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Story: Lifesaving and surfing

The spread of surfing

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The spread of surfing

By 1967 the number of surfers in New Zealand had grown dramatically to around 15,000. The lighter, shorter boards attracted more women and young people to the sport. These surfers were at Sandy Bay, Northland, in 1967.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: AAQT 6539 A81,535

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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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/9402/the-spread-of-surfing (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 2 March 2009.