A-frame

Aaberg, Denny

Aaberg, Kemp

Abberton, Koby

Abbruzzi, Sid

Abellira, Reno

Abubo, Megan

academia and surfing

Adler, Tom

advertising and surfing

Aeder, Erik

aerial

Aguerre, Fernando

Aichner, Scott

Aikau, Clyde

Aikau, Eddie

Aipa, Ben

air-drop

airbrush

Airshow

Ala Moana

Alabama

alaia board

Alaska

alcohol and surfing

Alexander, Kala

Allen, Chuck

Alms, Paige

aloha shirt

Alter, Hobie

Alvarez, Pepe

Ancell, Kevin

Andaman Islands

Andersen, Lisa

Anderson, Craig

Anderson, Simon

Andino, Kolohe

Angel, Jose

angle

Angola

Angourie

Antarctica

Apocalypse Now

Arabian Sea

Aragon, Janice

Arakawa, Eric

Archbold, Matt

Arena, Eduardo

Ashton, Juan

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)

Atlantic Ocean

August, Robert

Aurness, Rolf

Auster, Ken

Australia

Avalon, Frankie

Azores

backdoor

backside

backside attack, Pipeline

backwash

bail out

Bain, Rob

Baja California

Baker, Bernie

Baker, Grant “Twiggy”

Baker, Tim

Bali

Ball, John “Doc”

Ballard, Bill

Ballard, Rochelle

balsa

Baltic Sea

Banks, Jim

Barbados

Barilotti, Steve

Barland, Michel

Barreda, Sergio “Gordo”

Barry, Michael

Bartholomew, Wayne

Baxter, Jackie

Bay of Bengal

Beach Boys, The

Beacham, Debbie

beachboys

beachbreak

Beachcomber Bills Grand Prix

Beachley, Layne

beavertail

Becker, Phil

Bedford-Brown, Stuart

Belgium

Bells Beach

Bendall, Ma and Pa

Bennett, Barry

Benson, Becky

Benson, Blanche

Benson, Linda

Bermuda

Bertlemann, Larry

This rugged and somewhat iso- lated Australian state faces the chilly Southern Ocean, and is best known among surfers for its shark-patrolled reefbreaks to the west. South Australia's 900-mile coastline can be divided into five main areas: 1) The southeast coast, characterized by dry salt plains, pine forests, and dozens of broad, empty beachbreaks. 2) The Fleurieu Peninsula, including the mediocre but well-used beachbreak waves near the capital city of Adelaide, as well as the more consistent beaches and reefs of the south-facing Victor Harbour area. 3) The desolate Yorke Peninsula, featuring a half-dozen excellent spots, including a powerful left- breaking reef wave called Chinaman's, located on the southwest tip of the peninsula. 4) The cliff-lined Kangaroo Island, home to a few temperamental reef- breaks. 5) The Eyre Peninsula, a series of parched sand-and-rock-filled bays stretching west into the Nullarbor Desert, including the world-class reefs of the Cactus/Point Sinclair area, near Streaky Bay. South Australia generally receives its best waves from March to June, as storms from the Roaring 40s region generate surf while the coastal weather remains pleasant. Average daytime air temperatures on the coast range from the high 70s (summer) to the mid- 50s (winter); water temperatures range from the low 70s to the mid-50s. Sharks are an ever-present hazard in South Australia; Cactus has been called the most shark-infested break in the country, and as of 2002 there had been nearly 50 attacks statewide, including a 48-hour period in September 2000 that saw two surfer fatalities. Adelaide natives began riding waves on paddleboards in the 1930s, but surfing in South Australia didn't catch on until the late '50s, after members from local lifeguarding clubs came together to form the South Coast Surf Chasers and began looking for waves near Victor Harbour. Jay Bee Surfboards, the first shop of its kind in the state, opened in 1960 in Adelaide; the first state titles were held three years later. The waves at Cactus were explored by Victoria teenage surfing phenomenon Wayne Lynch and filmmaker John Witzig in 1968, while shooting footage for Witzig's new movie Evolution. South Australia hosted the Australian National Titles for the first time in 1975; the event returned in 1980, 1985, and 1991. By 2003, South Australia was home to nearly 20 surf shops, most located in Adelaide, and roughly 15,000 surfers. The 1962-founded Surfing South Australia oversees about a dozen amateur and professional surf contests a year across the state. While the area receives a steady flow of good waves, it has yet to produce an internationally known surfer. The South Australian surf—mainly the Cactus area—has been featured in more than a dozen surf films and videos, including Evolution (1969), Rolling Home (1974), and Storm Riders (1982). South Australian surf breaks are detailed in The Surfing and Sailboarding Guide to Australia (1993), Mark Warren's Atlas of Australian Surfing (1998), Surfing Australia (1998), and The World Stormrider Guide (2001).

South Australia

Subscribe or Login