Bez Newton's 1970s board game

BEZ’S BOARD GAME.

Born in Lancashire in 1927, the late Bez Newton was already a seasoned world traveller when his lifetime obsession with surfing began in Queensland in 1949. Over the years, in addition to his surf-inspired enterprises in running clubs, shooting films, publishing  magazines and novels, Bez created a board game called Wipeout.

When I met him in the early 1970’s, Bez had refined Wipeout into a complex game based on a surf contest, with the aim of getting through heats to a final, surfing against the clock.  Using custom made cards, players assumed the roles and abilities of contemporary legends such as Wayne Lynch and Billy Hamilton.  From paddling out (using pre-duckdive “Eskimo rolls” !) players surfed round the board scoring points for manoeuvres and losing them from hazards such as broken leashes, loose “skegs”, or hitting bathers!

The prototype Wipeout I bought off Bez is a 2ft square hand-made labour of love. Assembled with help from anyone hanging out between waves near his Watergate caravan, it came with tiny  surfers, cards and complete instructions. Bez also offered a French version!

Wipeout never achieved its aim of being taken up by a manufacturer as surfing’s answer to Snakes and Ladders, so I wonder what Bez thought when another surfing game hit the market?  In the mid-eighties, Surf Champ also featured a mini-surfboard – but this one clipped onto a ZX Spectrum keyboard, and Wayne Lynch didn’t get a mention.

I’m told early computer games are now collectable, and my son’s Surf Champ is probably still in the loft – but as surf memorabilia goes, how rare is my Wipeout?

Neil Watson.

Thanks to Neil for sharing this slice of history. It looks like Bez put a lot of time into this game, must have been during a long flat spell

Vitamin Sea Cheyne Horan model by CJ

Here's a classic Cheyne Horan model 5'8 which Gee has just picked up off Andy . It is an early one , no.4 made, and very similar to my no.2 , both probably made in late 1981.

Cheyne was riding a similar looking board at the Gul - Alder pro am that summer in Newquay ( where he came 1st = with Rabbit) so Chris Jones would have had first hand experience of the shape and design and may have taken direct measurements from it . Chris' boss Tad Ciastula set up the Cheyne Horan model deal with Cheyne probably during the contest period in summer '81 . Chris was the main Vit Sea shaper making the Cheyne models , producing around 60 of them from 1981 to 83. As time went on the sprays got more radical, mirroring Cheyne's personal boards , and although some of CJ's were singlefins  most were twin fins.

 1981 photo by Alex Williams of Cheyne at Fistral

photos by Gee and Andy

my Cheyne model no 2

 Gee's stunning Cheyne trio - Geoff McCoy Lazor zap , Cheyne's personal board shaped by Terry Fitzgerald with original fin , and the Vitamin Sea Cheyne model

Some more meet photos

 Dennis Cross, founder of Gul with a groovy example of his early suits, photo Geoff Tydeman

 Tony checks out a Klemm Bell v bottom

 Outer limits, McCoy , Space Gypsy, Shaun Tomson...

 Ryan's Tris spoon

 Kevin Cook, who was representing the museum of British surfing

 Stuart and Rob

 Jeremy's dad and some of Jeremy's boards , including a Neil Wernham Tris in the middle, and Jeremy's first board on the left, made by his dad including blowing the foam himself.

 Stephane with his Circle One

 Alex's boards

 Gee's stall

 Henry's boards

 Martin Geary with an Ocean Magic he did the artwork for

 Lee Bartlett with one of his old boards, shaped by Chris Jones for him to take to the Canaries

Pete's Farrelly spoon
Photos by Alex Williams, Shaun, Matt

Gwyn

It was good to see Gwyn at the surf meet on sunday. As this film shows she has spent her life riding waves and enjoying the sea , and I think she's a great role model for surfers of all ages

Yesterday's surf meet - some photos

 Well yesterday was another great surf meet - beautiful weather, old friends, new friends and 100's of stunning surfboards. Thank you to everyone who took part. I never get bored of going to surf meets !!

 This is the surf meet seen through the lens of the man who made the greatest effort to get here - Stephane. A flight from Biarritz to London, a 10 hour coach journey through the night to Cornwall ; and he still thought it was well worth the journey ! Great dedication Stephane.