SB-issue59_digital

news
words by darren "curl" marks
It was a much-needed community get-together
featuring vintage surfboards, music, tattoos,
art, photography, great food, tall tales, and
cold ales.
The inspiration came from a couple of mates
with a scheme to pay their respects to the
local surfing culture. Pat O’Garey and Lindsay
Becker are both avid collectors of exotic
watercraft, and thought it might be a good idea
to put on a shindig that embraced both board
and beach. But there is more to this story, and
I’m not too sure if it's mere coincidence or
cosmic confluence.
If you’re an avid reader of Smorgasboarder,
you may remember an article on Lindsay about
a similar event he organised at a local holiday
resort on Phillip Island a couple of years ago.
The display he curated was an amazing
effort that was sadly underappreciated by
management. Their failure to see the benefit of
securing permanent residency left his
impressive collection now looking for a new
home, and that was where Pat understood an
unrealised opportunity.
Pat has been a prominent member of Phillip
Island’s hospitality industry for well over 20
years now. He’s currently operating his third
restaurant, which he runs with his 21-year-old
daughter and business partner, Ebany.
Bang Bang Restaurant and Bar pumps out
delicious, clean, and healthy Asian-style
cuisine with an equally impressive and eclectic
drink selection. Unpretentious and welcoming,
it has taken on a life of its own since opening
five years ago.
So even if you may be a couple of penguins
short of a parade, you can see where this is
headed. A couple of mates with a passion
for vintage surfboards, an impressive surf
culture display that has recently been rendered
homeless, and one funky surfside restaurant
and bar looking for a distinctive personality.
So, with a handshake and a six pack, a
deal was struck, and Bang Bang now hosts
a permanent display of over 70 beautiful
surfboards across its walls and ceiling.
Currently, they showcase a combination of
their board hoards, running at around 60/40 in
Lindsay’s favour. The pair would have to have
one of the best combined personal collections
open to the public.
Some of you who believe in fate and the
magnetic powers of the universe would not be
surprised to find out that earlier this year, as an
incredibly talented tattooist, Lindsay was part
of a collective that has taken over the
retail space next to Bang Bang called Hectic —
a shop full of art, tattoos, music, clothing, and
more surfboards. It only seemed logical that
both premises combined to present an annual
event to be added to Phillip Island’s
cultural calendar.
The Phillip Island Celebration of Surf had
something for everyone, collectors came
from far and wide to show their manicured
sticks, classic 70’s surf photography provided
by Simon Chipper, indigenous art by Millowl
elder Steve Parker, legendary surf stories from
Dogga Luke and Bobby Matthews, and the
official (yet late) launch of the Aloha
Barry book, “Sand in my Crack: Life as
a Beach Bum” (now available on the
Smorgasboarder store).
Live music by Nic & Adzy and the Laing
Brothers provided a party atmosphere for surf
lovers of all ages. Fans of lowbrow cultural
pursuits enjoyed a pleasant afternoon that
lurched haplessly into the haziness of evening.
Delicious beverages fuelled the bullsh*t and
bravado of worn-out stories between old
friends, and a few pairs of dancing shoes were
dusted off.
What is so enchanting about admiring the
sensual curve of a 70’s swallow tailed single
fin as you recall feats of embellished aquatic
courage and years of wasted youth and
wanderlust? Old surfboards are more than
cultural artifacts — they are a museum
of your memories, past glories, and future
possibilities. It was a great day to pause and
show gratitude for our fortunate ability to revel
in the ocean's abundance.
# 59 // smorgasboarder //
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