Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Joe Larkins night

Joe was the first surfboard shaper on the Gold Coast and had a thriving business in Miles Street Kirra in the early 60's
Joe surfing Noosa National Park  1963
Joe was the go to man for boards for a long time and had great team working with him.
 Johnny Charlton who grew up in Coolangatta was the MC on the night and kept things rolling. Joe is a character to say the least and there were many stories to be told and yarns to surface on the night.

 Phil Jarratt well known author / writer and surf mag editor had a few tales to share and probing questions to put to Joe. There were many well known faces there and Joe's life has certainly touched a lot of people. I am not great on surf history myself. But it is great to be in a room filled with people who were part of these great stories and hear them first hand.

Joe is a great guy who has had a very full and interesting life .
Joe is well known for his wooden boards of which he is a great craftsman .
PT was on hand to give Joe a fair ribbing and tell some tales on his good mate. PT worked for him in his younger days and Joe was his first sponsor , they go back a long way.
Joe was an avid photographer and film maker who shot the first footage of guys surfing large waves on the northern beaches of Sydney in the late 50's. These and others were picked up and used by the ABC on news reels in the early days. He later sold all his camera gear to Jack Evans for 300 pounds when he moved to the Gold Coast in the early 60's. Jack went on to be one of the great early surf photographers in Australia.