By LUKE VOOGT
IAN Duckworth’s “Ocean Grove Surfing the Sixties”, is a journey in time to when Kombis cruised the coastline and Mals dominated the waves.
The book – Ian’s first-ever – covers the history of Ocean Grove’s first boardriders club, and decades of local beach history.
“The beach was just a way of life,” he told the Voice, after publishing the book this month.
Ian, 64, grew up in Ocean Grove and was surfing from the age of 10.
Recently, he met with original members of the South Coast Boardriders Club, many of whom are getting on in years.
“Some people have said to me we should write a book about this before it’s too late,” he said.
“Quite a few of them have passed away from cancer – this will be a history for their kids and grandkids.”
In the book Ian talks about post-war migration and how thousands from Melbourne’s western suburbs would travel down in summer.
Many of these immigrants, he said, would marry and resettle in Ocean Grove.
“The common denominator was surfing,” he said.
“It was where we all made friends and the beach was the meeting place.”
Ian remembers a time when Ocean Grove’s population was just 2000 people and the summer swell of people was even more noticeable than today.
“Between Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads you couldn’t move,” he said.
Ocean Grove Surfing the Sixties features several testimonies from local families and identities.
It’s available at Book Grove and Ian’s donating all proceeds to Beyond Blue.
