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.
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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
What a great post. Love to have a game of Surfs Up. It is a piece of history and art. Thanks Neil for sharing ( and Al for providing the means). Be great to read more posts from Neil, sure he has lots of interesting info from back in the day, really enjoyed in contributions in Atlantic Surfer.
ReplyDeleteI agree Bluey, Neil has some great stuff to share.
ReplyDeleteNice item Neil, think you need to get together with Henry who has some extraordinary items of surf history too. Perhaps Henry could do an article on the amazing stuff he`s got, it might be a sensation ?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments - and the long memories!
ReplyDeleteNice blog,, i'm very enjoyed to visit this site. have a nice day :D
ReplyDeleteBez invented the game wipe out in the bsa caravan, which was situated in the car park at Watergate bay in 1976.many of the guys hung around there that summer, myself being one of them. That year Bez was featured on the holiday program on it. He truly was a great guy to have known.
ReplyDeleteBez was my godfather, I think I saw him that year at Watergate bay. He had got the skateboard bowl completed , complete with a gateway that had to be left open due to planning permission problems. I have vague memories of a game, also a novelette that he had written. What a dude of a godfather, great memories!
ReplyDelete