Bruce Raymond, lifeguards, waterman and the beach communities of North Sydney have invided Todd Bradley, Dave Parmenter, Brian Keaulana and Archie Kalepa to share their aloha and love for the ocean March 6-8, 2009 in a Waterman's Cultural Exchange that is open to everyone.
Hawaiians and Australians have a special relationship built around their mutual love of surf sports and the mighty
Pacific Ocean. It#700;s a relationship that began with the first surfboards brought to Australia from the islands in the
early 20th century, and blossomed with the great Duke Kahanamoku#700;s visit Down Under in the summer of 1914,
when Duke brought the Aloha spirit to Sydney#700;s northern beaches and triggered the first wave of Australian
surfboard riders. This was the beginning of a long love affair with surfing by Australians and a long and warm
history of shared between our surf and ocean sports cultures, filled with highlights like the 1939 Pacific Games,
when an Australian surfing and board paddling team visited Waikiki for three weeks of competition and friendship
…and at the fabled Makaha International surf meet in 1962, when a young Australian, “Midget” Farrelly, became
the first surfer outside Hawaii to take the crown. Our Surf Cultural Exchange plans to bring together Brian
Keaulana, Archie Kalepa, Todd Bradley and their colleagues -- today#700;s embodiers of the Aloha spirit and the finest
of Hawaiian watermen and paddlers -- and the vibrant surf community of Sydney#700;s northern beaches, where it all
began with the Duke almost a century ago. Featuring the sharing of the unique Hawaiian Sports seen at done at
Makaha, as .. Canoe Surfing, Alaia Surfing, Bullyboard surfing and the latest Sport of Stand up paddle surfing.
The event is a noncommercial event and hosted in the old style of the Surf Lifesaving Communities, as they did
with Duke a century ago, opening their local beaches, clubs and homes. Along with “Midget” Farrelly, Local
Australian watermen attending Mark Richards, Tommy & Nick Carroll, Jamie Michel, Mick Dibetta to name a few.
AGENDA FOR THE SURF CULTURAL EXCHANGE
This is based around three days at three beaches, each part of the heartland of surfing on Sydney#700;s northern
beaches. Literally thousands of surfers, swimmers and sun seekers flock to these beaches all year round, watched
over by Australia#700;s unique volunteer surf lifesaving clubs. They#700;re home to nine surfing world champions, several
great surfboard riding clubs, and the culture of the beach and the surf pervades pretty much every home and
family

Friday, March 6
PALM BEACH
Hosts: Palm Beach Surf Lifesaving Club, Palm Beach Longboarders
Morning: 7am - 9am surfing with the visitors! Outriggers, surf boats, stand-up paddleboarding,
Breakfast hosted by SLSC
Midday: Talk with students at local Barrenjoey High School on the lessons of a surfing life, with Brian, Todd, Dave
and Archie, along with local surfing identities
Afternoon/evening: Rest

Saturday, March 7
NEWPORT BEACH
Hosts, Newport Surf Lifesaving Club, Newport Plus Boardriders
Morning: 8am-11am surfing with the visitors! Bringing Brian and the crew together with the strongly water-athletic
junior and family oriented surf culture of Newport Beach. Lots of different surf craft, opportunities for everyone to
have a go. Paddle clinic for kids. Special feature: a paddle race around nearby Little Reef.
Breakfast/brunch hosted by Newport Plus

Late afternoon/evening: BBQ and music evening at Newport Surf Club

Sunday, March 8
AVALON BEACH
Hosts, Avalon Surf Lifesaving Club, North Avalon Surfing Association (NASA)
Morning: 7am – 11am surfing with the visitors! Bringing everyone together for a morning of fun in the surf on
every different type of surf craft, from surfboats/outriggers to bodyboards and “bully boards”.
Drinks/food hosted by SLSC/NASA
Afternoon/early evening: Farewell function at local restaurant, Jonah#700;s



We will also be hosted by the Freshwater BSLC for one day and visit Duke's original Australia surfboard in the surf Museum there. It's housed at the Freshwater Beach Surf Lifesaving Club, which is where Duke did his surfing demo almost 100 years ago. Brian Keaulana is considered to be a modern day Duke by many and while visiting the Museum we will donate one of his personal modern day Alaia boards, a hand made wood board shaped by Dave Parmenter that was similarly used by watermen of Hawaii 100 years ago.

Hope to see ya all there!

Wow!.. That's huge... Someone take some pics for us that can't make it.

DJ

Be great to see guys like that on the water first hand.

You up for an early one up at Palmy tomorrow Casso,AA?

7 am see you there boys , i gather it will be at the southern end of palmy ?
tom

See you at 6.

Sam.

NewcastleSUP said...
Good on ya fellas you can help setup.

No probs.

NewcastleSUP said...
Swell is starting to rise so should be some fun waves around tomorrow.

Yep, perfect conditions for South Palmy - light SW wind with three foot of south swell on the early morning high tide ... and the sun'll be out too.

NewcastleSUP said...
A couple of the new 9'3 SUB Vectors will be available for demo. Casso, I know your dying to try one!

Absolutely!

Great stuff.. Thanks for the pics.

BTW.. Anyone seen Midget out on a stand up yet?

DJ

Sorry team, I've only just now had a chance to get to my computer and do a little report on this morning's events.

It was great fun, a beautiful day, good waves and lots to look at.

I took some SuckerCam video but I haven't had a chance to edit it yet. So, in the meantime, here's some frame grabs to paint the picture (sorry about the quality)...

Sam (WindSurfnSnow) and I got there early and headed out for a few waves on our twin Naish 9'3"s:





A while after the C4 and Quiksilver guys had got their act together and headed out in the Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe (from back - Brian Keaulana, Todd Bradley, Archie Kalepa, Bruce Raymond):



The Palm Beach SLSC guys hovered around on their skis and paddle boards (yellow board - Nick Carroll):



The Aussie's took out their version of the Hawaiian boat (on the sweep oar/the guy at the back - Midget Farrelly):



Some guys took out alaia boards with not much success:



A bit more playing for me:



A few tubes to be had:



AA having a ball (it is OK for Mr PSH to drop in on any PSH riders ):



More playing:



After meeting Todd Bradley on the beach (a very nice guy) he offered me a spin on a brand new C4 Sub Vector 9'3" (nice board, very stable):





Then it was time for the Hawaiians to try the Aussie surf boat under Midget's instruction (they did extremely well for their first time):



It all finished up with an awards ceremony with the Hawaiians and the Palm Beach surf club guys exchanging cultural gifts (Hawaiian beaded leys and Aussie beer coolers):



I'll post the video in the very near future.

Thanks Casso.. That was great.. Love the small tube shot..

DJ

Thanks Casso.. Another excellent vid.. It looks like it was a perfect day.

Good luck at Noosa..

DJ

rodriguez said...

any further comments on the C4 sub would be great.

No worries, a full review to come.

Session said...

Are the C4 guy's heading up to Noosa?

Nah, Todd said they had to head back home. Shame.

rodriguez said...

Thanks Casso ,as usual an excellent review,any further comments on the C4 sub would be great.

Here is a full review in the "Gear Reviews" section:

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=48699

Casso, your a man of your word. Thanks for your C4 sub vector 9-3 review lots of pluses and a few negatives .As always it seems that demoing is the answer. Thanks again. Rodriquez

Goodonya Casso,your always setting the bar with your footage mate.Its awesome,wish I could have been there for the day,
Robbo