Arise Simple Ben: Baddy Treloar is back in the shaping bay
Of all the sections in Morning Of The Earth - Australian surfing's most enduring and beloved film - the passage that remains the people's favourite is the surfing of Dave 'Baddy' Treloar to the song 'Simple Ben'. The imagery of Baddy during those five minutes is wistfully recalled whenever the talk arises.
See Baddy sanding and buffing a new board out in the yard, dust flying everywhere. Then as the song builds momentum watch him dart down the track, fresh stick under his arm, wearing nought but cut-off jeans, heading out to the jump rock. The song reaches a crescendo as Baddy tears into Angourie, hard off the bottom, stylish off the top.
Forty years have passed since that celluloid moment but a part of it is currently being recreated: Baddy Treloar is once again shaping boards.
The return to the shaping bay comes at the behest of his stepsons Dan and Ben Ross. "We'd been asking Baddy to shape a board for us the same as he was riding back then in Morning of the Earth," said Dan when he spoke to Swellnet. "After a couple of years he agreed and so we lined everything up for him to replicate the board."
The boards are single fin rounded diamond tails. The full dimensions are 6' 10" x 20' 1/2" x 3" and they're glassed using six ounce Volan glass with taped laps. Of course the finish is full gloss and polish. Unfortunately EPA regulations meant Baddy had to shape the boards inside and not out in a paddock.
"It was so much fun going through the process with him," said an excitable Dan, who bought the second board off the rack, "Baddy's stories and recollections from that era are the best. He has such an amazing memory for detail and all that was applied into this board."
Recently a large swell hit South Africa and Dan rode the board at the mother of all test tracks - J'Bay. How did the board go? "It was epic!" Was Dan's short but thorough analysis.
Baddy's return to the bay is going to be similarly short: only twenty of the boards are going to be made. Enough to "keep it fun for Baddy and special for those who wanted to be a part of it." If you're interested contact Dan via email.
Comments
And for those who wanna dance and sing, here it is:
"...just gimme sunshine through the Autumn, sweet snow to the Spring..."
Baddy in all his dusty, hippy, hot pants glory, and still one of the finest mixes of surf and music and film.
Lopez and Pipe
Rabbit and Kirra
Shaun and J'Bay
Maurice and Bells
Mathews and Ours
Baddy and Angourie
damm those things look fine.
It's an Aussie version of the Hawaiian 70s downrailed pintail. Wider point a bit further back and more volume in the tail for back foot application. V nice.
I'm calling 80 percent of these things are going straight to the pool room.
What are they worth ? Was Mr Treloar a professional shaper or did he just knock out a few for himself ?
Could be wrong but I thought he did a stint or two at one of the Brookvale factories.
I can't remember where he worked but I remember when Manly-Pacific board riders had a Baddy and a Goody (Ian Goodacre) in the same team. And I remember him getting ripped off again and again in those early pro contests. He would throw a couple of huge back foot planted over the single fin gouges and get beaten by someone doing mid-face wiggles. I think him and John Otton were the first real power surfers I ever saw. Never really knew him personally but had the privilege of surfing Angourie with him a few dozen times in the early seventies.
Goody ... funny, didn't see him on my last trip "home". Might have to check he's OK with the old crew down home.
Last I heard he was living at Laurieton but that was probably early 2000s.
If I remember rightly, Baddy was at Native Surfboards down at Brooky before he moved to Angourie back in the late 70s early 80s but there has been a lot of water under the bridge( and alcohol down the hatch) since then. I also remember him surfing Lightening Bolts at Angourie after being in Hawaii but don't know if he worked for them also.
That sanding photo shows the bottom to be heavily rockered and the one against the wall wow what a outline ,great stuff how many been sold.
Still waitin' for my new Valiant Charger autographed by Leo Geoghegan
Check the Treloar power turn circa 1978 on one of those downrailers ..... Dan Ross instagram page via twitter.
According to Dan there's been a fair bit of interest in Baddy's boards, so if you're thinking about it get in soon.
Here's Jeremy Walters surfing his Baddy shape on the weekend (Photo @poppyrob).
David Trealoare 1968. In my books, take it or leave it : THE most inspirational, ahead of his time surfer EVER.
What we are seeing today is a definite trend back to no tricks functional surfboard riding,
thanks to the Australian surfers of that time who took surfing the world over to a new highly creative level. Power to you Baddy !!
I'd really like to see you do some boards influenced by the boards of those days.
Right now I ride my own boards. Latest one " The Rebel " 5"10" Ted Spencer influence.
Love it !
One of these listed on Ebay - $1200 Buy now.