Inductee Bio
Pioneering Australian surfboard manufacturer and archetypal hard-drinking "surfie" of the 1950s and '60s. Larkin began surfing in 1943 at age nine at Sydney's Freshwater Beach, and starting building hollow plywood boards at at age 15. By the late '50s, Larkin, Barry Bennett, Bill Wallace, and Gordon Woods had each founded their own surfboard label, and collectively established the Australian boardmaking industry.
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| For the complete biography, go to: http://encyclopediaofsurfing.com/entries/larkin-joe |
Thanks to: http://mypaipoboards.org/interviews/JoeLarkin/JoeLarkin_2013-0516.shtml for the photo |
Joe Larkin with his 2 beautiful daughters and Peter Townend at his 2012 induction.
An article on December 12 2012 about Joe Larkin's induction into the International Surfboardbuilders Hall of Fame
Joe's Autobiography
I was born on 28th June 1933 at Freshwater Beach Sydney. My father was on beach when Duke arrived & displayed the art of surfing in 1914
We lived a 100 yds from beach & I remember body surfing on my dads back when I was about 3.
Was given a solid Redwood board when I was 9 me & my mate used to drag & stagger down trhe beach & try!!! to surf it without much success .
I started my Trade as carpenter & cabinet maker when I was 14. I had older friend who made his own board & he conned me in making my own I was 15 & it was not real good.
However as money was very tight a few friends asked me to make boards for them they paid for materials & helped build them no money changed hands but it was great fun building them in dads garage his car stayed outside for a few years.
In Australia at that time most boards were 14 to 16ft. long & mainly built to race in Surf Life Saving Carnivals. & of course we rode them for pleasure most of the time.
In early 1956 I went to New Guinea Timber getting & Gold Dredging .after 6 months I had enough & came home & lucked it for a job as a Life Guard with Manly Council.
We had the 1956 Olympic carnival held at Torquay Beach in Victoria for our surf life saving & competers from all over were there including a team from U.S.A.
After the carnival the U.S team travelled to Sydney & I was there when they rode the Balsa Boards with fins. I was amased at what they were doing with these boards & as there was no Balsa or Fibreglass at that time I went back to the garage & made myself A LOOK ALIKE HOLLOW ONE & COVERED IT WITH PLYWOOD .(plenty of others had same idea at this time)
That was the start of the surf board industry in Australia & I have been building surfboards ever since
Links Joe Larkin OHP interview on youtube A Paipo Interview with Joe Larkin
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