I was chatting with Matt Trigger about our team and why we were at Lorne Point—the home of great surfers like Gail Couper, Wayne Lynch, Warren Powell, and the eventual winner of this comp, Greg Brown. Matt reminded me of the dramas I had at Bells earlier that morning when they sent the Senior Men out into wild 10 to 12-foot waves. On a shorter board, I followed Rod Brooks and Alan Atkins ou

This shot was taken by Peter Wilkinson after a winter session in the cold, harsh environment of Flinders (1978–79). The huge cliffs offer great protection from the strong offshore winds, making waves like Cyril’s very surfable when most other spots are blown out. There has always been plenty of driftwood washed in to build a fire, and perhaps because our wetsuits by today's standards

Phil and Paul in the back yard at Bonbeach around 1971 One of the advantages of our father working at G.M.H. was the opportunity to purchase a Holden fleet car with very low kilometres. These would come up almost yearly, and brother Phil, our banker, was always quick to make a purchase. On the sedan pictured, he even commissioned a black vinyl roof—a highly prized accessory back in the 70s

Team Rider Ian Portingale (Porty) Phil and I were very lucky when you think of the surfing talent that developed at Bonbeach. Porty and Little Ian lived over their back fences from each other, and both were only half a kilometre from our place—not forgetting Robbie McCartney, who became one of the best kneeboarders in Victoria for over 10 years. Porty and Robbie were best mates, both excell

Over the years as surfboard makers, we have taken on some bizarre projects. One in the mid-70s was a Fletcher Jones sign for one of their stores in Adelaide. It came about through a request from a junior team rider, Peter Prouten, whose dad had a senior position with FJs. The letters had to be at least 4 feet tall by 6 inches thick, and then glassed so they were bird-proof. The block foam was very

Photos taken at the surfboard auction held on the 25th of February 2006 at the original home of Trigger Bros 484 Nepean Hwy Chelsea. 1. Phil’s son Matt: A skilled all-round waterman (surfing and sailboarding) and a "Mr. Fix-it" on anything that is not working. He has been behind our push into snowboarding since its conception, handling imports, and is passionate about our online store. 2. P

Ian commenced surfing at Bonbeach in Port Phillip Bay at age 8 back in 1967. Not owning a board, he would sit patiently on the shore waiting for an opportunity to borrow one from the older guys surfing at the lifesaving club. More often than not, it was usually Ian Portingale’s surfboard, and later, when they were both on our team, he was dubbed "Little Ian." His first surfboard was a short,

I first met Ted at Frankston Teachers' College in 1970. He surfed occasionally when his family traveled from their Noble Park home to a holiday house at Tootgarook, but as a student teacher with more freedom, he was soon to be swept away by a rising tide of surfing euphoria. Blonde hair, a lively sense of humor, endless enthusiasm, and a leather jacket with “The Beatles” emblazoned on

This photo was taken during the presentation of the Point Leo 1200 awards in 1974. The photo features, on the mic, the late and much-loved Stan Couper, president of the Victorian branch of the Australian Surfing Association. Taking on a voluntary position, Stan and his wife, Vi, put in many long hours running our surfing comps in a professional and orderly manner. Not even the likes of outspoken