| Surfing World 300. Flashback Feature.
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A bunch of cool, vintage surf mag ads.
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Vaughan Blakey (editor) and Matty Graham (Art director) the main players who put SW magazine together work out of Coastalwatch HQ. In recent months the boys have been putting a lot of hours into researching back issues of Australia’s longest running magazine in the lead up to publishing the milestone 300th issue on December 23, 2009.
Anyways, to cut a long story short – their enthusiasm for the task has been highly infectious. There are old issues of SW lying about everywhere – in the kitchen, in the bathroom, on the floor, at the deli up the road – you name it.
Whenever I flicked back through a bunch of vintage back issues I would often pause for a chuckle at some of the simplistic, old school ads. Some of the ads that graced the pages in the 60’s, 70’s, and even early 80’s are pretty basic by today’s standards. The more old mags I looked at, the more I couldn’t help flashing back, kind of re - tracing the growth of the then cottage surfing industry via the pages of old Surfing World issues .
| | Terry Richo just sitting on the rocks at Black rock wearing a pair of BB’s thongs. Cool. Makes sense to me. No bullshit, no props or dicky poses – just an insane goofyfooter who I grew up watching getting shacked on my odd trip to Pipe and later Sandon Point. Richo endorsing a pair of thongs. Simple and effective – I mean thongs are essential on the walk in and out to Pipe right? I mean I get it. I secretly wish ads could still be like that, and I wish that I could chill out on the bonnet of my car watching empty Noosa like McTavish, (but that’s another story for another time.) |
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Flicking through vintage SW mags it was evident that as short board manufacturing became more complex, and demand rose, the need for more efficient workplace environments became apparent. Backyards and sheds were being usurped by factories and co-ops.
You get a pretty good feel for the number of surfboard factories that were springing up in Brookvale, Byron Bay, The Gold coast, Torquay and Taren Point in old buildings or fledgling industrial estates. Putting two and two together you can kind of guess that once set up with all the associated labour, material and infrastructure costs, the Keyo’s, Woods and later Shane’s, HB’s, Aloha’s, San Juan’s, Morning Stars and Gordon and Smith’s of the world would have had to produce volume and then aim to increase market share.
Advertising was the obvious solution no doubt, and SW was the premier vehicle.
| | There was actually a more memorable Pipelines legrope ad than this one, but I couldn’t be bothered finding it. The same model is completely wrapped up bondage style in a legrope. Perhaps I’ve said enough. I’m sure you get the picture – it was a highly effective ad back in the conservative Fraser years. |
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In the early 70’s mainstream sportswear companies like Speedo and Exacto obviously saw the viability of the rapidly expanding surf market, and began booking back covers and double page spreads. It looks like early surf clothing co’s like Platts and Tracker soon followed suit.
As the surf market grew, so did the industry and the number of pages in each issue of Surfing world. The big three - Quiksilver, Rip Curl and Billabong began booking ads in every issue as did groovy fashion forward labels like Hot Tuna. Then their were wetsuit manufacturers like Dive’n’Sea and O’Neill, early accessory brands like Surfaids, Pipelines and surf shops like Windensea, and before you knew it, the surf explosion of the 80’s was in full swing.
I didn’t set out to turn this feature into an analytical commentary of the economic or fashion trends of the times, so please just suss out the ads. Dig on the simplicity and honesty of the times whilst scoping ads that you are not likely to see in SW or any other surfing mag these days.
Next week I am hoping to catch up with Bruce Channon - long time publisher of SW for a more in depth flashback, possibly touching on advertising briefly, but more likely focusing on the epic pure surfing trips Bruce and Hugh co-ordinated well before modern time saving luxuries like Coastalwatch surf forecasts existed. Enjoy.
– Ben Horvath. (Coastalwatch editor.)
| | Before the 8108 boardshort that put Hot tuna on the map there were these. Every hot “surfie chick” in the 70’s had a pair of these printed high waisted stretch slacks. All my sisters’ bitchin friends used to wear em out to see “Jimmy and the Boys,” “Radio Birdman” or “Midnight Oil” at The Sydney Cove Tavern, The Civic, The Stagedoor or Bondi Lifesaver. Hot! |
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| | Richard and Jo Meldrum (Hot tuna founders) were way ahead of their time man. They used to drive up and down the coast in a kombi selling their wares in the 70’s. They did everything – designing, marketing, and sales. Raw, quirky early ads like these soon evolved into groundbreaking fashion shoots featuring world renowned photogs like Graham Shearer and female models to die for. They dug toying with the conservatives in the surfing industry. They later opened the first surf shop in gay old Oxford St in the 80’s. Shock! Horror at the time. Classic! |
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| | No real need for a caption for this one. Any seventies child would remember Shane “popouts” and the surf reports on 2SM, the surfers radio station before Double J, because they sponnoed The Surfabout and had surf reports and played ACDC, Skyhooks, Hush and even Sabbath. What an ad! |
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| | I can’t quite figure out why ice skating was semi cool in the 70’s, but it was. Heaps of chicks used to hang out at Victoria Park (Broadway opposite where Utopia is now) skate rink, wearing Speedo and Chrystal cylinders jackets playing the pinnies, smoking durries wearing short skirts and stuff. Before disco, before Grease, before punk - skating was cool. |
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| | I certainly don’t condone durry smoking, but back in the day heaps of surfers used to smoke … tobacco. Tommy Peterson smokes Stuyvesant. Yuk! I included this one because it shows how different things were in the 70’s. |
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| | 380 with financial advice. |
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| | Ah obviously an ad agency production. At least its 70’s styles and kind of hard hitting though. The model looks a lot like Ginger from Gilligan’s Island. It seems that in most ads these days triviality themes lead the way, followed closely by superficiality and mindless distraction. Vanity looks great while profundity is bringing up the rear. Maybe the rut set in over a screwdriver? |
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| | Before Cheetah, Finch, Roxy or One Teaspoon there were caftans from Hollywood beachwear in Redfern. |
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| | The groovy San Juan captain America days at Byron. |
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| | Surfaids boardcovers you could sleep in and stash away any paraphernalia. |
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| | 2SM Surfabout contest infrastructure at Sth Av in the late 70’s or early 80’s. Can’t remember exactly what year, but can remember ditching school to go watch Jim Banks in his heat. I think it was 82 – The year Rab beat Dane Kealoha in the final at Cronulla Point. | Photo: Horvath family album. |
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| | I was heavily influenced by SW advertising as a grom growing up in the 70’s. Thats me on the right, holding my Frank Williams Hot Buttered single fin with a vintage Martin Worthington spray. My boardshorts were Platts and striped tee Golden Breed. | Photo: Horvath family album. |
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| | New cars for sale, still advertised in pounds. |
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The Go-Betweens - Surfing Magazines
“We used to get our kicks reading surfing magazines
Some good looking people wearing
Lee cooper jeans
They’re breaking on the headland, they’re breaking on the shore
And when you’re living in Hawaii they’re breaking at your door
We used to wet our fingers on surfing magazines
Going to throw school and follow those scenes
Going to get a kombi and go from beach to beach
Be the kind of people the authorities can’t reach
We used to get our kicks reading surfing magazines
Wake up in the morning and the waves are clean
Standing on the headland taking in the scene
Just like they do it ... in surfing magazines” |  | | | The Go-Betweens - Surfing Magazines
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