It has been half a century since the first World Championships were held at Manly Beach in Australia. In recognition of this, Patrick Flanagan of South African Surfing Legends recounts a story about the birth of competitive surfing.
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Competitive Surfing Turns 50 – by Patrick Flanagan
On the 7th of June a gala dinner was held in Manly Beach in Sydney to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the first official Surfing World Titles that were held at that famous break.
This last Saturday morning, Max Wetteland, South Africa’s lone participant at the event is on the beach in Durban. His phone rings and it’s Midget Farrelly, the winner of the event back in ’64. “So where are you, Max? The dinner is about to start,” asked a jesting Midget.
The two surfing pioneers met in the quarter finals of the famous event, Max called Midget onto a wave. The wave helped get Midget through the heat and the gesture sparked a life long friendship.
In the final Midget beat a very strong field that included such magic names as (the late) Bobby Brown, Mick Dooley, Joey Cabell, Mike Doyle and LJ Richards of America. Superstars of the day.
The winners podium. (left to right) Mike Doyle (2nd) Midget and Joey Cabell (3rd)
Functional surfing as opposed to hotdogging was in vogue and much in the style of Phil Edwards, the nineteen year-old Midget beat the favourite Joey Cabell into third place.
Phyllis O’Donell of Australia won the ladies division.
The event was a massive turning point for international competitive surfing. Up until then the premier international event was held at Makaha, which Midget won in 1963. So to, once and for all, determine who the best surfer in the world was, the Australian Surfing Association with the help of movie maker Bob Evan, Manly Beach and Ampol (the sponsor) put on the inaugural World event at the North Sydney beach.
France, South Africa, England and New Zealand were invited to send their best surfer to the event to join a horde of Aussies that had pre-qualified to compete. The rest is history
Pictured above is Max and Midget shaking hands after their quarter final heat. Below is the letter to Harry Bold (Surfer magazine distributor for South Africa and the only South African in touch with anyone in international surfing at the time) from the Australian Surfing Association asking for the attendance of the SA national champion at the 1964 World Championships.
