Advert in The Surfing World November 1964, courtesy Steve Abbott
In 1963, the hip new sport of surfing had a PR problem. There was plenty of talk about the behaviour of surfers, the future of the sport and the potential for business to get in on the action, leading to the set up of the Australian Surfriders Association and, not long after, convening the first ‘official’ World Surfboard Championships, here in Sydney. The ASA worked hard at getting kids heard and, most importantly, overturn ‘oldie’ prejudice against surfers. “Gee, thanks for the cool cuffs Mum and Dad” says the scruffy kid, “now all I need is a shirt, trousers,…and a job.”