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Story: Lifesaving and surfing

National Surfing Championships, 1963

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National Surfing Championships, 1963

The first national surfing championships were held at Mt Maunganui in 1963, and among those attending were (from left) Bob McNab, Rod Toohill, Bill Ebdale and Ted Bacon. At this time it was estimated there were only about 300 surfers in New Zealand.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Adrian Rogers Collection (PAColl-8312)

Reference: 1/2-230205; F

by Adrian Rogers

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Lifesaving and surfing – Surfing in the sixties, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/7375/national-surfing-championships-1963 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 2 March 2009.