The first Pa Bendall Memorial contest was held at Moffat Beach on the 2nd and 3rd Of February 1974 in 3- 4 foot surf. First prize was $1500, the largest prise offered for any Australian surfing contest at the time. The competition attracted every professional surfer in the country including Wayne (Rabbit) Bartholomew, Simon Anderson and Hawaiian legend Gerry Lopez as well as hot local talent.
Since its inception the contest has been held for 37 consecutive years (9 as the Ma & Pa Bendall) and has been a spring board for many young surfers moving into the professional ranks with past winners including Australian and World champions and legends. It has also made a significant contribution to the community fabric of Caloundra and helped raise the profile of the region through international publicity created by the contest.
This years's contest will be held at Moffat Beach 29-31 March.
No comments:
Post a Comment