surfresearch.com.au    history : the legrope

Futhermore, it had a direct impact on surfing performance ...
1. Progressive manourves and a more aggressive technique could be adopted without paying the penalty of a swim to the beach.
2. Wave counts per hour increased with the elimination of swimming time and the TOAD syndrome. (Take Off And Die)
3. Board destroying rock breaks were ridden without a financial/board repair penalty.
4. Despite an intial resistance to use in large surf,  it could be argued that over time surfers were became more confident in larger waves with the assistance of the legrope.

It's contrbution to the upsurge of surfing performance in this period  (as typified by Rabbit Batholomew's Breaking Down the Door article, circa 1976) was not noted by the major contributors (unlike their board designs)  and is rarely acknowledged by journalists and historians.

Eventually the legrope became recognised as a safety device, both for the rider and for other surfers in the water

circa 1970 - Originally a hand leash fixed to the nose (Control Products USA), it was rapidly adopted as a rope and strap (commonly a sock or handkerchief ) tied to a hole in the fin.
By 1974 commercial models of rope/latex tubing and velcro strap were widely available, however manufacturers were slow to fit legrope plugs to new boards until legrope use was accepted in professional contests.
In the mid 1980’s rope/latex tubing was replaced by moulded urethane.

1974 Morey Boogie Flexible foam bellyboard invented by Tom Morey as an offshoot of his experimentation leading to the Morey-Doyle flexible surfboard. Based on the Hawaiian paipo and incorporating flex and ‘vacuum track rails’ (Greenough / Brock hull design).  The soft construction circumvented bodysurfing area restrictions. Originally offered as a buyer assembled mail order product. Extensively imitated.

1974 Bonzer Original design by Campbell Bros. (USA) in 1973, features tri fin setup with long base keel side fins combined with single to double concaves bottom.  Usually a square  or swallow tail. Australian models by Peter Townend at Gordon and Smith Surfboards and Terry Richardson at Skipp Surfboards. Bonzer bottom revived in 1995.

Design history.
"Bob Tinkler started work on perfecting flex in stand up surfboards in 1967 after living and surfing with George Greenough and Bob McTavish in Queens land Australia, And the first custom Tinkler Tail was built in a conventional surfboard design, was the concept of a customizable Tinklertail.
Invented by Bob Tinkler In San Diego 1969 1970 that consisted of a hollow molded surfboard with a bottom tail section embedded in the form, which acted as a resilient adjustable deflection panel.
That assumes variable curves that respond to each individual surfer, based on the water pressure on the tail end of the board.
...
With USA pat. 5425321. Sail, And Surfboards PPA. International, Pat. Pending.
Bob Tinkler: Shaper, Designer, inventor, in sail and surfboards design
All copyrights reserved.
Contact: www. SurfSyndicate.com or emails to SurfSyndicate@msn.com"
http://www.swaylocks.com/resources/detail_page.cgi?ID=1455

Shaun Tomson Quiver, Hawaii, 1975. Photograph : Dan Merkel Surfing Magazine March 1984 Volume 20 Number 3 page 111.

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Mark Richards, Backdoor Pipeline,  December 1975. Photograph : Dan Merkel Surfing Magazine March 1984 Volume 20 Number 3 page 111.

Publisher: [Sydney] : The Dept., 1975.
Description: [49 p.] ; 33 cm.
Contents:
 A report upon the effects of surfboard leg ropes, the sharpness and dimension of surf board fins, rails, noses and tails.
Notes:
 Cover title.
Spiral binding.
Includes bibliographical references.
Subjects:
 Surfboards--Accidents.
Surfing--Australia--Accidents and injuries.
Other Authors:
 Sport and Recreation Service of New South Wales.
Bib ID:
 647205
Collect from:
 Main Reading Room (Australian Collection)
Call Number:
 Npf + 797.1720994 S961
Status:
 Available
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA, Canberra, ACT 2600, AUSTRALIA,

Reno Abellira and boards,  2SM / Coke Surfabout, 1976 Surfing World Magazine Volume 24 Number 4 ? page 32   I

Reno Abellira and twin fin,  2SM / Coke Surfabout,  Narrabeen, 1976. Surfing World Magazine Volume 24 Number 4 ? page 42

1976 Channel Bottom design by Jim Pollard based on Groove Ridge Theory by Jim Richardson and Art Shafer (both USA) circa 1975.  Originally (4 or 6) shallow and narrow concave lines in the bottom of a board followed the rail outline and ran almost the full length of the board. Later designs exited at flyers and by 1980’s had standardised as straight ridges parralell to the stringer.  Contest success by Col Smith (Newcastle).

Kanga Cairns senses that the waves suit his full-on, no-holds-barred approach and insists that if he doesn't wear a legrope, no-one else should either.

Terry Fitz and Kanga, being the only two naturauls in the final, are getting the lion's share of the inside waves. Terry Richo and Colin Smith are both eating it horribly, trying to negotiate the shallow ledge. Wayne Lynch finds the tube a few times with incredible timing. Rory Rusell knows what the judges are after , so he goes for the tube switchfoot, time after time, and makes it.

Then minutes from the the finishing hooter, Fitz looks in a winning position, that is 'til he decides to bodysurf after a fall rather than grab his board. This decision probably cost him the final. On the wave behind, Cairns drops in vertically, disappears into the tube for seconds and reappears, soul arching to victory. "

Peter Crawford : The Alan Oke Memorial Contest (1977)
Surfing World Magazine Volume 25 Number 3 July 1977 pages 59 - 61
Results

1st Ian Cairns  2nd Terry Fitzgerald 3rd Rory Russell  4th Wayne Lynch 5th Terry Richardson

6th Col Smith (New) 7th Wayne Batholomew 8th Michael Petersen 9th Steve Jones 10th Michael Ho

The officials' decision not to allow legropes in the final was not appreciated by some competitors, and following this contest, legropes became standard contest equipment.
This was the last Australian professional contest to ban legropes.

Wayne Lynch - switchfoot reef dance without legrope.
Alan Oke Conest Final, Blacks Reef, Phillip Island, Victoria.1977
Photograph :  Peter Crawford
Surfing World Magazine, Volume 25 Number 3 July 1977, page 62. 

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1992 Stell, Marion K. :  Pam Burridge
Collins Angus & Robertson Publishers (Australia) Pty. Limited
A division of Harper Collins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Limited
25 Ryde Road, Pymble NSW 2073, Australia

1997 Warshaw, Matt : Surfriders – In Search of the Perfect Wave
Tehabi Books, Inc. Collins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022

1978 Warwick, Wayne A Guide to Surfriding in New Zealand Second Edition
Viking Sevenseas Ltd Wellington, New Zealand

1979 Young, Nat ; Photographs by McCausland, Bill: Nat Young’s Book of Surfing
A.H. & A.W. Reed Pty. Ltd. 53 Myroora Rd, Terry Hills, Sydney.

1983 Young, Nat with McGregor, Craig : The History 0f Surfing
Palm Beach Press,40 Palm Beach Road, Palm Beach NSW 2108 

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