SCUMM member Phil Harper back in his younger days riding mats

The Good Old Day’s

I recently received a email from my mates Scamander beach surf shop down in Tasmania, and had these pictures attached of some nice foiled fins for a kneeboard plus a couple of Chris Crozier kneeboards up on display in his shop. He put me in contact with the owner Steve Jeffes who gave me a rundown on the history of the pink Crozier

The short history of the Pink Crozier.
I brought this board in 1977 custom from Chris. It was designed specifically for reef breaks, at the time I was exclusively riding it around Cronulla – Shelly and sandshoes as Cronulla was extremely crowded so you had to basically became a ‘local’ at a break to get a wave – considerable agro in that scene then. It was about my tenth slab from Chris. The ding on the nose came about the first day I rode it at Sandshoes – memorable day – the Point was around 10+ with PT out and two person barrels. A friend of mine Greg Ferris went out at the point, he was a good surfer (ex schoolboy champ) and he was cleaned up dropping into a big one and his board ended up in the pool at south Cronulla. Shoes was a solid six off the right hander and the left hander in the bay was working as well. The slab has quite a lot of rocker designed into it and went great on all reef breaks or any wave with power.

The various fins were accumulated over a number of boards and used depending on the wave. The flex ones were fantastic as tended to rocket you into the next section. I brought that board and the next one (also pink) to Tassie when we moved here at the start of 1981. However, the failed to work effectively here due to the lack of power in most waves – so I got Chris to shape me a twin fin with no rocker at all and just tail release (yes pink again) that year which went a treat (even at Park). I then moved onto Friar Tucks shaped by Parkesy and have had far too many to count since then – though he will not do a pink one for me!

I originally started knee boarding at Gerringong around 1969 as I broke my then longboard on holidays (staying at the old caravan park) and got a local guy at Gerroa to cut it down to a kneeboard (could not afford anything else) and we surfed Werri Point with it. Too much fun and never looked back. Watched Peter C surf Dee Why Point when he was at the top of his game and set me on a path – have seen the current crop from down Wollongong and they are inspiring as well. Always thought the mainstream surfing in Australia should recognise Peter Crawford as he was easily one of the best surfers of his time and with Chris changed the face of knee boarding in the world. Your mat’s remind me when my father took me to the beach as a youngster (Maroubra and Manly) where we used to hire them and be swept out to sea occasionally – much fun! It’s interesting you have channels as well – I have maintained them for over twenty years on my boards and for waves such as Tassie they are excellent. Like the spoon – too old to surf Green Island anymore (never did like the paddle over the ‘hole’) at that size but still enjoying every day I get out in the water. Am heading up to Tuross Lakes in November for a wedding so hopefully there may be a few little scratchers to catch in board shorts for a change!

Steve Jeffes

Dale also has a old Trigger Bros Kneeboard on display

Visit Dales surf shops at Scamander and St Helens , Tasmania.
http://scamandersurf.com/

They are amongst us…..SURF MAT RIDERS THAT IS

Justin Spittle sent me these pictures of him and his brother riding the mats back in his youth, check out the Zippy Board