Kanga Cairns, Barry Kanaiaupuni and Pete Townend (top left) and Reno Abellira (top right) with 2nd gen twin fin at North Narrabeen mid 70s, photos courtesy Steve Abbott
It was great to meet Steve and Bob yesterday at Werri Beach and sift through the salty windmills of their minds stretching back to surburban Villawood in the late 60s, with long car trips and train journeys to North Narrabeen as pre-teens before becoming part of the local ‘northies’ surfing mob, with all its ratbaggery, vitality and standout surfers throughout the heady 70s. Along with plenty of boards, some saved from the local tip or hard-rubbish collections and several others well chosen as cultural or personal treasures, was a pile of fantastic photo albums and loose prints recording trips, surf action, birthdays and North Narra beach life during this amazing period.