Growing up and Learning to Surf at BONDI BEACH
I grew up surfing at Bondi Beach Sydney Australia, during the '80s, there were only 4 girls that surfed at the time: Me, Pauline, Prue and Lisa. Bondi is a tiny city beach and in the summer you can only surf on the south end of the beach making it even smaller. It was so crowded that I longed for those choppy blown out days so I could get a wave to myself.
First I had a surf mat then I had a boogie board, I always loved the ocean. I used to ride my bike down and surf on my boogie board then go play basketball in the Bondi Pavillion, with whoever turned up to play.
Learning to surf took forever there were no surf schools in existence. It was a matter of getting a surfboard and doing it.
My brother got a Mark Richards Twin Fin and he hardly used it at the time because he was into Rap Dancing, he used to take a ghetto blaster ( a stereo) and dance in the city on the street with friends. I borrowed it and was determined to surf out the back one day.
At first, I learned to go up on my knees in the white water. This took a painstaking 6 months, then gradually I learned to stand. How great the feeling was to be out the back and not called, "a kook" on the whitewash anymore. I did go on to teach surfing for many years on the Gold Coast. Now if you go to a surf school for lessons you can be standing up in 1 hr, feel that thrill from the first hour.
Back then in the 80s, any girl that surfed had to be gay, I thought it was crazy I just loved sport, nothing to do with it. Back then the culture was quite derogatory, putting you down with sarcasm was on every boy's vocabulary.
I was so enthralled about California, we travelled there when I was 16, everybody was so friendly and positive. I was to go there 5 more times. Surf travelling became my great love, go surfing and meet the locals. It took me all over the world I learned to speak Spanish as there are lots of great surfing places where they speak Spanish. Surfing also found me, my hubby, and gave me a family. Love Surfing!
When I was 17, after I finished year 12, we moved to the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast waves were a dream. I saw the waves breaking like a machine on the point breaks, I thought it was magical. I never could believe you could have waves like that.
I started to compete in surfing contests. They used to run the surf contests back then on a set date and a set beach, they always put the girls' surf heats on the worst surf day and worst surf for that day. Now they wait for good waves and move contests around to other beaches to try and get better waves. I considered becoming a professional surfer. Then I thought I would save up and travel and surf in the best surf spots when I wanted and the surf was good. The world of professional surfing offered surf and travel but I was to do it on my terms.
This is a good article about Pauline and her story, it inspired me to write down my memories. I knew Pauline back then and her brothers they were all friendly.
Living on the Gold Coast for over the last 30 years it really is a surfer's paradise, yes it gets crowded but there are so many options. When I got my drivers licence at 18 I realised I could get glassy nice breaking waves if I drove a maximum of one hr. Right on the Gold Coast or the Tweed Coast.
The dream Gold Coast Waves I get to surf today.
What was it like for you growing up and learning to surf let me know.
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