Ron Silcock

John Skippy Skip

Magoo

Kevin Head Brennan, Ron Silcock, Murray Evans, Warren Cornish top, Frank Pickford, Larpa Stewart

My surfing history

Hi, I'm Ronny Silcock i'm 62 and have been surfing for about 53 years. I grew up at Bondi and went to primary school with Kevin Brennan Chris Brock and a few other larikans. Kevin got me into surfing when I was about 10 and in 4th class at Bondi Beach primary. My family that was my mum and dad yes I'm an only child had just returned after living for 3 years on Thursday Island where my dad was a ship to shore radio officer with OTC they used morse code in those days. My parents took me to the beach one weekend to meet the South Bondi crew.I remember Mick Dooley was there along with Barry Magoo, Pee wee ( the Deltones singer ) and the big Kahuna of them all Jack Bluey Mayes. I was dying for a go on a board and asked Jack if I could ride his he just laughed and introduced me to Kevin Brennan who said gday mate hear you want a ride. Kev loaned me his board and I was hooked. His board was a shocker someone broke their 16 ft toothpick in half they then rounded off the broken bit glued it up to somehow resemble a mal, it also leaked so you had to drain it every 20 minutes or so. Kevin soon taught me some of his bad habits like wagging school and breaking into the South Bondi Boardriders club which was just an iron door across a cave in the side of the cliff (see Magoo pic) to get a nice board to ride. Most of the older guys who owned the boards didn't mind although one did threaten to throttle us if he caught any of us riding his. I loved it & I was there the next day and every other day until the end of summer vacation bumming a ride whenever I could. There was a lot of kids around my age hanging out at the south end the older guys called us gremlins.

I was soon pestering mum for a board she said I had to see what santa brings you if you are good boy. Santa shit that was still 10 months away that was like forever. We surfed every day we could it was so cold in winter and no wetsuits then we wore woolen jumpers in the water to keep warm.I got my first wettie the following winter when a lady from North Bondi started making and selling them.

Xmas was coming and it was time to order a board with Gordon Woods who was making great foam mals. I ordered an 8ft 6inch long coloured tangerine with black fleck. It was loud and very pretty i loved that board I had to be so carefull getting it up the stairs to our 3rd floor Gould street unit, I would polish it with brasso every time I returned after surfing. l like to know what happened to it. more to come lol

• Robert Conneely (interview)