I have been surfing for 25 years can't remember not surfing. Started with Nippers and have ridden every surfcraft there is since then. I joined the club to improve my surfing and to have some fun. I like to think that I represent the younger crew and modern longboarding. I am involved with the merchandising for the club. I like the social side of the club as well so I am happy to lend a hand with the competitions, and I dust the cobwebs of the older members when required.
I started surfing quite recently, about 4 years ago, I joined the club in 2004. It was the camaraderie that drew me to the club, I new most of the people from my daily surf sessions anyway. I use the competitions to improve my surfing, to push myself a bit. I use to avoid judging but now I love it, it has helped me understand what I should be doing out there. My role in the club? well I'm the sponsorship hunter downer, and the 'keep members happy' guy.
Jo-Anne East - Secretary
The brains and voice of reason of the club.
I gave my red surf-o-plane the big flick back in 1969 after catching my first stand up wave. Started on my brother's 9'6" Gordon & Smith. Within a year or two worked my way down to a 5'4" twin fin. Three and a half decades later I'm back to where it all started, on a 9'6" single fin.
I Joined the BLC at the club's second contest in 1995. The best thing about becoming a member has been getting to know all those guys that for years, you'd nod to out the back, but didn't really know. That, and Sweetie's cooking of course. We'd have to be about the most social longboard club I know of, but you also get the chance to satisfy your competitive streak on the third Sunday of every month. Any other time, you'll find at least a couple of club members down at the third ramp, dropping pearls of wisdom at the rail of knowledge.
Michael Pryce - Treasurer
I started surfing at the age of seven. It was in 1967 when Kentucky Fried Chicken did a promotion. If you bought one of their big buckets you got a free surf board. I joined the club when it was in its first year back in 1995. I like the friends and the social side, I have to as I do not win much these days. What do I bring to the club? My kids, they love it they meet other kids and spend the day at the beach. Other than that I do most of the art work for the clubs T-shirts and the website. I get more out of the club than I put in.
I started surfing in 1959 on old single fin fibreglass boards. I did not have a board of my own so my sister and I would hang around the shore at the south end of Bondi waiting for boards to wash in. Nobody had leg ropes back then so when a board came in you'd paddle it out for the guy and hope he was grateful and let you have a wave or two on it.
In 1992-1993 there was only myself and one other long boarder here at Bondi all the rest were short boarders, but by 1995 there were 30-40 long boarders on each break. A few of us got talking and the Bondi Longboard club was formed. The idea was to make a social day for the families of the surfers who went out surfing every weekend, something the kids could come to and get involved with.
What do I bring to the club? Well I'm the cook so I bring my culinary skills and I also provide my visionary sense of style.
I stated surfing in 1965 when the only boards around were longboards. I then followed the short board revolution, but I've ended up where I started, back on a longboard. I like the club for it's social gathering and the friendships that have developed both in and out of the water. I like the low key, no stress competitions. My role in the club, well I bring the good looks, apart from that I generally do what ever I'm told to do.
Col - General Committee Member