Sporting Witness
Sporting Witness
1964: When surfing came to Australia
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October 14, 2023
11 minutes
Available for over a year
Nearly 60 years ago, New South Wales in Australia hosted the first official World Surfing Championships. The competition attracted around 200 entries, including surfers from France, USA, South Africa, England, Peru and New Zealand.
The event was held in May at Sydney's Manly Beach and pulled in a crowd of up to 60,000 people.
Australian finalist Mick Dooley speaks to Patrick Kiteley about competing in the competition and how the weekend heralded a new wave of surf lovers in his country, making it a catalyst for the phenomenon the sport has become there today.
(Photo: Bernard 'Midget' Farrelly surfing during the First World Championships held at Manly beach, Sydney, Australia, on Sunday May 17 1964. Credit: Australian National Maritime Museum Collection. Gift from Dawn and Jack Eden)