Back then...

Rick Field & Simba © Jonty Hansford

One of the original PE surfers, Rick Field, commented on a recent post about the renaming of PE, and the chirp about they can't rename our surf spots:

"I grew up at No 1 Seventh Avenue Summerstrand and was born in 1951. I was the first person to surf Avalanche when I was 15 so 1966. Chomps was called Robin Els Rock after the bait the fishermen found there.

My brother, Stan Field, and I were probably the first surfers when I was 15, so 1967 to surf the Lighthouse. It was about 10 foot. In 1964 I came 2nd to Mush in the first competition ever at Millers.

I broke my nose 3 weeks before my Barmitzvah at Fence end of 1963. Mush and Car Park John can verify all this is true.

In 1967 I surfed Pipe with my dog Simba and there was a pic of us in the EP newspaper The Herald.

Millers was a great right but Rob McCaskill surfed straight into my face 1967 and broke my nose for the 2nd time !

The 3rd time I broke it was 2005 surfing at Puerto Vallarta in Mexico with my nephews 
Jess Field and  Ari Melmed.

We always thought Pollock beach was named after the great cricketers from my school Grey High around 1969.

My brother Stan, now 77, and a World renowned Architect lives near Mavericks just South of San Francisco and still surfs weekly. I live in Denver and go to surf with him when I can.

Please would you put this comment on your Website as I'm now officially a Baalie and am kak on computers tho I'm still racing Vintage Motocross all over the USA.

Best regards and God Bless to all you surfers,

Ricky Field now just Rick Field"

Lekker to hear that an old PE surfer is still in the water after his 3 score years and 10. Nice one Rick!

That's me in the hat. Me and 5 other summies boys were surf lifesavers 1968 and 1969 for 3 weeks. About 1200 Habonim (Jewish scout camp) kids mainly from Johannesburg for 3 weeks paid handsomely at Onrust, which at the time had no regular Lifesavers and had the second highest drowning stats in SA. No one, including locals, drowned on our watch, even though as you could see me and my best friend Derrick Silove, had the pick of the best chick's there !

Speared off Chomp Rock in 1966, when I was 15

Rick & his boet Stan, Surfing together for 55 yrs

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