Bob Smith turns 80 next year – and is still competing nationally

FOR Bob Smith, age is just a number.

The Jan Juc surfer is preparing to compete next week at his 50th Australian titles.

Smith, who turns 80 in March, will contest the over-70 division at the Australian Longboard Titles on the Tweed Coast in what he believes could be his final appearance at the national championships.

 

Every time he pulls on the Big V, Smith said he is reminded of the honour of representing Victoria.

“Getting into the Victorian team in the first place is no mean feat, it’s a proper achievement,” he said. “Going on to compete against the best in Australia is a true honour.

“I followed the football religiously growing up – dating back to a state game in my early teens. I managed to be able to sneak in before the game, and saw people like Ron Barrassi, Ted Whitten, Jack Clark and Brendan Edwards pull on the Big V.

 

“I got taken by the shoulder by Brendan and he took me around to all the players to get autographs. From that moment on it inspired me to represent Victoria in some way in future years.”

Smith first competed at the Australian Titles in 1983 in Margaret River in the masters shortboard division. Across more than four decades, he has represented Victoria in both shortboard and longboard competition, earning selection about 50 times.

“To be approaching almost 50 now, it just proves I’m old,” Smith said.

 

Over his career, Smith has become a multiple-time Australian finalist and Victorian champion on close to 20 occasions.

In his spare time, he loves collecting surf memorabillia, a hobby that led him to becoming the surf historian and archivist for Rip Curl, a role he held for 19 years.

“I retired around the age of 55,” Smith said. “Six months beforehand, Rip Curl founder Doug ‘Claw’ Warbrick approached me and asked if I’d want to begin to archive items.

 

“I jumped at the two-day a week opportunity, and I spent 19 of the best years of my life there.”

The retro Rip Curl surfboards were his favourite to collect, alongside old jackets and t-shirts.

“People think when you mention Rip Curl that there’s a big money tree out the back, but you had to set people straight on that,” Smith said.

“I would wear my old jackets into the office, and the younger audience would just be wowed. They’d then work those designs into the current range.”

 

Smith has also been a Strapper Surfboards team rider since the company’s beginnings in 1976, maintaining a lifelong friendship with founder Dennis Day and continuing to order a new board each year.

“I was there from the beginning of Strapper in 1976. Dennis was a close mate, alongside Fred Pyke who he shaped with,” Smith said.

“The journey goes back beyond the 50 years of the company itself to our youth.

“I then went on to make a wonderful friendship with Mike DiSciascio who is running the company now.

“They’ve just been wonderful to me and I couldn’t thank them enough for their continued love and support.”

 

Despite approaching 80, Smith is not ready to leave the water.

“One of the problems with qualification is that I’m almost past my use-by date; the age divisions stop at over 70s,” he said.

“We’ve just had some amazing surfers move up into the over-70s and only two qualify for the Australian Titles. I fear my days may be numbered, so I am looking forward to this year. It could be my last year.”

Even if his competitive career ends, Smith hopes to remain involved by mentoring future Victorian surfers.

“We will see where it ends up, but gosh, it’s been a wonderful journey,” he said.