Early Wayne Lynch

 

In the early 1960’s young kids didn’t really get into surfing that much. Mainly due to the boards being so big, it was more for full grown men and women alike.

My first board was a George Rice shaped Arthur Milner & co solid Balsa which was around 9’6. Being so young and very light with the boards being so big and heavy, nose riding is what appealed to me the most.

Around a year after I started, my surfing really began to progress. In 1963, my mentor and good friend Geoff Tune, his sister Hazel and I travelled down to Phillip island to compete in my first contest. I rode my first foam and fibreglass 9’2 Gill surfboard shaped by Max Gill.

In those days the surf contests were run by the local surf lifesaving club, with the age limit being from memory 15 or 16, when we arrived they initially refused to let me enter due to the fact that I was 12. After a bit of back and forth, they finally decided to let me enter the contest and to their regret, I ended up winning.

Due to the age technicality, they wouldn’t give me the trophy or first place. As a consolation they gave me the “wave of the day” award, patted me on the head and sent me on my way. My first experience of competitive surfing….

Wayne