Coffs Reef a proving ground for young bodyboarders and surfers Coffs Coast Coffs Coast - popup ad Coffs Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - November 15, 2024 A crystal blue cocoon enfolds around reef pioneer Scotty Mason. Photo: Tony Solomon. AN upcoming exhibition of the social and cultural history of surfing on the Mid North Coast is generating considerable interest. The Yarrila Arts and Museum initiative, “Swell Chasers: Surf Stories from the Mid North Coast”, will run from 23 November to 2 February. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Stories, images and artefacts in circulation ahead of the exhibition are providing a creative dialogue and appreciation of the region’s surfing history. Coffs Harbour veteran photographer Heath Werner provided a stunning shot of Lee Winkler taking on Coffs Reef in the swell from Cyclone Uma in 2019. “Wink” told the News Of The Area: “Scotty Mason suggested giving it a crack at towing, as it had never been done out there before. “So I organised good mate Andrew Lindsay to throw me onto a few. “I got thumped on my fair share but made a few memorable ones.” Scotty Mason summed up the camaraderie and derring-do of the surf community. “The reef has always been a proving ground for young bodyboarders and surfers, a place where a core group of locals get together in close quarters, tell stories, have endless banter and push each other,” he told NOTA. “Everyone is welcome but there is always a pecking order and you move up by throwing yourself over the edge on the biggest scariest waves you can – or it’s to the back of the line.” The excursion along the break wall to Muttonbird Island is a lively experience on any given day. An ordinary wander when the seas are running provides added drama, as the right conditions offer a close-up of this sort of surfing courage and mayhem. By Kim SATCHELL Lee Winkler takes on the Cyclone Uma swell in 2019. Photo: Heath Werner. Dom Dodell all smiles as he charges the reef. Photo: Brett Caller.
