Friar Tuck & Peter Ware

crox · Post by **crox** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:06 am

I'm hoping Peter can fill us in on some early history!

I remember the early adverts & the joy of finding those glossy boards in the racks of surf shops when travelling through Australia in 1980.
My first questions are -

What year did you start making boards & when & where did you move into the factory. Was Friar Tuck your first label & was John in it with you from the start?
Who were you first influenced by?

Peter Ware · Post by **Peter Ware** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 3:02 pm

Glassed for Henri Surfboards on Harbord Road Brookvale 1973.
Also glassed boards for Midget Farelly - Nat Young - Barry Bennett - Henri
Manager at Bennett Surboards
Opened Friar Tuck on Harbord Road Brookvale 1974
John my brother worked for Ft as a shaper designer. He was a Photographer and Cinematographer. John worked with George Greenough on many film shoots. John's first kneeboard was a Wallace. Mine was a FT.
We used to ride all the reef brakes around the Northern Beaches.. Winki Pop -Fairy Bower - Dee Why Point - Little Avalon - In those days no leg ropes. I rode stand up first but soon became a kneeboarders as we could go deeper and take of later at all the shelve brakes. Kneboarding took off in the 70's and every surf spot had their dedicated group. Dee Why - North Narra - Maroubra - Winki Pop - Little Avalon - Cronulla. Designers started to take the art of kneeboarding seriously and we all pushed the limits. The Northern Beaches in Sydney in the 70's was alive. McCoy - Bennett - McGregor - Wallace - Hot Buttered - FT - Crozier - Aloha- Earthrise - Energy and many more manufacturers all pushing their designs. In sailing the 18' were all made in Brookvale. Ian Murray and Ben Lexian were also pushing the limits in sailing.

womble · Post by **womble** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 2:53 pm

I'm quite thrilled to see you posting on the site, and equally thrilled to see your "apprentice" recently take out the world title.
In another time and universe, I purchased a twinnie from you down in Harbord Road. Still got it. It hasn't got a shapers ID on it, Dave said it may have been one of his, but we'll never know. The old girl carries some great memories within her yellowing carcass, and sits diligently in the board rack awaiting a recall.
I had a long sabbatical from knee boarding, but have recently returned to the fold. Young master Parkes has whittled me a couple of nice sticks, that have facilitated a joyous return to the dark side.
A few yarns from your good self would be a treat, Pete, real neat n sweet, and more motivation to keep me off my feet.
And as for my little friend Old Crazy, he would most certainly benefit from any form of memory kindling ... Oh you haven't been introduced yet, luck you.

crox · Post by **crox** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 11:16 pm

Thought I would put these links in to keep the info in one place -

album_showpage.php?full=true&pic_id=32671

album_showpage.php?pic_id=32671&full=tr ... rev#TopPic

album_showpage.php?full=true&pic_id=32650

That was a great time to be a kneeboarder!
Is John still surfing?
My first Friar Tuck was shaped by Craig McDonald one by Albert & another by Dale Ponsford, the rest [quite a few] were shaped by David... were there other shapers [apart from Craig & David] that shaped for you?

Peter Ware · Post by **Peter Ware** » Wed Jul 31, 2013 3:29 am

Thanks Womble for your kind words. Kneeboarding once in your blood you never forget or give up. At 63 I still live for that next wave. I move a little slower and do not have the fitness I used to have but still get stoked when i catch a good wave. We have a great low off the coast just now and the surf is pumping. Off for a early in the morning and then Friday morning catching up with David.

Peter Ware · Post by **Peter Ware** » Wed Jul 31, 2013 4:13 am

Crox thank you for updating the links. I am a luddite and my computer skills are not that great.
Craig was N/Zealand champion and he came over in the late 70's to work with John, David and I and lived with me for a while. He had a great style and was great to have around and surf with. When I moved North Craig took over the factory and made his own brand called awarekness. He moved to Coff's Harbour then for a while before returning to New Zealand.
Dale Ponsford was from Phillip Island Victoria and I meet Dale at a Duranbah contest and I was very impressed by his unique surfing style and he was interested in my 4 fin designs and moved to Byron to work with David, Mono Stewart and I. He lived with me before moving in with Parksie. Those years in Byron were great. Dale loved 4 fins while David loved them one week the next back to his thrusters. David was the best tube rider I have ever saw.He had no fear and used to and still does destroy Lennox Point on the big days. The 4 fins used to catch David as he would like to sit deep in the tube and the 4 fins used to like the pocket and the face. Dale loved working the wall and burried the rail in turn. Sorry stop talking designs.
The late Albert Whiteman. What a great character and kneeboarder. I had the pleasure of his company over a period of 6 or 7 years. The things that he used to get up to and he always was the life of the party. When he came up and stayed in Byron he and Mono could never be trusted I remember the day Mono, Albert and 2 other surfers came back from a great surf to do some work and they drove all the way from South Ballina on a hundred degree summer day with all the windows closed and the heater on full to see who would be the first one to open the window. Fierce competitors they arrive with all the windows still closed fogged up inside wiping the windows with a towel. I can still see Albert arriving on a winters day with his big overcoat on with a bottle of Jim Bean to stay warm. He used to shape in Sydney For Terry Fitzgerald under the Earthrise label with Steve Artis. Albert the Zip Zip man. Albert took over Friar Tuck from David for a while and shaped the label South of Wollongong. Albert we miss you.
The shapers that shaped for me in kneeboarding were John Ware, David Parkes, Craig McDonald, Dale Ponsford and myself. Albert shaped the label.

John rides a mall these days. Still in Sydney. He had a bad brake to his ankle while riding the third outside bombie at long reef on a big day. The only on out he took off free fell onto his board and snap. His foot went one way the leg the other. He now has pins in his leg and ankle.

crox · Post by **crox** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 4:04 am

Just the sort of info/stories we need!.....but....don't stop talking about designs!

What style of four fin was Dale interested in? I had several with the small fins in front of the main ones...was this your design & when did the fins shift to the rear?
David surfed twin fins so well because he knew how to use the rail!
What was different about Dale's style?

A couple more links -

album_showpage.php?pic_id=32678

album_showpage.php?pic_id=32678&mode=prev#TopPic

Peter Ware · Post by **Peter Ware** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 3:07 pm

I always surfed with small fins on the rails in front. Dals also surfed with the small fins in front on a FT. It excelerated you into the turns. The widest point was always in front of halfway and you drove into your turns, not pivot of the tail. Thrusters you pivot of the tail on your bottom turns. Thrusters you sit deep in the tube stalling. On a four you can not do that as it is rail to rail top to bottom always changing direction and picking up speed. David was the ultimate late take off. He had no fear. Dropping in late stalling and setting up the barrell. Dale was always driving of the bottom of the top working the pocket with arc turns. Simon is a combination of both surfers with his own powerful style and deep tube riding. His boards have plenty of curve just like Michael. The four Kneeboarder riders over the decades that have influenced in Australia in my opinion were PC - DP - MN - SF. All were originally Sydney based and all rode a form of slab. Single - Twin - Thruster - Four. Today we now call the four fin a quad.
Everyone has there own favorite surfer and styles and that is what makes us all great individuals.

mutiny · Post by **mutiny** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:10 pm

so stoked to read this thread!!

Thanks peter for letting us into some of the history of you and the Aussie kneelos.
like crox I traveled through Oz in 1981! I saw and met a lot of great kneelos and saw new (for me) board designs through Terry Day and Glen Crawford.

I met for the first time Dale P. and his girlfriend a couple of weeks ago in Huntington when they were on their way back to OZ. I didn't get to see him surf but I did see his boards! Screwdriver tail? I think they are called . Dales explanation of how they work seemed legit..Im sure he rips on them.

Can't wait to read more!
Tom

Peter Ware · Post by **Peter Ware** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:37 pm

I used to Glass and finish all gull surfboards in Sydney at FT's in the late 70's. Terry was a young school Boy who rode for Gull.

Glen Crawford I first met at Duranbah in the early eighties and he used to ride one of my boards. I still can remember him driving his bongo van to contests.

Dale I have not seen for years. He is a great kneeboard designer now with his own ideas and theories. He has a very unique style it is a pity you did not see him surf. Getting older but still has the flair and style

.

I look forward to meeting all the kneeboarders at Huntington and checking out all the history and designs in California

crox · Post by **crox** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 12:29 am

Got to link this one -

album_showpage.php?full=true&pic_id=32692

Peter Ware · Post by **Peter Ware** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 1:14 am

Crox for you. My Brother John. Friar Tuck Kneeboarder shaper designer photographer cinematographer

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... e=1&ref=nf

crox · Post by **crox** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 2:08 am

Great photo! That was a time of creators...kneeboarders have always had that reputation for innovation...love it!
It would be great if you could get John to write a few words & also bring us up to date.

tomway · Post by **tomway** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 6:10 am

Fantstic post, thank you for sharing! Look forward to more.

crox · Post by **crox** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 6:28 am

Great photo of John -

album_showpage.php?full=true&pic_id=32710