1970s

Kevin Cross

An Australian, Kevin Cross came to Devon in 1971 via South Africa. From there he shaped surfboards under the name of Creamed Honey.

Kevin Cross

An Australian, Kevin Cross came to Devon in 1971 via South Africa. From there he shaped surfboards under the name of Creamed Honey.

Kevin Cross

An Australian, Kevin Cross came to Devon in 1971 via South Africa. From there he shaped surfboards under the name of Creamed Honey.

John Adams

John Adams helped pioneer surfing around Penzance and Sennen in West Cornwall in the early 60s. He also ran 'The Winter Gardens' a dancehall in Penzance, a hang out for local surfers and set up Three S Films which created some early British surf films.

Bill Long

Bill Long was a fisherman from St Ives. He never surfed but remembered the early surfers in the town and the reaction people had to them. His father made bellyboards before the war.

Essex Tyler

Born Newlyn, Cornwall, 1973, Essex Tyler starred in British surf film “Blue Juice” in the 1990s. He is the son of Chris Tyler who set up the Skewjack Surf Club near Sennen. He was brought up on the site of the club and surfing and the culture that went with it was all he knew.

Nick Radcliffe

Nick Radcliffe started surfing aged 12 in St Agnes and got his first surfboard in 1973 for £15.

Nick Radcliffe

Nick Radcliffe started surfing aged 12 in St Agnes and got his first surfboard in 1973 for £15.

Nick Radcliffe

Nick Radcliffe started surfing aged 12 in St Agnes and got his first surfboard in 1973 for £15.

Nick Radcliffe

Nick Radcliffe started surfing aged 12 in St Agnes and got his first surfboard in 1973 for £15.

Nick Radcliffe

Nick Radcliffe started surfing aged 12 in St Agnes and got his first surfboard in 1973 for £15.

Stuart Keogh

Stuart Keogh first came to Cornwall in 1969 and opened Keo surfboards in 1969. He organised the Newquay Surf Classic Pro Am in 1981 and ran many other competitions after that.

Alan Bleakley

The first person Alan Bleakley saw surfing was an Australian lifeguard, Bob Head, on Great Western beach, Newquay. His first board was one of Bob Head’s which he got courtesy of a card game for his 15^th birthday.

Russell O'Connor

Russell O'Connor grew up in Watford but travelled to Cornwall and Brighton to surf during the 1960s before eventually moving to Cornwall. His dad was a carpenter and built him his first board based on images found in magazines.

Nick Noble

Nick Noble grew up surfing in Saltburn and still runs a surf school there.

Pat Kieran

Liverpool-born surfer and skater Pat Kieran saw surf in Scotland in 1976 and was the first person to decide to move to Thurso purely for its surf.

Paul Gill

Paul Gill is one of the early Welsh surfers and was one of the first people to surf Thurso. He now shapes boards in Porthcawl.

Norman Frost

Norman Frost joined Porthtowan SLSC in the late 1950s. He founded Swell Surf Products, building surfboards that were easy to learn on. He is now a Director of Sustainable Composites, creating surfboards made of more eco-materials. He is married to Pip Frost.

Bill Batten

Bill Batten was one of the first pioneers of surfing in Scotland. He returned from New Zealand in 1968 and brought a board back with him. He founded the Scottish Surfing Federation with Andy Bennetts,Ian Wishart and others in 1975.

Mark Bailey

A Poldu lifeguard in the 70s, Mark Bailey grew up in Sennen as a teenager and surfed Porthleven Reef early on.

John Adams

John Adams helped pioneer surfing around Penzance and Sennen in West Cornwall in the early 60s. He also ran 'The Winter Gardens' a dancehall in Penzance, a hang out for local surfers and set up Three S Films which created some early British surf films.

John Adams

John Adams helped pioneer surfing around Penzance and Sennen in West Cornwall in the early 60s. He also ran 'The Winter Gardens' a dancehall in Penzance, a hang out for local surfers and set up Three S Films which created some early British surf films.

Andy Hill

Andy Hill runs Troggs surf shop in Portrush, Northern Ireland and competed for Ireland in the 80s and 90s. His father, Ian Hill, was one NI's first surfers.

Andy Hill

Andy Hill runs Troggs surf shop in Portrush, Northern Ireland and competed for Ireland in the 80s and 90s. His father, Ian Hill, was one NI's first surfers.

Andy Hill

Andy Hill runs Troggs surf shop in Portrush, Northern Ireland and competed for Ireland in the 80s and 90s. His father, Ian Hill, was one NI's first surfers.

Linda Sharp

Linda Sharp won numerous competitions over 20 years of surfing from the early 1970s including European, British and Welsh titles. She is one of the most successful British female surfers.

Linda Sharp

Linda Sharp won numerous competitions over 20 years of surfing from the early 1970s including European, British and Welsh titles. She is one of the most successful British female surfers.

Linda Sharp

Linda Sharp won numerous competitions over 20 years of surfing from the early 1970s including European, British and Welsh titles. She is one of the most successful British female surfers.

Linda Sharp

Linda Sharp won numerous competitions over 20 years of surfing from the early 1970s including European, British and Welsh titles. She is one of the most successful British female surfers.

John Roughton

John Roughton and friends John Smith and Ian Davies started surfing in Saltburn in the mid 1960s.

John Roughton

John Roughton and friends John Smith and Ian Davies started surfing in Saltburn in the mid 1960s.

Minnow Green

Robert Green joined Hayle SLSC in 1966 and got his first board in 1967. Called Minnow because he was competent in the water and was small, he was 3 times British Double Ski Champion. Now based in St Agnes, Minnow set up the British Longboarding Union in 1996.

Grant Coghill

Early Scottish surfer Grant Coghill was one of the first people to surf Dunnet Bay and Strathy in Scotland.

Jock Paterson

Early Brighton surfer Jock Paterson won titles and broke records in surfing and skateboarding during the 70s and 80s, he is now a champion stand up paddleboarder.

Jock Paterson

Early Brighton surfer Jock Paterson won titles and broke records in surfing and skateboarding during the 70s and 80s, he is now a champion stand up paddleboarder.

Jock Paterson

Early Brighton surfer Jock Paterson won titles and broke records in surfing and skateboarding during the 70s and 80s, he is now a champion stand up paddleboarder.

Gwyn Haslock

One of the first women surfers in Britain Gwyn Haslock bought her first board in 1965/6  (aged 21) and surfed every weekend from then on. She had a car and drove from her home in Truro to Tolcarne in Newquay. Her first wave was caught on a 10ft board called Big Bertha.

Tris Cokes

Tris Cokes was brought up in Porthtowan, Cornwall. He opened Tris Surf shop in 1971 and shaped many boards. He now runs Homeblown, manufacturing more environmentally friendly surfboard blanks.

Tris Cokes

Tris Cokes was brought up in Porthtowan, Cornwall. He opened Tris Surf shop in 1971 and shaped many boards. He now runs Homeblown, manufacturing more environmentally friendly surfboard blanks.

Tris Cokes

Tris Cokes was brought up in Porthtowan, Cornwall. He opened Tris Surf shop in 1971 and shaped many boards. He now runs Homeblown, manufacturing more environmentally friendly surfboard blanks.

Tris Cokes

Tris Cokes was brought up in Porthtowan, Cornwall. He opened Tris Surf shop in 1971 and shaped many boards. He now runs Homeblown, manufacturing more environmentally friendly surfboard blanks.

Johnny Manetta

Johnny Manetta moved to Cornwall from London in 1969/70. He has been shaping boards and part of Tris Surf Shop in Porthtowan since 1974 and organised the Cornish and Open through the 70s and 80s.

Johnny Manetta

Johnny Manetta moved to Cornwall from London in 1969/70. He has been shaping boards and part of Tris Surf Shop in Porthtowan since 1974 and organised the Cornish and Open through the 70s and 80s.

Johnny Manetta

Johnny Manetta moved to Cornwall from London in 1969/70. He has been shaping boards and part of Tris Surf Shop in Porthtowan since 1974 and organised the Cornish and Open through the 70s and 80s.

Graham Stinson

Graham Stinson was born in Belfast but used to travel up to the coast every summer where he encountered wooden boards and later pop-out surfboards. He transferred to Coleraine and started travelling to and competing along the west coast of Ireland.

Graham Stinson

Graham Stinson was born in Belfast but used to travel up to the coast every summer where he encountered wooden boards and later pop-out surfboards. He transferred to Coleraine and started travelling to and competing along the west coast of Ireland.

Graham Stinson

Graham Stinson was born in Belfast but used to travel up to the coast every summer where he encountered wooden boards and later pop-out surfboards. He transferred to Coleraine and started travelling to and competing along the west coast of Ireland.

Pete Ash

Pete Ash moved to Cornwall in the late 1960s aged 12. He got into surfing through his father who had been posted to Australia during the war and brought boards and surfing ideas back to postwar Britain.

Pete Ash

Pete Ash moved to Cornwall in the late 1960s aged 12. He got into surfing through his father who had been posted to Australia during the war and brought boards and surfing ideas back to postwar Britain.

Sam Bleakley

Sam Bleakley took up longboarding in the early 1990s and became European champion. The son of Alan ‘Fuz’ Bleakely, he lives in Gwenver, nr Sennen. He started surfing with his father aged 5.

Sam Bleakley

Sam Bleakley took up longboarding in the early 1990s and became European champion. The son of Alan ‘Fuz’ Bleakely, he lives in Gwenver, nr Sennen. He started surfing with his father aged 5.

Chops Lascelles

Surfer and shaper Chops Lascelles was born in Queensland before moving to the UK in 1974. He initially came to Perranporth in Cornwall to get work as a lifeguard.

Chops Lascelles

Surfer and shaper Chops Lascelles was born in Queensland before moving to the UK in 1974. He initially came to Perranporth in Cornwall to get work as a lifeguard.

Alan Bleakley

The first person Alan Bleakley saw surfing was an Australian lifeguard, Bob Head, on Great Western beach, Newquay. His first board was one of Bob Head’s which he got courtesy of a card game for his 15^th birthday.

Alan Bleakley

The first person Alan Bleakley saw surfing was an Australian lifeguard, Bob Head, on Great Western beach, Newquay. His first board was one of Bob Head’s which he got courtesy of a card game for his 15^th birthday.