Rod Drops In.

Once a month,

We make history.

( Swell permitting. )

Dee Why Surfing Fraternity - D.Y.S.F. - is the Oldest Surfboard Riders Club in Australia. What makes us part of Australian and International surfing history is that we continue to compete every month in a spirit of sportsmanship and friendship whenever possible (when it's not possible we just compete like a bunch of leggy-pulling snakes out to win at all costs).

So anyway, we're not just part of history, we make history every time we hold a contest. Beat that!
DYSF's own history is a long, proud and often hilarious one, which sadly has not always been properly archived. We hope this blog helps to rectify that and like to think this page is merely a small, hesitant step towards recounting a history full of great waves and times. And so: "It all started when Matt, Jack and Leroy realised that this could be the last surfing trip they'd ever go on together until the Big South Swell that would once again bring them all together and change their lives for all time ..... oh ... hang on, that's the script for Big Wednesday ..... o.k. ..., well let's see ..... here's some copy loosely translated from the DYSF 40th Anniversary booklet : "Dee Why Surfing Fraternity was formed in March 1961 which makes it the oldest surviving board riding club in Australia, if not the world. The formation of the club was the culmination of a long series of events triggered by the arrival in 1956 of a group of Californian lifeguards. They brought with them the new, lightweight Malibu surfboards and modern Australian surfing really could be said to date from their visit. Among those inspired by the surfing of these visitors were John Dessaix and Doug Andrew who by 1957 had begun surfing Dee Why on hollow plywood copies of the Americans board. In 1958 another group of Californians visited including the legendary Phil Edwards, photographer Bob Cooper and Rennie Yater one of the most influential surf designers and innovators of the time. Great friendships were qucikly established with local surfers, including the late Bob Evans founder of Surfing World magazine, who brought the Americans to Dee Why. Bob Cooper and Rennie Yater along with local surfers, Barry Cardiff, John Dessaix and Bruce McManustook,soon headed off on what was to become an historic "Surfari" to the north coast .
By this stage the balsa in the malibus had been replaced by polyurethane foam and in a major breakthrough for local surfing, Greg McDonagh began making what were probably the first Australian fibreglass and foam boards at his Brookvale factory. The lure of surfing was by now beginning to draw some of the local surfers away from the Surf Lifesaving Clubs which until then had been the centre of their beach activities. The freedom of the new sport compared to the regimentation and discipline of the surf life saving movement was a lure hard to resist. Some, like Doug Andrew and Barry Cardiff, simply divided their time between the two. By 1959 Dee Why was firmly established as the centre of surfing on Sydney's northside. Doug Andrew led the way with real purpose at The Point and was the first surfer to take-off inside "Suck-Up". Midget Farrelly and Kevin Platt were regular visitors from Freshwater and a very young Kevin Brennan made the occasional trip over from Bondi. Other locals included John Cormack, Warwick Phelps, Bruce Ellison, Chris Cannings, Bruce Coppard and Phil Rose.

Many of these surfers were riding Greg McDonagh's new fibreglass boards and were discovering for the first time the awesome and certain destructive power of the rocks at The Point. It was the power of the waves though, which kept tempting them further and further inside. 1959 was also the year that Doug Andrew won the very first Australian Championship of the modern era at Collaroy before he was lured back to surf life-saving where he also enjoyed huge success in competition. Doug also won a very early Bells Beach Surfing competition - a true "Waterman". By 1960 surfing was booming and the new board factories that had sprung up in Brookvale could hardly keep up with demand. Crowds increased exponentially that summer as kids and their new boards descended on the sands of Dee Why. The time was right, winds and swells seemed favourable and after some old friends and familiar faces got talking, Dee Why Surfing Fraternity was suggested, seconded and very quickly started.

The founding group, including John Cormack, John Dessaix, Glenn Martin, "Love Dog McManus", Chris Cannings, and Ed Cornish, had established themselves firmly at Arthur's Corner where Howard Avenue meets The Strand.The first meeting of Dee Why Surfing Fraternity in March 1961 adopted the black swan, large flocks of which frequented Dee Why lagoon, as the club emblem. Other clubs sprang up quickly including North Narrabeen, Maroubra, Manly and Windansea. Dee Why and Maroubra had a particularly close relationship in those early years as they shared a similar hard core surfing culture. The first competition though, was against a keen group from Collaroy who were in the process of forming a club. At the second committee meeting it was decided to write to Long Beach Boardriders in California, where Phil Edwards was a member, to establish a sister club relationship. The letter was written and appears to have been posted but what came of the idea is unknown.(And anyway, they came and went, we just keep on chargin'!.- ed.)

The First Committee

President: Midget Farrelly
Vice President: John Dessaix
Committee: Greg 'Tamba' Taylor, Ed Cornish, John Cormack, Doug Andrew, Bruce Mc Manus.

The First A Grade
Competition Team

Midget Farrelly, Chris Cannings, Peter Cornish, Henry Addison, Bob McTavish, Phil Camey,Doug Andrews, John Dessaix, Kevin Platt, Dave McDonald, Phil Rose,
Glenn Martin.

The story continues. We're looking for information: photo's ( we can scan and return)articles, press clippings, tall stories and dollar bills both old and new - anything you think might be of interest to help us build a comprehensive, permanent archive of DYSF history and memorabilia.Come back soon - If I get more wine I'll keep typing.©dysf2007 mail to:dypete@dysf.info

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Dee Why Surfing Fraternity

Once A Month, We Make History.

Dee Why Surfing Fraternity - D.Y.S.F. - was established in 1961 and is The Oldest Board Riders Club in Australia. What makes us part of Australian and International surfing history is that we continue to compete every month in a spirit of sportsmanship and friendship whenever possible (when it's not possible we just compete like a bunch of leggy-pulling snakes out to win at all costs).

So anyway, we're not just part of history, we make history every time we hold a

contest, beat that!