A place where history was made
Long before the New Pier was even a glint in some City Engineer’s eye, the Bay fulfilled every expectation, ticking every box as the premier surfing venue in Durban. Those winding right hand barrels not only provided the arena for the most prestigious event in this countries competitive history, namely the Gunston 500, but also spawned a generation of surfers who made a monumental impact on global surfing. Names straight out of the history book of surfing like Shaun Tomson his cousin Michael, Paul Naude, Martin Potter, Bruce Jackson, Mike Larmont, Ray Robertson, Chris Knutsen, Wayne Shaw, Mike Savage, Mike Burness, Craig Simms – all great surfers who cut their teeth out at the famous stretch of water and then went on to make their individual marks internationally at every imaginable level in the sport and the industry.
Espo watched by Ray Robertson.
The hierarchy was exceptionally well defined. There was always an edge out there when the waves rolled across the rock hard sand bank. It was a tough school. A place where reputations were earned by sitting deeper than everyone else and never pulling back, no matter how often you went over the falls, but also a place where groms were nurtured, encouraged and closely watched when it got a little rough around the fringes.
On this particular day in May 1981, next door North Beach was a grinding scary mess. The paddle out at the Bay required patience (no piers to jump from) strength of character and a lot of luck. The rip was so bad at low tide that Paul Maartens, out there to shoot water shots (one of the pioneers of water photography at the dreaded Cave Rock and a water man of note), was washed out to sea and eventually swam in half way to Battery Beach. I also witnessed first hand Chris Van Lennep getting devoured in front of the old rock pier pulling into an outrageous close-out.
But the Bay had other moods. A playful left that had its own exclusive club of goofy footers totally tuned into the very workable hightide bowl. Even though the line-up was oversubscribed on most epic days, it would sometimes pump for five weeks in a row and then you could find yourself out there on a glassy, four foot low tide mid morning weekday, all by yourself or with a few mates enjoying the fact that everyone else was surfed out, or trying to restore their careers after a lengthy absence from work.
I have little doubt that the reason that the big hitters of this county’s surfing made such a mark on the North Shore in the 70’s and 80’s is testament to the power and frequency they had to deal with at the Bay of Plenty.
Like Kirra of old, there is often talk of a possible resurrection. With the construction work happening on all central piers, hope burns eternal. We’ll have to wait and see.
Photo taken appropriately from Raffles, party central, while the staff were cleaning out the mess from the night before.
by Pat Flanagan – appeared in Zig Zag in December 2013
Oh man, the old Bay…I had my kooky ass dragged up there by my best, and childhood friend Gordon Stevens back in ’79 from The Wedge and South Beach before that!! He was busy making a name for himself surfing the Bay Monthly’s and decided that if I was to improve and ‘up my game’, surfing The Bay of Plenty would exspeediate this! Well, all I can say is that it changed my life, and not just because of the most awesome and consistent warm watered mid city beach break in the world, where the quality of the surf bred some of the biggest names in surfing’s history, but also the vibe on the shore as well!! After a full morning session, sitting at Dante’s Milk Bar and ordering a tea and toasted raisin bun from old Indian waiter George, was an all important second phase of any surf session there!! From hearing Mrs Dante shouting “Noel you unscrupulous bastard, you have used my toilet and not pulled the chain again!!” to just sitting there with morning sun on your face, having a laugh and discussing everything in the world…oh man, The Bay of Plenty will always hold some of the best memories ever for me!!
Hope you were not referring to me and Mrs Dante 🙂
Great article Pat.
Martin Potter as a Bluff Boy, cut his teeth at Brighton and Ansteys though.
I remember his Mom (Dorothy) very well, she very ably ran the bar at Fathers Moustache where I would often go for the lunchtime session after a surf in the morning, before hitting the sack at about 15:00hrs while working the midnight shift at the Mobil Refinery. A shiftworker because it gave me more time to surf and dive. After the cycle you got 4 days off….so a long weekend every month. Espo was the King of the Wedge and that was more often than not my spot, when the surf was big enough.Gavin Rudolph also used to often surf there when he was working as a lifeguard….. A lifetime ago.
The Bay…very fond memories especially as a high school kid in the early 70’s. Wayne Shaw was in my school class and convinced my brother and I to come to his ‘lounge’ and surf the Bay! Scary at 1st but the other groms there, Chen and Lister Sagnelli , John Burness (and his little bro Mike, big fella now), Zot, Cheesy…too many to name really made it like a home break.
Those big days when the right just ground the sand bank, every barrel in front of the pier was a sandy dark hole and usually one of the big guys Shaun and Mike, Mike Larmont, Andre Naude, Robbie Meiring, Bruce Jackson, too name a few……just barely visible in that dark hole!
That paddle out…..sit at the end of the pier and then paddle your butt off, adrenaline pumping and pray a big set never got you!
The bowl……the Bay Bowl was the MOST EPIC inside wave!
And could you forget that steel stormwater pipe, I’d never, it ate one of my best boards ever …. a 5’10” pin tail mini gun shaped by Errol Hickman….
Those were the days my friend….Dantes, tea on the verandah, sun on your face….
Here goes
I grew up in umchlamga rocks South Africa 1973 to 1980 and my dad was jean-pierre Chapat famous chef for southern sin hotels and Saul curzner and the Beverly Hills hotel and oyster box and the Edward in Durban
I surfed in Durban weekly and in umchlanga
Rocks but I spent a lot of time with
Shaun Thomson I think or a rob Constance
Any way going any one can help with my memory. I have a skate bord one of a kind one of these men gave me with power tracks written on it. Any help worh any info 818 581 9689
I remember Ernie, Shaun’s dad pushing me off on my max wetland snub nose board when I was a lightie. But the board was too heavy to carry on my head down to the bay every morning so I just ended up at wedge. And Wedge wasn’t bad, especially as Espo would rip it up and Dave Hobbler (I never knew his real last name) would beat up anyone he didn’t like the look of. And then Neville with the red/blue? Combie who rode only the big stuff and all the gremmies riding the shore break. Fighting with the fishermen who threw sinkers at us all day long and so many other things. But I digress, this is about The Bay. The pumping left bowl that use to fire into the rip and the many, many friends. What memories.
Fantastic story Pat. The memories are endless and the long lasting friendships. Yip the place had a competitive edge like no other. A hard school to grow up in. Loved every minute of my competitive years. Much love to all my Bay brothers.