NEWS DESK
Surfers answer call of the bell By Keith Platt MANY of the Mornington Peninsula’s surfing old guard have once again followed the road to Bells Beach for a “gathering of the tribe reunion”. The east coast surfers rallied to the call of the bell, some coming from as far away as Queensland’s Gold and Sunshine coasts. These days it is easy to avoid the straight stretches of the Geelong Rd by catching the car ferry from Sorrento to Queenscliff, something that was out of the question in the early days of contest surfing at Bells. The reunion was held Saturday 16 April as a lead-in to the 50th anniversary of the Easter Bells Beach surfing contest, won the following week by Queenslander Joel Parkinson. Invited to the reunion was “anyone who has ever competed in the event (main or trials), officiated, worked at or come to watch”. Among the peninsula crew were surfers who had competed and helped run the event, which has now become a major stop-off on the world tour of surfing contests that each year culminates with a series of competitions in Hawaii. Making the trip were Peninsula Surf Centre’s Ted Bainbridge, Trigger Brothers’ Paul and Phil Trigger, Peter Wilkinson, Rod McCarthy, the Fowler brothers, surfboard makers Mick Pierce and Neil Oke, surf coach Ian Portingale (now living in Queensland), former contest judges Peter Wilkinson and Rob McCartney and Jon Wilson of Balin. Former foes in the water were friends in the Bells car park, now ringed by portable stands of tiered seating of a type most frequently seen at motor racing grand prix. The coveted viewing spots among the hardy, naturally bonsaied vegetation clinging to the cliff face are now out of bounds. Onlookers must keep inside fences, or the beach below. The old guard from the west and the east coasts stood around in the car park, swapping tales of past and present deeds. Names were raised and guesses made to explain their absence or mention made of their passing. While the organisation of the contest has changed along with communications in the digital age, the waves remain the same. The right-handers peeling from the almost perfect reef off Bells are the same as they ever were. The classic shape is confirmed in old photos charting the changes in fashion of surfboards and dress. Mingling with the crowds in the car park were former winners and losers. Surf company moguls as well as champion surfers may be counted among surfing royalty, but all wear thongs, T-shirts and jeans. But no matter what has happened in their lives or careers, waves are a great leveller. The sea is the ultimate force that binds these varied characters to each other and makes Bells such a special event on the world’s surfing stage.
Back to Bells: Clockwise from top: A line-up of east coast surfers, including Rob McCartney, Chris Fowler and Ian Portingale, front, and from left standing, Gavin Duffy, Mick Pierce, Neil Crumble, Mark Harrison, John Collins, Mark McCabe, Phil Nichols, Mark Howey, Scott Abbott, Peter Wilkinson, Ian Cochrane, Geoff Vockler, Tony Fowler and Ted Bainbridge.
Answering the call: Above: Ted Bainbridge of Peninsula Surf Centre, surfboard makers Mick Pierce, of Rye and Maurice Cole, Torquay, and Rip Curl co-owner Doug Warbrick; Victorian surf legends take a bow; right, east coasters Phil Trigger, Rob McCartney, Paul Trigger and Peter Wilkinson.
PAGE 6 Frankston Times May 2011