GSI Noosa Festival of Surfing 2008

ASP LQS 2 Star Men's Event
Noosa, Queensland
3 - 9 March 2008

Surfboard and memorabilia auction to set new standards in Australia

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 25 February, 2008 : - - The highest quality surf memorabilia ever brought to auction in Australia will be seen at the Global Surf Industries Noosa Festival of Surfing. The world’s leading authority on surf collectibles, Hawaii’s Randy Rarick will host the evening.

Rarick, convenor of the biggest surf auction in the world, Honolulu’s bi-annual Hawaiian Islands Vintage Surf Auction, is making his first trip back to Noosa in eight years for the March 5 auction, to be held at the Festival Village in Lions Park, Noosa Heads.

In addition to running the world’s biggest surf auction in Honolulu every second year, Randy is the long-term director of the Hawaii Triple Crown, a founding father of professional surfing and one of our sport’s leading craftsmen and adventurers. He will be assisted by some of Australia’s leading experts in surf memorabilia, including surfboard guru Bob McTavish and author/film buff Murray Walding, plus regular festival auctioneer Bob Johnson.

The emphasis is on quality rather than quantity in 2008, with some truly rare and classic offerings, including a Hayden Kenny Greenough spoon kneeboard from the late 1960s, four-times world champion Mark Richards Hawaiian season Lightning Bolt twin fin from 1989, and rare ‘60s world contest decals and tee shirts from the collection of former Australian women’s champion Gail Couper.

Auction Organiser Darryl Homan, “We’re restricting the number of lots to around 50 this year and presenting many of them in sets of related items, such as a board, shorts and rashie all used by Michael Peterson.

Quite a few of us from Australia went to Randy Rarick’s auction in Hawaii this year and we picked up a few tips about presentation. I think our regulars at Noosa are going to see a difference this year, and for first-timers it will be a great evening of entertainment as well as buying opportunities.”

The auction will be preceded by an “antique roadshow” featuring Rarick, McTavish, Walding and other experts offering free evaluation of surfboards and other items. Also preceding the auction will be a blast from the past of another kind when the ‘History of the Bikini’ goes on parade!

Classic swimwear from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s will go on show giving the public a great insight into the beach culture of days gone by. It is a private collection from RAQ Fashion Design Award Winner Karen Neilsen and is sure to be a sensational prelude to the auction!

Quality Reigns Supreme at Memorabilia Auction

This year, for about the hundredth year in a row, Bobby Johnson has ridden in from Tamworth on his trusty steed to handle proceedings as auctioneer in his usual professional manner. Also on deck to assist are Bob McTavish, Aussie surf pioneer and patron of the Noosa Malibu Club and some of surfing’s biggest names, including world champs PT and MR.

“We’ve put this auction on in some funny places over the years – some successful, others not so – but weather permitting, our venue this year in the Festival Village will be the best ever,” says Phil Jarratt, auction convenor & Festival Coordinator.

“Darryl and I have been working on this auction for months now, and we sincerely hope this is reflected in the quality of the offerings, which this year include items from many of Australia’s leading collectors and some treasures from the personal collections of our surfing legends. We wish you a fun night and successful bidding,” said Jarratt.

Booklet features

Bill Wallace: the legend lives on

Back in 1998, we made legendary surfboard shaper Bill Wallace our festival poster boy and had a celebratory dinner in his honour. A decade later, now into his ninth decade on the planet, Billy is still going strong and still turning out works of great craftsmanship from his base in Noosaville.

Along with Gordon Woods, Barry Bennett, Joe Larkin and others, Bill built “toothpicks” after the Second World War and then pioneered the introduction of the okanui and Malibu surfboard to Australia in the 1950s. He went on to become on of Australia’s leading manufacturers in the 1960s, at the cutting edge of the shortboard revolution.

These days, he is more interested in surfing’s past than its future, and the beautiful Duke Kahanamoku replica offered in this auction is a classic example.

Built from the exact specifications of the board the Duke carved from sugar pine to give boardriding exhibitions in Sydney in the summer of 1914-15, this superb piece is shaped by hand from Canadian red cedar. With Bill’s hands not as nimble as they once were, this may well be one of the last from a great tradition.

Sidewalk Surfin’

Back in the early ‘60s, the skateboard craze rolled across the Pacific from California and took the idea of surfing to the streets. Australia’s first world surfing champion, Midget Farrelly was the biggest name in the sport, so the enterprising Witzig brothers, John and Paul, cut a deal with Midget to manufacture Australia’s first signature model skateboards.

We’re proud to be offering a full set of Farrelly skateboards at this auction. This is a rare and treasured offering, so expect bidding to be intense.

Bolts from the blue

There was a time in surfing’s history when no surfer who wanted to make the big time could afford to be without one. It was the most revered brand name in surfboards and carried with it a guarantee of respect in the water. These were the glory days of Lightning Bolt, the brand started by Jack Shipley and Gerry Lopez in 1971. Over the next decade, virtually every shaper on note carved boards under the Bolt logo.

Veteran Hawaiian craftsman, surfer and event organizer Randy Rarick knows his Bolts backwards, and he’s brought with him three absolute gems of the genre. Bidding will be fierce.

www.noosafestivalofsurfing.com   

Previous reports:
# 1 : Oz stars Emma Snowsill and Craig Walton hit GSI Noosa
# 2 : GSI Noosa Fest of Surfing honors 'Bustin Down the Door'
# 3 : Dave Rastovich drops in on GSI Noosa Festival of Surfing
# 4 : Men's pro at GSI Noosa Festival of Surf scores LQS 2 star 

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Darren Landers
Media Manager | Noosa Festival of Surfing
darren@freshlogicmedia.com.au

Garth Prowd OAM
Managing Director | USM Events
gp@usmevents.com.au

Georgie Hannon
Event Management | USM Events
georgie@usmevents.com.au

Festivals - Surfersvillage