I met John Collins when I was working behind a coffee machine in Frankston, Victoria. We quickly got chatting about surfing and photography. One day, he was just another regular; the next, he was like family, joining me on my 5 am beach walks with my newborn. During those walks, I learned about his life in surfing, his deep connection to the ocean, and his stint as Contest Director of the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach in the 80s and early 90s. He ran the show at a time when professional surfing was evolving into something bigger, riskier, and more chaotic than ever before. During his tenure, John had to make decisions about everything from relocating the contest for the first time to awarding the prestigious trophy to a hospital-bound finalist.      

On John Collins’ 68th birthday, I interviewed him about his formative surfing years and the role he played in shaping the folklore of Bells.

John Collins is no longer submerged in the heady world of professional surfing, but he still likes to get in the water.

What got you into surfing? 

“My cousin, Greg McConville, got me into it originally. He grew up in Frankston and discovered surfing through his neighbour, Danny, one of the early surfers on the Mornington Peninsula. Greg convinced me to surf Port Phillip Bay with him when we were about 10 or 11 years old. It wasn’t exactly a surfer’s paradise –more like windblown chop – but it was what we had. Pretty soon, my mates and I – known as the Davey’s Bay boys – were spending freezing winter afternoons working with whatever small wind swells rolled through.

The real turning point came in the summer of 1969. My uncle and godfather, also named John Collins, was a commando in World War ...