Photo Right: Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath, a Newport Beach California native, narrated “Echo Beach.”
Utmost Spirit
Steve Core's Website
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News
* In Natural Flow – takes shape
I have been using the past Winter period the work on my old version of ‘In Natural Flow’. Keep in my mind that In Natural Flow has not been screened anywhere in the last 30 years or so. Warren Delbridge at Video 8 has been doing all the technical work for me in helping restore some life into the old beast.
All we had to work from was an old, what we call, release print of ‘In Natural Flow’. A ‘release print’ is final copy that you strike from your edited camera original film to put in a 16mm projector and screen up onto a cinema or theatre screen. That’s the way surf movies were shown in the good old days before digital and video.
Steve Core and Warren Delbridge working on 'In Natural Flow' in the Video 8 Studios in Artarmon in August 2010
So the poor old release print cops all the work and abuse, including scratches, breaks or splices and sprocket hole tears and everything else that happens to a 16mm celluloid film when it gets man handled and projected. A bit different to working with DVDs.
Warren and I have been carefully going through the film and cleaning it up. Fixing up the faded scenes, smooth out the glitches from bad splices and jumps in the soundtrack. ‘In Natural Flow’ never had any titles – so we have been digitally inserting surfer identity titles. Now even the most non savy viewers can identify most of the main surfers and all of the locations. Narration and titles were never in the original ‘In Natural Flow’ on it’s cinema release in December 1971.
The results have been pleasing so far. The Frank Latta sequence that we lifted out of ‘In Natural Flow’ and placed on You Tube – as a tribute to Frank – came up really nice and clean – considering it was shot 39 years ago.
We hope to have the 2010 technically tweaked up version of ’In Natural Flow’ ready for sale on DVD by the end of Spring ‘10 – in time for the Summer stoke.
Don’t forget to check out my new Cronulla Surf History blogspot – it’s a current work in progress but worth a look. Steve Core Surf.
* My new Cronulla area Surf History Blog
I have just created a new blog about the history of Cronulla area surfboard manufacturers and surfboard shapers and Surf Shops.
A great reference tool for anyone researching Cronulla’s surfboard building and surf retailing history and a lot of the people associated with it.
I encourage you to check it out at and if you like it, just simply register on there as a follower, nothing else [that will help get us noticed by more people and the search engines. Many thanks for your support
Steve
* Frank Latta Tribute video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvdXkmb1dZs
Here is some of my 16mm film footage of Frank Latta surfing at Sandshoes Reef in Cronulla from my first movie; ‘In Natural Flow’.
I wanted to post this as a tribute to Frank’s to recognise his surfing ability.
I shot this sequence in 1971 – so it is 39 years old. It came up really crisp being converted from 16mm film over into digital format. This is a MPEG-4 compression file.
Telecine transfer and encoding to digital format by Warren Delbridge at Video 8, Atarmon.
* Frank Latta – A Cronulla surfing legend
Very sad news indeed began spreading around Cronulla’s surfing fraternity this week, with the first breaking information filtering in regarding the passing of surfing legend; Frank Latta.
Frank grew up surfing in the Cronulla area and was a true Australian surfing icon throughout the sixties and early seventies. I am very proud to say he was a personal friend – during those early years of his career. I not only surfed with him and around him for many years – I also worked side by side with him in the surfboard industry.
In fact when I was manufacturing surfboards under my own name in Taren Point in 1969 – I employed Frank as my head surfboard shaper.
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*Full page advertisment from Australian Surf International magazine - 1969 - [click to enlarge
Even though Frank was raised and bred during the original long board era of the early sixties, as the short board revolution was embraced by Australia’s top surfers, Frank was at the cutting edge of its development. Frank’s style easily adapted to fast changing pace of surfboard design during that new era.
Frank was an extremely powerful surfer and was exciting to watch in either big or small surf. In big surf – he knew no fear. Whether it was fifteen foot Cronulla Point or three-foot Sandshoes Reef, Frank’s aggressive style would have suited the big waves of Hawaii.
Frank had a young family at the time and it is my view that his dedication to looking after his young family restricted him from being able the travel on the world tour of surfing as it was in those days.
This would lead me to make the statement that Frank was easily the best surfer Australia ever produced not have travelled internationally and competed to any great extent to be acclaimed and recognised world wide.
Being a surf photographer, surfing journalist and contest commentator – I saw Frank competing in many surfing contests over the years.
Frank was also a Golden Gloves boxer and an expert pool player and a pigeon flyer. Combined with his ‘fast’ surf style – all his sporting talents earned him the collective nickname ‘Fast Frank’.
In the early days in Cronulla he shaped at Peter Clarke Surfboards, Baron Surfboards, Steve Core Surfboards and Jackson Surfboards. After many years living down the South Coast and working shaping surfboards for my old friend John Skipp at Skipp Surfboards in Wollongong, in more recent times Frank had moved to mid North Coast.
Perhaps it’s a fitting end that Frank spent his last hours in life doing something that he had done and loved all his life. In the time that I knew him well – he was a true waterman who loved the ocean and everything about it, Frank certainly lived and died for the surf.
It’s my guess that Frank’s first surf was in the Cronulla area somewhere. His last surf was at Valla Beach.
Goodbye and God bless you Frank. I know that here in the Cronulla area you have been gone for some time – but trust me - the people who knew you, surfed with you, worked with you and respected you and your incredible range of natural abilities – you will never, ever be forgotten.
This week many old friends have been recounting stories to me of classic times spent in your presence. We laughed and smiled over great memories of you. In all our salty old eyes you have well and truly reached surf legend status. Surfer & Shaper.
Where you are now the winds are always offshore and the swells are green and clean. May you surf them in peace for eternity.
Steve
* Surf & Music rock El Sol
‘Ocean Rhythms’ screened to a packed and stoked audience at the El Sol Mexican Restaurant in Cronulla on Sunday May 16th. Apart from local surf celebrities one stoked audience member was local surfer & musician Brad Heald – the bass guitarist from alternative rock band ‘The Vines’.
Brad and I had a great chat about ‘Ocean Rhythms’ and he told me he really loved the film and offered me his congratulations on making such a great film that reflects the surfing & music of the times.
The Vines appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone in October 2002 (the first Australian band to do so since Men at Work in 1983) with the words “Rock is Back: meet the Vines” boldly emblazoned underneath. They also won an ARIA Award the same year. The Vines have also played as the music act on US television’s top rated ‘The David Letterman Show’.
Photo above: Steve Core & The Vines bassist; Brad Heald talk surfing and music at the El Sol screening of ‘Ocean Rhythms’.
The Vines have has been confirmed to be in the lineup for Splendour In The Grass 2010 as well as supporting Powderfinger at the first four shows of their farewell tour.
A big thanks to ‘Cookie’ – Matthew Cook for organising and promting up a great Sunday night’s entertainment in Cronulla.
* Ocean Rhythms to screen at El Sol in Cronulla
Life-long Cronulla surfing identity Steve Core will be screening his classic 1975 surfing film ‘Ocean Rhythms’ exclusively for diners and patrons of the El Sol Mexican Restaurant in Cronulla on Sunday May 16th at 6pm. There is no better way to end a good weekend in our fabulous home town of Cronulla by the sea.
‘Ocean Rhythms’ producer Steve Core will be present at the screening to answer any questions and to sell and sign any copies of the ‘Ocean Rhythms’ DVD.
So if you need to grab one for yourself, or perhaps snag an ideal gift for your loved one or partner, or just a nice thought for a friend, this is a perfect time to get an ‘Ocean Rhythms’ signed collector’s copy.
The DVDs will be available for sale on the night for the usual price of $40.00 each. Signed ‘Ocean Rhythms’ posters will also be available on the night for the more serious collectors. Should be a fun night out with a great movie and topped off by a good meal.
The very popular El Sol Mexican Restaurant is located at 40 The Kingsway, Cronulla. Don’t miss out – so call the El Sol now on 9544 4116 to reserve your table for Sunday May 16th.
For a quick view of what food fare the El Sol offers have a look at: http://www.truelocal.com.au/business/el-sol-mexican/cronulla
So
make sure you come along on the night, throw down of few ice-cold Coronas and join in on this special occasion. It will be a blast from the past in living colour and it’s all indoors so it can’t be rained out.
* ‘In Natural Flow’ is coming…
Sydney – April 2010 – Following the success of the re-release of ‘Ocean Rhythms’ on DVD, I recently commisioned Warren Delbridge at Video-8 to strike the first digital copy of my 1971 surfing film ‘In Natural Flow’.
The original 16mm film print of ‘In Natural Flow’ has been sitting, safely stored in my garage for the last 26 years and has not been seen anywhere in the world.
So now the good news is folks, we have the first digitalised version of my 16mm film print of ‘In Natural Flow’. The next steps are to clean the ageing beast up a little, by removing some scratches and breath a bit of life back into some of its scenes. The orginal 1971 version has no narration or titles – just music and surfing. So with today’s digital technology we can enhance it a tad in this regard.
In Natural Flow contains classic footage of Michael Peterson and Peter Townend surfing Snapper Rocks and classic 70’s Kirra Point and Lennox Head from 1971. The film also includes the surfing of a host of other 70’s hot legends like Nat Young, Peter Drouyn, Keith Paull, Terry Fitzgerald, Mark Warren, Col Smith [Narrabeen], Andrew McKinnon.
The current plan is to have it ready for release for the Australian Summer of 2010/2011 – which will be an amazing 40 years after it made its orginal premiere at the Cronulla Community Hall, in Surf Road, Cronulla back in December 1971.
It’s is now in the works. As they say… stay tuned here for further updates.
Please contact me if you want to reserve one of the first copies and I will sign those copies on the cover slick.
We are aiming for a release date for Spring of 2010 – so arround September/October.
Steve
Please e-mail me at: score@utmostspirit.com
* Deus Surf Swap Meet
Steve selling 'Ocean Rhythms' DVDs at the Deus Surf Swap Meet. Photo: Lyndon Core
The 2nd Deus Ex Machina Surf Swap Meet was held at Deus Ex Machina retail showroom and associated car park located on Parramatta Road, Camperdown in Sydney on Saturday April 10th, 2010.
Myself and my 18yr old son Lyndon turned up for our first visit to the Meet. We set up our marquee and product table to fly the ‘Ocean Rhythms’ flag and sell and sign a few DVDs.
What a great day we had; I ran into a lot of people I had not seen in a long time including old friend; ASP WQS Tour Director Al Hunt – a serious surfing magazine collector and memorabilia collector. I used to work with Al a lot when I did the commentary on the ASP Pro Tour in the early to mid eighties.
Old friend Dave Wilson of Gordon & Smith was also there with his board display. Dave and I used to work together at G&S in Taren Point back in the late sixties and early seventies. I also made a lot of new surf stoked friends on the day.
We were blessed with a perfect sunny day and a great crowd of enthused surf collectors who swarmed around the booths all day. Patrons have the chance to buy, sell, or trade all types of ocean and surf gear, including new and used surfboards, wetsuits, clothing, magazines, surf art, photos, surf music, posters and other surf collectable items.
We got great reaction from serious surfing DVD collectors with the news that my first film ‘In Natural Flow’ [1971/2] will be re-released in the coming Spring – just in time for the Summer of 2010/11. In Natural Flow has been sitting in my garage for the past 25 years and has not been seen anywhere around the world.
Do yourselves a favour and check: www.boardcollector.com/ for great ongoing surf collectable information and photo coverage of this very cool day. Can’t wait for the next one.
Steve
* Billabong opens new Surf Store in Singapore Changi’s Terminal 3
Billabong sets up camp at Singapore Changi Airport
Source: ©The Moodie Report By Martin Moodie
SINGAPORE. Lagardère Services Asia Pacific has opened the first-ever Billabong airport store at Singapore Changi Airport.
The 92sqm shop in Terminal 3 is also the first Billabong store to be opened by Lagardère Services Asia Pacific.
Billabong is described as an iconic Australian surf brand with a history of producing high-quality surf and sportswear. The Changi range includes clothing, accessories, watches, bags and footwear.
Lagardère Services Asia Pacific CEO Scott Raisin said: “We are honoured to be the first to represent Billabong in travel retail. As one of the world’s leading lifestyle brands with a tradition in providing quality, functional surfwear, Billabong will be an exciting addition to the mix at Changi Terminal 3.”
Billabong Retailer Operations Manager Jason Neely said the store represented an exciting new phase in the development of the Billabong brand in Asia Pacific. “Billabong is focused on building its presence in the Asian region and the opening in Singapore of the world’s first Billabong branded airport store illustrates the brand’s commitment to the region,” he said.
“This is a significant move for Billabong so it is comforting to be partnering with Lagardère Services Asia Pacific, one of the world’s best airport retail operators.
We feel the combination of a world leading retailer and a world leading brand will add an exciting new dimension to the Changi Airport retail mix,” he added.
* New Quiksilver Surf flick ‘Echo Beach’ premieres
New Quiksilver Surf flick ‘Echo Beach’ premieres at Newport Beach Film Festival
April 29th, 2009
The world premiere of the surf flick ‘Echo Beach‘ was held at a sold out Lido Theater in Newport Beach, California – appropriate since the film depicts Newport Beach’s surf scene in the 1980’s.
The Quiksilver bus dropped off surfing legend Peter Townend and Quiksilver CEO Bob McKnight, both featured in the film. Volcom’s co-founder and CEO Richard Woolcott, Newport Beach natives Mark McGrath (the film’s narrator) of Sugar Ray and Alex Knost, long boarder and Japanese Motors front man, also passed through.
The film captures the radical crew of surfers at Echo Beach, the 100-yard strand off 56th St. The crew consisted of Danny Kwock, Jeff Parker, Preston Murray, John Gothard and Mark “Smerk” Mangan, among others.
They donned checkered shorts, neon wetsuits, polka dotted surfboards and Rockabilly haircuts. They partied, chased girls and even break danced, ultimately giving the California surf scene a jolt in the 1980’s.
While their surfing wasn’t winning over many contest judges, they marked the beginning of Orange County’s place in the surf industry. Backed by magazines and brands such as Quiksilver, Stüssy, Rip Curl, McCoy and Wave Tools, they marked an explosion in the action sports industry and the marketing of youth culture.
At times the film seemed like an advertorial for Quiksilver, but still provided an interesting history in how the largest surf brand came to be – such as a surfer eating a doilee to get the rights to Quiksilver in America. Moreover, the archival footage from the ‘70’s and ‘80’s give a good feel for Newport’s surfing history, even going back to when you had to have a permit to surf.
The film doesn’t pack the punch as other surf documentaries like Dogtown and Z Boys or Bustin’ Down the Door, but if you’re in the industry and enjoy some local history, it’s worth a viewing.
The film has multiple showings, some with a stand up comedian, a raffle and live music, at the Elks Lodge on May 1st.
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