flashback reef

  1. About Flashback Reef columnist, Toots

    Thursday, June 11th, 2009

    Toots started surfing over 35 years ago, it was after watching old Gidget movies that she decided to start surfing. Now turning 50, Toots lives and surfs in Tassie on the beach. Her column, Flashback Reef, is about her own experiences to do with surfing in the 1970’s – the good, the bad and the [...]

  2. School days, a shy-run, and bikinis full of sand

    Thursday, June 11th, 2009

    Life was so different back then, you have no idea. When I was in year 11 and 12 (5th and 6th form back then) we had our own common rooms, one for the smokers and one for the non-smokers. The smokers were Westies, rough, bikie-chicks, sharpies, non-virgins, or just too cool. The non-smokers were arty, [...]

  3. Leaving Home

    Thursday, June 11th, 2009

    I left home after year 12. I wanted to be near the surf so I took up nursing at Manly Hospital and moved into the nurses home. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Hmmm, now lets see, young girl, loves surfing, suddenly has money, no parental supervision…….shit yeah!
    The nurses’ home had a corridor [...]

  4. Surf movies

    Thursday, June 11th, 2009

    Ok, you want to know what was my favourite surf movie in the 1970’s?
    I used to go the Manly Silver Screen, sometimes the Opera House, and sometimes friends would get down at Gerringong and we’d watch home-made super 8 surf movies and play records.
    My favourite surf movie was ‘Jeffrey’s Bay Dream’, it was at the [...]

  5. Days of Innocence

    Thursday, June 11th, 2009

    Could life ever get any better? Back then I didn’t think so, I was in love with surfing. These were my clean bliss days. I was young, innocent, untouched. For Christ’s sake, I hadn’t even been kissed! I had no idea about anything bad in the world. I was a child/woman, beautiful, trusting, fearless and [...]

  6. The Rating System

    Thursday, June 11th, 2009

    Guys are hopeless. Their eyes pop out at a pair of tits and a cute bum. In the 70’s the wall along Manly beach was a rating promenade. Surfers would sit along the wall on weekends and give you a 1-10 rating on how hot you were. I used to walk the back road to [...]