From Left to Right:

A very young Steve Wilkinson, older brother Peter Wilkinson, Ando patting Wilko’s dog Jep, Phil Brain, Simon Rice, Alan “Wally” Tibballs, Russell Davies, Tony Fowler, and—just in the frame courtesy of his afro—Michael Schaffer. Four in this frame were past Presidents of the Peninsula Surf Riders Club.

Baby-faced Steve Wilkinson was just learning the competition game at the time of this snap. Before too long, however, he was a regular finalist in the Open Victorian State Rounds, an Aggregate Champion, and a Peninsula Surf Riders club champion, as well as taking a turn as Club President. Along with many other Peninsula surfers, he also played some good games of footy for Red Hill before a broken leg ended his career. He is now a school principal and lives a stone's throw from the waves at Point Leo. His latest passion includes two imported surf buggies—a Thunderbird and a magnificent Corvette.

"Wild Man" Wilko, at the time of this photo, was just a couple of years into a career at Trigger Bros, much to his father’s disgust. Pete was way too smart to shape and polish surfboards, but it was the 70s and all common sense was thrown to the wind in the search for good vibes in the ocean. He was a fierce kneeboard competitor, representing the state on numerous occasions, while his skills at organizing judging panels eventually led to him serving as Head Judge at the Bells Beach Rip Curl Pro for almost a decade. These days, crook shoulders see Pete launching his tinnie and fishing the very spots he once surfed.

Matt "Ando" Anderson—soon to become Pete’s brother-in-law—was a fun guy and a solid surfer. However, on one trip to Phillip Island, he was lost, only to be found years later having converted to "Islandism" by a local, church-going farm girl.

Phil Brain was a highly valued member of the Trigger Bros surf team. He was a regular junior finalist, placing second to Cocky on many occasions. Phil went on to become a truck mechanic and was a fellow music lover with Razzle, our polisher. Sadly, both have since passed away from cancer.

Simon Rice started out with the Bros gluing up blanks and polishing boards. An exceptionally hard-working, fun-loving guy, he went on to become President of the P.S.C. and a partner in the Peninsula Surf Centre alongside Ted Bainbridge. Following a fairly short romance, we all attended Simon’s wedding. It was a fun affair, but by the end of the month, the bride and groom had split. To this day, I am not entirely sure why, but this brief example of marital bliss paved the way for Simon's nickname, "The Marriage Counsellor." In a remarkable update straight from Simon himself, he is currently living with his first wife again after a 41-year split!

Russell Davies was a Frankston lad who received a P.S.C. Best Clubman Award for his selfless efforts in the early 70s. He chose to follow the sun Endless Summer style and has only recently reappeared locally after a lengthy stint in Bali. His three brothers—Scott, Brett, and Stewart—are a self-made success story. They took over their father's battery business, built it up, and eventually sold it to the RACV (Battery Assist), which they stayed on to manage. At one stage, all of the brothers had a crack at surfing, and Scott followed through into sailboarding.

Tony “Torps” Fowler was a Trigger Bros team rider in the early days. His daily journey to St. Bede's saw him dropping in at the Chelsea store on frequent occasions to check out the latest boards. By the time he reached adulthood, he had developed into a serious big-wave rider, culminating in a win at the Bells Beach Conservation contest when experience truly counted. He was a leader in the P.S.C., taking on the presidency and many other positions throughout the mid-70s and 80s. Finally, the lure of the West Coast was too great, and he moved his electrical business to the outskirts of Torquay. The Peninsula boys have always been welcome at his small farm, where he has set up some shedding to help Maurice Cole manufacture his surfboards in a peaceful environment.

Mick Schaffer was another Frankston lad who Phil and I occasionally picked up on the way down the coast in the late 60s. Mick was a very keen surfer who helped lay the foundations of the P.S.C. brick by brick, also serving as Treasurer and President. He now resides in the Sorrento area, where he surfs the less-crowded beach breaks.