8,000 spectators) Spike due to Hiring 4 Chix Strippers to compete + (Webcast)
News in U.S. ran the coverage but blanked out the bits.
2000's Gold Coast Schoolies take to night time surf'n'bash
2010's Surfing under the Pokie Glow of SLSC's
2011 Bondi (Winter) Beach Ice Rink Lights up 900m2 of large Surf (2 surfers/ 10 waves each)
2011 Ours (Sept) Fighting Fear (Surf flick) Large waves surfed under lights for movie.
2011 Bondi First Day Of Summer (Neon Promo) First of another chapter in Night Surfing.
To be honest there is more Fluro/Neon examples in one year than Night Surfing Whole.
Soon the Ocean will resemble Side Show Alley (Night Sups light sea floor/sky at once)
We'll leave the City Lights behind just for a free surf.
Along coastlines many Portable lights/4wd now light up many inshore Mate's Surf sessions.
Byron' North Coast Night "wake" in small surf was a massive send off. (Nice Work) Anyone?
2016 Superbank Nightstalkers are outed.Forage Fish need a ticket for the Midnight Special.
2016 (March) Mollymook 'Ulladulla Nocturnal Surf Tag' + Skate+ Bands+ Stands
Back to the City Boys....Now taking Night Surfing to a new level!
2015' Swellnet crewmember Lanky Dean pioneers Pier lights surfing.
2017 (Nov) Bondi 'Night Surf Project' (1) Drone Pilot light + Cube/lamps
2017 (Nov) Bronte 'Night Surf Project' (2) Cliff top Lights + Bodybash'n
Perth Girl'Tahnee'(Check out Exceptional W.A. Surf Guide/Amazing work surf sister+Kieran)
re: "City Beach Perth is a Great little spot to go Night Surfing"!
Wave Pools (Night Sessions)
2006 Get Wet Surf School (Dreamworld) Cave of Waves(Soft Boards)
2018 Aloha Wavehouse Flow Sessions (Own Board)
Syd/Melbourne have mini indoor Night Wavepools for Kidz boogerz (check times)
Wake up! Swellnet Night Surfing Tour is over... Needs more Southern/Western Stars.
I left out Surfers names to squeeze in more venues...All cool with that!
Feel free to correct anything or to ask for any reference or link.
Are Surf Carnies evil?
Might pay to grab a pair of Disco Stu sunnies for your Pet Porpoise this Xmas!
you missed a few there.
also the "ours" night surfing the joint was after the surfer in question watched me bodyboard it on a sizable evening because I wasn't allowed to surf it in the day time.
If you are really genuine about recording the chronology night surfing history, give me a hoy.
if you are just going to rehash surf mag folklore, don't bother.
swellnet exclusive Australian Night Surfing continues...with upgrades / crew's tales / updates
Thanx Marcus...good point ...will update that.
1980's Gold Coast Tappa recalls surfing Grundy's Floodlight Surfers Paradise Beach (see Superbank)
https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2014/11/19/4131679.htm
(Early) 1990's > swellnet marcus & bro pioneered big wave Night Surfing with Helmet torches...
(re: above / below) marcus shares wild night sessions at iconic east coast big wave spots & abroad
Includes epic Night Bodyboard tales + the "Ours" Session...crew are stoked!
marcus could well be Oz first migrating Moonlit Sea Creature...just saying...huge claim is there!
(re: Below) swellnet groundswell pioneered coast 2 coast moonrise / moonset sessions.
groundswell could also lay claim to Australian Ocean 2 Ocean nite stalker.
Nov 2014 Gold Coast "Superbank Night Stadium"
https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2014/11/19/4131679.htm
June 2015 Snapper with torches
https://www.themercury.com.au/sport/gold-coast-night-surfing/video/21174...
March 2017 Red Bull - Oz Mick ventures to the Northern Lights
June 2019 Gold Coast Retro Redbull Raw unlit Night Surf Snapper + (Chiko Chick)
Oz Wave Pool Night Gallery
18 Oct 2018 - Aussies Night Disco at Spain's Wave Garden
https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/a-night-surfing-session-at-wavegarde...
20th Jan 2020 - Night Bodysurfing at Urbnsurf
13th March 2020 - Steph & crew night session at the Ranch
&t=6s
30th March 2021 - Urbnsurf Nite Glow Caverns.
7th July 2021 Night Surf feature by #1 Surf Journo Stu.
Inaugural Urbnsurf Club Comp.
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2021/07/07/inaugural-urb...
12Aug 2021 Night Surfing Tassie shares epic photos from UK Wavepool
https://wavepoolmag.com/wave-pool-night-photography-with-mathew-tildesley/
Consider nite accessible Red Bull Comps / Jet Skis / Lamps / Cams / Sticker Safaris / Wave Pools ...
Aussies must be getting close to have surfed all continents / oceans by night!
Just a loose working milestone on progressive nite Surfing ... equally say night surfing was delayed!
I once went surfing at night. I think it was in 1992. You can add that to your list if you like.
Spuddups just did! Verified entry (Thanx) ... Call again to share ! Add secret spot if you dare!
Stu's "Rear View Mirror" Night Surfing column is an open list. (Here's a few Late Extras)
1977 (Summer/2 nights) Talle' Ck Fish Traps/around waist height + (Under-bridge lighting)
2000-10's Surfers Paradise Schoolies -(GCCC + SLSQ run 24/7 Open Surf Patrols)
2010's Kurrawa SLSC Pokies lights up shorey "all night" (8:00pm Qld time my knockoff!)
Note: Haven't tried the New Kurrawa Venue yet...
Feel free the water's just fine ...Skinny Dips count just yours not mine!
What ever happened to the kid who ate dianmite for breakfast? You think he would have gone out with a bang but I never heard anything.
Is that Crypto's girl putting on the sunscreen at 1 min 20?
MR
PT
Richard CRam
Tom Curren!
Butto
Kingsley Looker
Think that's Luke Faunce, not Butto.
Plus Banksy in the yellow singlet and Joey Buran doing the spinners (he won Pipe Masters later that year).
That girl's just bein' original on the east coast mayte!! They cut the bit where she was planting garlic up the back!
Anyway, its all good, I took occo's and lopes advice and stood on me head this morning!!! Faaark, not so easy aye!!? Just pulling up in the work carpark now... faaaaark that was heavy, can't see a fuckin thing aye!!! Jeeze where's the parkin brake... shit, there's fuckin' cops running around screaming their heads off everywhere aye...
'What... who... me?!!! Fark orf I was just standing on me scone... its a farking yoger techy aye, makes everything all good and shit aye!!! Fuck orf I don't use any farking drugs aye, now get outa me way ya cunts, I gotta go to work and train people... me clients are waitin'... oh yeh, righto, takes 300 of ya's to block the passage aye ... farkin' tazers too...'
'Listen ya honour... nah, I can't, coz stupe' only put the instructions on how to stand on your scone... the part how to get off it is on next week!!!? Swillnut club... yeh its got scientifical, expert answers for everything aye!!!! And plus they just google expert shit up, quick smart too... in a nutshell!!? Shit you wouldn't have anything for me head would ya your hona, its fucking throbbing aye... maybe a bit stronger than panadol aye??! Oh whatever, FFS!!! Yeh I already told ya there was 300 of 'em with tasers blocking the passage... aye... what!?? That's bullshit!!!! What do you mean where did all the others go... what... what fuckin' thousands???! Naaar, I already told ya, there was just one of me, standing on me scone yogering, and 300 of them cunts!!! Yeh, what a load of bullshit, thought so, thought I could smell fuckin' garlic aye... that's fucking east coast greeks for ya aye!!!'
Maybe the Swellnet R & D department could investigate the development of an LED infused waterproof cap? I got a non waterproof one from Bunnings that has 4 LEDS and is absolutely fantastic. Wherever you look you have heaps of light, and on the sunny days outside it keeps ya snoz from burning up. Surf at night, beat the crowds, and no pesky sun to fry ya scone.
Who wants one?
One of the early morning crew at my local is a frog scientist, divides his time between the laboratory and tramping about in swamps looking for rare toads. For the latter, he's got an industrial strength head torch that he swore was gonna change his surfing hours - he might even beat Pearso off the rocks!
First duckdive it was down 'round his chest illuminating his groin and the performance didn't improve any after that.
Haha....Yea the head torch would never work....get him onto the cap idea. No chance of groin enlightenment if it's covering ya whole scone ;)
i used to bodyboard g land and shark island with a helmet torch.
Stu and Steve are quite familiar with this, surprised it isn't mentioned.
I used led Lenser dive torches stauff clamped to my Gath on the sides.
Worked really well.
My brother "stand up surfed" the same places plus Ausie pipe with a similar design.
Another surfboard riding mate joins me out flatrock newcastle on good nights.
Matt and i have been riding Cronulla point with torches since early 1990s.
Not any more i dont, especially in WA, way too sharky, even bronzies get aggro at night time.
But i did get a lot of pits at cronulla point, shark island and aussie pipe at night back in the day, also port kembla beach which is kinda sharky but worth it some nights.
But one night at aussie pipe i got bumped and circled by something large and i saw the dorsal fin, about two feet high and only night surfed once after that. It was sunrise when that happened ,id already been out for three or four hours and two bodyboarders were getting ready to jump out and i told them about the fin but they paddled out anyway. by the time i took my wetty off 40 guys were on it.
Also when i moved out of shonkies place and was sleeping in my car in Perth, i noticed a lot of surfers surfing a semi secret fickle spot at night. Its sharky in day light hours at this spot..dont know what they were thinking.Only works on massive swells and when the sands built up so i can see why they want to surf it as much as possible..sick little wave that doesnt get above 3foot.
Tried night surfing a few years ago . The waves were lit up overhead from a pier. I was surfing into sunset and waited for the lights to come on for the event.
It's pretty strange to say the least. There are alot more shadows then are usually there.
pretty cool feeling though.
If you don't have lights full moon work well also, i actually prefer that i think there is less people and you don't have the noise of the generator.
They were doing reverses in 1984?
Who’s the goofy on the black-stringered board. Presaging 2018!
Only time I night surfed was a stealth mission, midnight at the local ledge. Rolled up and there was already another bloke out there.....!
That's Jim Banks. Look close and you'll see he's got a round nosed board too.
Think that was the last time Nulla had banks as well
"East coast weak,east coast gutless" get a grip on reality mate .Its got thousands of epic breaks and has produced thousands of great surfers. Just a couple of thousand too many,that's its only downfall
Waves in almost every corner on the east coast so many nooks and crannies between geroa and batemans bay with hundreds of surf spots and slabs. You cant say that about Elliston area.
Flashback News article for Event.(Billed as the World's first night surfing contest).
Heavily Promoted... Sat/March 31st 1984 (Reports...40,000 crowd)
Star line-up included:
Tom Carroll/Barton Lynch/Shaun Tomson/Mark Occhilupo/Terry Fitzgerald
Tom Carroll defeated Barton Lynch in the Final
Tom won $20,000 of Prizes + New Holden Jackaroo + $4,000 AWA-Thorn video pack
They finished saying these Night Contests ran 1984/85/86. (B&W Photo Of Terry Fitzgerald)
Credits- The Saint George Sutherland Shire Leader (Flashback Friday) dated 25/Aug/2017
Good Call Stu!
Gauntly goofy wildcard wears out slide 360 to become Hometown Flow Hero... I like it!
1978'9 single fin boxes. Just screw your fin up high & raise tail then slide 360 was worn-out.
Jim's Wipeout number was called to relive Ulu Bomb...2 months back on another site.
I swear it started when Swellnet revisited "Year's Biggest Wednesday Wipeout Tale" .
This year's Biggest secret is out of the box?
10 -12 hours is optimum. You can google your guts out, again... but its reality. 10 - 12 hours sleep is optimum, crucial for human well being, and performance. 8 hours and the cracks already show. Hormones plummet, performance suffers, cognitive ability too. The Navy Seals called the 6 - 8 hours, that most of society operate on, zombie level... the night walkers!!! In a nut shell!!
Yes, thousands of surfers on the east coast lanko, and I met heaps of them. They come when they want to do some real surfing. They still do, even as we speak. I rescued heaps too lanky, even the best ever!!! They never say go away... it was always, 'please crypy, ya gotta farkin' save us maaayte!!!' So I did, and I'll never ever forget that look in their eyes.... ever, never... You'd think that would be the end of it, when ya got them to the cliff, and often the hospital even, but no, next thing it was, 'Fanks maaayte, aye, any chance ya could ya fix me knee/back/hip/neck/wrist/ankle/guts'... So I did, still do...
Got to admit though lanko, I never did see you mate, on me right, while I was hooking in to another bomb, day after day after day after day after day after day after day... did I say day... year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year... did I say year? Never, not even once, ever... And by nightfall, fark, who needed any more, not me... better things to do aye...
Anyway, a few months of good sleep, and the plummeted testo levels will come back lanko, and you'll see, and do things different. You'll even see that there's fucking tons of leggies for sale everywhere over east, mountains of the fuckers, everywhere you look in fact!!!
Even the aliens can see the east coast, sticking out like dog's balls, lit up like an over decorated xmas tree. 'Shit have a look at that lot, now what are they fuckin' doin?' Hang on, have a look at that cunt, What's he fucking up to... over there on the beach with fucking night googles on... swillnut brand too!!! Faaark, hes rippin' the wings of plovers and settin' 'em on fire!!! Faark... whats that other bloke doing, what's he holding... faaark its a farkin' Certificate 8 in anger management, printed on luminescent paper... in a nutshell!!!'
'Shit, they're trying to make contact... again... lets fucking get out of here... again!!!'
No, they should've banned surfing on the east coast from day one, it was never gonna work out well, you could see that right from the start... night walkers forever!!! In a nutshell!!!
Timeline inclusion...
Record crowds to see Surfers compete in Floodlit sea arena was nothing new to Oz.
1914/15 Duke tour was promoted with Surfers(Logo) competing by Night in seabaths.
Just as a Seabaths demo kick board becomes a default lay day semi pro microwave surfboard.
Duke branded a Night Surfer pioneering aquatic carnivals in a Floodlit Sea. (Another first?)
EPIC.
don't be surprised to see a night surfing competition/festival soon.
NEWS (This Weekend) New Entry for our Oz Night Surfing History.(Oz Winners in any event)
World First Iron Man Championship (Night Comp) Finns Club/ Berawa (16-19 Aug 2018)
Free Event nightly 5pm-9pm (Accumulator format) Sat Night Eliminations
Ironmen+ Ironwomen competed in absolutely perfect 6 ft Glassy offshore surf.
Ironwomen Winner... Jordan Mercer: "Most amazing racing experience I ever had!"
Ironman Winner...Ali Day: "Crowd support is like nothing else/Excited what -future brings!"
Full Story in Today's South Coast Register 21/Aug/2018
Ok! Swellnetonians are guessing this is the Red Bull Night Riderz Haunt. Well Your Right!
Night Tow-in Air Event runs 6pm- Midnite annually since Finns Club opened.
They also run night(Swim) triathlons... Obviously lends well to inshore Night Surfing .
Hard to find some crowd numbers but upwards of 3,000 was mentioned a few years back.
Lighting is by way of 2 well directed floodlights(Not Large) + 2 x 3m floating Glow Balls
Finns club/pool lights also extends the shoreline...Plenty of images... looks fine!
for anyone who is interested in why i night surf?
no rules.
I get my favourite waves all to myself, i dont have to justify the board i chose to ride to anyone.
not sure if any of you have had that experience of being judged on what board you choose to ride, like it matters anyway.
at night all that bullshit disappears
That was sick. MR on probably one of the first batch of pingaz to grace our Aussie shores!
I remember standing on Eloura beach watching this with thousands of others , thinking how lame it was. You couldn't see the wave shape at all, just glare off the lights , with a figure moving . It didn't help that the waves were crappy. Might have been a better spectacle if the lights were underwater, lighting up the waves better.