Bobby Brown, remembering a surfing great

http://www.coastalwatch.com/surfing/8759/bobby-brown-remembering-a-surfing-great#ooid=t5NHhjMjocUVdTC5kPE1_9YRphEJK7-y 


Culture Jam
April 1, 2011
Words by Bridget Reedman
Bobby Brown was a surfing enigma of the 1960's, remembered for his natural talent and style. Bobby began surfing at Wanda Beach, Cronulla in 1957 and was ranked with the best surfers in the sixties. Alongside Midget Farrelly, Nat Young, Bob McTavish, Peter Drouyn and Kevin Brennan Bobby left a lasting impression on the Australian surfing scene.


Bobby unexpectedly died at 20 years old in 1967 when glassed over a game of pool. Bobby's legend lives on and is held in high regard as one of the all–time greats of Australian surfing who was tragically struck down in his prime.
Prominent Australian magazines of the era, Surfing World and Surfabout, comprehensively covered Bobby's brief but bright surfing career. He was a reluctant star who just loved to surf. Natural talent and grounded charisma led him to feature in classic films from 1963-1967, Bob Evans' surf safari movie "The Young Wave Hunters" and Paul Witzig's groundbreaking Aussie epic, "The Hot Generation."  The Hot Generation has been recently reproduced and dedicated to the memories of both Bobby Brown, and the late Kevin "The Head" Brennan who died of a drug overdose in 1975.
Bobby Brown began surfing as a member of the Wanda Surf Club, Cronulla in 1957. He was taught to shape boards professionally by Floyd Smith, who established the Gordon & Smith label on the south side of Sydney in the sixties.
Engaged to childhood sweetheart Lorraine McIntyre, they would take surf trips from Bells Beach to Noosa. "We travelled there to Noosa with Midget and Bev (Farrelly) after Bobby had made the National open finals at Coolangatta in 1966. There was only a small road in and one motel down near the beach," Lorraine recollects of one Noosa trip.
"Robert (Bobby) was never needed to impress and enjoyed the basics in life!"
This selection of images is from the unique exhibition celebrating Bobby Brown's life, and features timeless photo's, original surfboards, memorabilia and personal artifacts. The exhibition, which has been presented in the Currumbin Surf Museum and featured at the Noosa Festival of Surfing, travels to Bells Beach to be displayed in the Surf World Museum, Torquay, April 16 – 25. Continuing the East Coast tour, the exhibition will feature in Jackson Surfboards, Caringbar, Cronulla September 9-17. The final salute to the surfing great will conclude at Sandon Point, Bulli September 24. 
The Bobby Brown Surfing Legend website has more on the life of the great surfer, and touring dates.
More culture jam...