photo of Graham Beatson and Donald Griggs 1963, courtesy Graham Beatson
Here’s Graham Beatson from Hurstville (left) and his mate Donald Griggs from Penshurst, joint owners of a flashy new 9’3″ Ron Surfboard in 1963. The Sydney teenagers were keen Cronulla surfers although, as you can see from their pompadors, the boys were equally hip to the rock and roll scene, along with, as Graham tells me, a spot of ball room dancing. There goes the so-called tribal boundaries between rockers and surfers of the early 1960s. Graham’s kept the receipt from the time he collected the board showing it cost the guys 34 pounds. Ron Surfboards were based in Belmore, back from the coast and, not surprisingly, were popular with kids from the western suburbs. Look out for Graham’s board in the exhibition.
ho dads garry – in the bloody flesh
peterbowes
25 Mar 11 at 10:36 am
How can you tell Pete…?
Gary Crockett
27 Mar 11 at 12:07 am
The hair, the high-waisted dacks, the shirt collar, the rolled sleeves. But mostly the hair, an oiled up flat-top Elvis sweep-back with a Bill Haley coil.
Real surfers were bleaching their hair orange with Napro sachets back then.
peterbowes
27 Mar 11 at 4:13 am