Vale Brian Trist and Don Loveless

TWO important figures in Torquay’s early surfing history passed away last month.

Brian “Tristy” Trist died peacefully on October 16 at the age of 85 in Noosa, where his funeral was held on October 25; while Don Loveless died on October 23.

Torquay surfing identities Barrie Sutherland and Terry Wall shared some details with this newspaper last week about the two men’s influence on Torquay’s surfing culture.

Trist is most famous for building the first steps down to Bells Beach with wood supported by piping from his job as a plumber, and helped create the original track to the beach from Anglesea Road.

He and his wife Nora moved to Noosa in 1971 where he set up his plumbing business, invested in real estate and surfed, but kept up many of his Torquay friendships.

Don and Faye Loveless opened a shop in Gilbert Street in 1962, trading as Loveless Television, where Faye started making boardshorts and parkas.

These became very popular with the local surfers, and the demand was soon so great that the couple started Victoria’s first surf shop, known as Torquay Surfer Supplies.

Loveless was also active in Surfing Victoria during its origins in the 1960s.