This is a part of the series ‘Unearthed: Photos From The Archive Of Stephen Cooney’, which features in our recent mag.
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North Narrabeen has always been the yardstick for quality lefts and standout surfing in Sydney. Living close by, I was surfing ‘Northy’ regularly by 1968 at the age of 13. Tutored in surf etiquette by my older brother, Butch, I soon became an accepted freeloading local junior by the highly competitive members of the NN Boardriders Club. The unofficial ‘clubhouses’ were Georgie Reid’s house across the road and Jim Walsh’s further up the road. Steve ‘Speedy’ Reid, Al ‘Fatty’ Hunt, Tony ‘Wicka’ Hardwick, Glenn ‘Walshy’ Walsh evolved as driving forces in the survival and preservation of the club and culture… and then there was Col Smith.
Col was the Alpha male in the water. Prior to there being a professional surfing circuit, he had won amateur NSW and AustralianTitles and redefined the term ‘radical’ by his sheer aggression towards any wave, hence his monikers ‘Mr. Radical’ and ‘Rubberman’. Out of the water, Col had an infectious personality and encouraged talent. I recall various trips from Narrabeen to the Queensland border with Col prior to my first trip for ‘Morning of theEarth’, looking in on every surfable wave on the way up. His backhand ‘figure eight’ attack on Angourie was ground breaking and documented in the pages of early Tracks.
During these early days the club members would congregate either side of the lake outlet, and for a while, the preferred location to meet was on the north side of the lake entrance. They’d park their cars near the amenities of the swimming club building, which would reveal the panorama of the swell wrapping around the North Narrabeen bank when it was at its best. Access to the break was easy. Paddle across the outlet and into the lineup as you watch someone disappearing down the bank. The added advantage of the dunnies and showers in the swimming club facilities was not lost on the grommets… there just wasn’t a food shop within cooee.
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