SURFING THE airwaves
By Keith Platt Photos Yanni
D
uring last year’s lockdowns surfboard maker and primary school sports teacher Dillon Milenkovic decided that surfing on the peninsula had a history worth recording. With some help on how to record and edit from fellow podcaster Andrew Mock, (and some backing by brewery Bonza Brew and picnic hamper supplier Cellar and Pantry) he has interviewed more than 15 surfers and surfboard makers, recording their times and lives chasing waves. His 21-episode podcast Salt of the Peninsula currently runs for about 40 hours. The recordings show that the ceaseless search for waves not only led many to call the peninsula home but to also use it as a launching pad to make a living and explore the wider world; surely one of the best perks of any job. Surrounded on three sides by sea, including the unpredictable Bass Strait, the peninsula is an ideal base for surfers. The type and size of waves varies from beach breaks to rocky points and offshore reefs, all affected by tides swell size and wind direction. Close to the Melbourne’s southern and eastern suburbs, the peninsula has for decades increasingly been a destination and a home for surfers. It was a lifestyle choice for many but, along with the desire to live near the waves, came the need to make money. As surfing grew in popularity so too did a surfing industry.
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Dillon dates his “passion” for surfing back to his early teens and his surfboard-making efforts to 2000. But the required skills did not come until he was in his 30’s watching and absorbing as the late Michael Parkinson, of Sorrento, made him a board. “Mick shaped and built a board for me while I hung out during the whole process, watching the master at work,” Milenkovic says. “I then fell in love with building surfboards and pursued a part time job with a registered business name DMS Dillon Milenkovic Surfboards.” Dillon is a big fan of board makers on the peninsula and urges surfers to buy local: “Money shouldn’t come into it … not that they charge more than other high-profile shapers anyway; they’re usually cheaper”. He continues, “We have second to none board builders on the peninsula and these local manufacturers are proud of their reputations. The peninsula is such a small place with surfers who scrutinize their equipment.” He suggests taking advantage of getting to know your local board-makers and says, “Shake the bloke’s hand with some dust on it and slide the shooter in the back of your car. You’ll also get to shoot some conversation for a while and smell the resin.” The Salt of the Peninsula podcast was inspired by Red Hill Cricket Club’s Andrew Mock’s Tales from the Chip podcast with its interviews with footballers and cricketers during lockdowns. continued page 12...
June 2022