Surf City, Sydney

photo of Peter Francis’ mid 60s Barry Bennett Mal by Gary Crockett 2010

Sydney surfer Peter Francis told me about his great Barry Bennett mal, built no doubt in the mid 1960s, going by the 3 stringer signature model styling and overall build and glass quality. Already known in the early 50s for his plywood skis and toothpicks turned out on Sydney’s southside, Bennett shifted to his new Brookvale factory around 1956 to upscale production of finned malibus after Sydney went berserk for the new california-style boards. In the early 60s, thanks to contact with visiting US surfers and a stint working with Californian big hitters Hobie and Hansen surfboards, Bennett made the shift from balsa to high quality foam and fibreglass and established himself as a leading manufacturer with board sales spanning the country for decades to come. Interestingly, Bennetts have maintained close links with the lifesaving scene to this day. [info not surprisingly sourced from surfresearch]