Journey so far

For the love of Kneeboardriding sometime in 1970 when I first rode a wave kneeling down I couldn’t believe how fast…. how close to the wave the distinct advantage… it was great!!! I love it! It’s so much fun! So, I devoured everything I could find about Kneeboard riding and of course, touched by the GEORGE GREENOUGH influence round house figure eight cutbacks on those old surf flicks, slumped in the tube at Arrow Beach, filming out of the barrel at Lennox. And do you know what, after State, National & 4 x International surfing achievements I still love it.

Originally I knew I had to develop a Kneeboard as I was a pioneer, especially in Victoria I was there when they had the first pro-kneeboard contest (1973) which I won at 17 years of age. I was there when they had the very first Kneeboard division in the National Titles in 1974 in QLD. I was in the very first National Team that had a kneeboard division in 1978 in Hawaii. And there are so many other stories of events, achievements, big wave dramas, just full on dramas….. And all the way I designed and developed my own style of Kneeboard and way of surfing it. Still doing it today in 2007 and I still love it and I still think we have a huge advantage as surfers.

Kneeboard riding, the alternative surf style has given me so much in the past 37 years in the way of friends who I must say are still here today. Waves with friends, riding Kneeboards has been something almost done on a daily basis. Hope you enoy it with me. In many varied conditions watching people riding my boards has always been satisfying, especially pleasurable is the positive feedback.

As a shaper and designer the time and effort gone into plan shapes, rails, rockers, bottom contours, fin positions, thickness, length….years and years of try, test and try and test again and again. Contest victories on boards that are totally different has been very satisfying. From hard nut agro contest surfer, totally focused doing it hard for what you believe in has all contributed to the journey and where I am now. Still trying to keep my finger on the pulse by knowing that we’re (kneeboarding) in very good shape…. still here and if I’ve helped it be that way then I’m thankful for the privilege and for all the support that I’ve had in my journey as a kneeboard surfer.

For more on Kneeboading also check out these sites:

http://www.phillipislandkneeboardclassic.com/
www.ksusa.org/
www.kneeboardsurfaustralia.com/