Surfing Icons invited to be the Honorary Australian Surfing Ambassadors during the January Duke Kahanamoku Centenary of Surfing Celebrations at Freshwater:
Duke Kahanamoku Centenary, Mandurah Triathlon, November 10, 2014: This coming January 8-10, 2015, the Freshwater Surfing Community is celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Duke Kahanamoku’s visit to Freshwater igniting Australian Surf Culture.
“I am extremely proud and excited to announce that the Duke’s Day Committee have invited Iconic Australian surfing personalities, former World Champions Pam Burridge and Bernard “Midget” Farrelly, to be the female and male Honorary Australian Surfing Ambassadors for this historic three day celebration” said Stephen Bennett –Chairman of the Dukes Day Centenary Celebrations Committee.
Pam Burridge is one of Australia’s most esteemed pioneers of women’s professional surfing and won the Women’s World Title in 1990. She also had the honour of striking up a friendship with the late Isabel Letham, the young girl Duke pulled from the crowd during one of his surfing demonstrations in 1915 to take for a tandem ride, demonstrating the art for the first time in Australia.
"As a girl grom growing up on Sydney's Northern Beaches I was stoked and kind of surprised when I first met Isabel Letham. As patron of the AWSA she hosted some of our meetings at her Foam St home and told stories of her early years of surfing. To me it expanded the surfing idea beyond time and place and that the way had been made for us girls to surf so many years before. We just have to keep recapturing the vibe from time to time and keep claiming our spot in the waves. She was a true inspiration to me.” Pam Burridge said.
Also invited to be the Honorary Australian (Male) Ambassador is living legend Midget Farrelly. Eric Middledorp, DD Committee Member, and Duke Board Caretaker, said: “Both Pam and Midget have had long associations with Freshwater and with Duke’s Legacy to Australian and World Surfing. Midget was a member of Freshwater Surf Club during the 1950’s and went on to claim the first world championship in 1964”.
Midget had this to say the honour bestowed to him:
“Duke Kahanamoku may not have been the first to ride a surfboard in Australia, but the fact that the Freshwater boat crew offered to take his board beyond the waves so he could ride them in said a lot about how much was known of board surfing at the time.
Freshwater Beach has always meant a lot to me as my early years there were filled with great surfing experiences with Freshie water men. These experiences set me on my path to that Makaha win which in turn triggered a massive upsurge in Australian surfing”.
For a full schedule please go to www.dukesday.com for details.
Issued on behalf of Duke's Day by
Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia
Media Manager, 2014 Australian Commonwealth Games Team
Deputy Media Manager 2016 Australian Olympic Team
Media Manager 2014 Pan Pacs
Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia Managing Director
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