Surfing on the Mornington Peninsula (1980-2000)
1980 - 'Tracks' reports that in January Peppie Angliss (19) (pictured below from March 1980 Tracks) and some of her friends organise a meeting to establish a recognised women's surfing body for Victoria. Peppie says 'The whole aim is to encourage girls to surf rather than sit around on the beach looking beautiful. It doesn't matter whether they ride kneeboard or surf mat. They don't even have to surf, we'll help them to learn. We want some respect.' The Victorian Womans Surfing Association's (VWSA) first contest was held in mid-February at Pont Leo in three foot waves. Results were: 1st - Peppie Anglis, 2nd - Prue Latchford, 3rd - Sue Pain, 4th - Rosie Hughes, 5th - Kate Smith, 6th - Karen Van Angeren. The contest included a section for mat riders. (Skeggs - Tracks - 1980)
Peppie Angliss photo from Tracks - March 1980
January 1982 - The potted history of Victorian surfing 'When it's Cold it's Blood Cold - When it's Hot it's Just Plain Hot' by John Ogden in Tracks devotes one whole paragraph to Mornington Peninsula surfing and says 'Board buildes Phil Grace and Mick Pierce have surfed this area for more than a decade and still rank among the best. The Trigger Brothers are also well established on the east coast. Rising local hotties include Phil Coates (Victorian State Champion) Malcolm Bailey (presently in Hawaii) and Ian Cochrane.
Paul Trigger from Tracks - January 1982
1997 - The novel 'Night-Surfing' by Fiona Capp mythologises the legendary Quarantine in her first novel, which wins numerous awards. The novel is set mostly on the Mornington Peninsula, particularly Sorrento and Portsea.
November 1998 - Surfers Protest over the sewage outfall at Gunnamatta beginning an ongoing series of protests designed to close the outfall. See the ISSUES page for details.
1998 - Four children drown in the rip at First Car Park bringing calls for improved signage pointing to the patrolled area at Second Car Park and drawing attention to danger of the rips for those not used to swimming or surfing here. The full story from the AGE is HERE. One good thing to come out of the tragedy is that attention is drawn to the signposting on the beach, which is radically upgraded.
1999 The PSC celebrate their twenty-fifth anniversary with a return to Morning Star formal ball.
December 2000 - Clean Ocean Foundation incorporated as an association to work towards the closing of the sewage outfall at Pumping Station.
2002 - Local newspapers also take up the cause, forcing an enquiry which recommends lengthening the pipeline and recycling a lot more of the material before it gets to the pipeline in the first place.
