Peter Townend – Interview
When did you begin surfing?
Well, I grew up in Coolangata on the Gold Coast of Aulstralia. There used to be four insane banks instead of the one superbank like there is now. I surfed a lot of Kirra. That was before it was a resort tourist town. My parents were beach people. In fact, my grandparents owned a hotel on the beach, so I was always on the ocean. I didn’t get my first surfboard until Christmas, 1967. I joined the local Surf Club. Micheal Peterson and I were in the same club. But Coolangata has changed since then. We’ve had several world champs including Phylis Odonnell, Steph Gilmore, myself, Michael Peterson, and Mick Fanning.
Who were your early influences?
Peter Drouyn was an early influence. He has since had a sex change operation. Rabbit and I both were pretty surprised to hear that one. We all looked up to him. Jeff Hakman was a huge influence as well. He was featured in the film Cosmic Children, which toured Australia, and I watched it probably a million times. I was really impressed with the way Hakman surfed Sunset. Sunset became my favorite wave in Hawaii for sure. In fact, I was invited to the Duke Kahanomoku 11 times. That a Haole record (laughs).
When did a career in surfing really seem a realistic notion?
Well, once I graduated high school, I received an architecture scholarship to New Castle Tech. That wasn’t easy, but I had just gotten 2nd at the Australian Junior Championships, so I made a deal with my dad. If I make the national team, I would put my schooling on hold for a year until after the world contest and re-apply the following year. I took off for the San Diego and got third, got invited to the Duke in Hawaii and never looked back.
What about that World Contest final? There’s some controversy as to who should have won that event.
In my opinion, Nuuhiwa surfed the best, but Blears picked up the biggest wave near the end of the heat and surfed it the longest, which was the criteria in those days. Although Doug Warbrick (founder of Rip Curl) was an Australian judge for the contest who wasn’t judging the final heat, and he said I should have won (laughs).
Who shaped your boards during that 1976 winning season?
I shaped all my own boards back then except for my boards for Hawaii. Mike Eaton and Tom Parrish shaped those. Shaping boards was how a lot of surfers made their living back then. I funded my travel through shaping and writing. I wrote columns for the Sydney Daily Mirror as a UPI journalist. That first season, I only made $26,000, so being a pro surfer was much different when compared to today.
Why do you think surfing has taken so long to become a “legitimate” sport? I mean, how close is it to your original vision?
It’s very close to our vision. But surfers are still, in my opinion, underpaid. They are paid much less than snowboarders and skateboarders based on exposure in the Olympics and X-Games. The prize money should be higher, but endorsements and salaries are right up there. We used to say “a million dollars” when asked how much a surfer should make, and they are making a million now aren’t they (laughs)?
What role did you have in the creation of the IPS?
Well, I helped form the first professional circuit in Australia based on the Formula One style points system. Fred Hemmings wanted a system based on prize money, but we argued that events offered different amounts of prize money, but they were all just as hard to win. So when the decision was made, Hemmings calculated the point total kind of last minute and I was the winner.
What’s this I read about a fake trophy?
Oh yeah, Hemmings wanted a photo op, so he invited me to the Outrigger Canoe Club in Honolulu, grabbed a trophy from the case, turned the plaque away from the camera, and the picture was shot. The Honolulu Advertiser published it and the international press picked it up, and that was that. I never got a trophy for the world championship.
Besides winning the World Title, what would you say was your biggest competitive moment?
I think making the final of the 1974 Smirnoff Pro at Waimea was a life changing event. I got 4th place in a stacked heat and really solidified my stature on the North Shore. You know what it’s like on the North Shore; it’s not about contest results but it’s about how hard you charge and to make to the final in such heavy conditions was special.
I’ve seen some negative press surrounding the Bronzed Aussies and their place in surf history. What’s your take in retrospect?
Well, the idea was Mike Hurst’s who wanted to create sort of a Harlem Globetrotters type team that would be instantly recognizable and create a global brand like today’s Billabong and Quiksilver. The idea was that from the team, we would always have someone winning so the team would always be visible. It worked. We got outside sponsorship that enabled us to travel and compete. Mike enlisted me and Ian Cairns and we asked Mark Warren and Mark Richards. Richards declined. I think it ultimately failed because we stepped outside the “cool factor” of surfing.
Has that been a problem for the development of surfing as a sport?
Well , yeah. Is it an art or a sport? It’s both. And that is difficult to judge.
What are you up to now?
I am the owner of Active Empire, a company specializing in action sports brand and media consultancy, coaching, athlete management and promotions. It’s been around for 8 years. We manage athletes and produce movies like Timmy Turner films which have been hugely successful. I also manage my son, pro skateboarder Tosh Townend.
How do you want to be remembered?
First as the first World Pro Champion. It didn’t seem as important then as it does today. I mean, to see my name at the beginning of a list that includes so many incredible surfers that ends with Kelly’s 9 titles is pretty special. But also as a dominant 70’s surfer who helped change the sport. We were doing things that no one else was doing.
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