Isabel Letham

Isabel Letham (1899 - 11 March 1995) was the first Australian to
surf. This was at Freshwater Beach, Sydney in 1915, tandem with Duke Kahanamoku.

Kahanamoku had been invited to Australia by the NSW SwimmingAssociation. He hadn't brought a board so Letham's father William Lethamhelped him make one from sugar pine. At Freshwater Beach Kahanamoku gave a3 hour demonstration of "hawaiian-style surf shooting" to a crowd of severalhundred people. Australians had been bodyboarding on wooden boards, and
bodysurfing, but not standing up.

At the end of the session Kahanamoku invited Letham from the crowd for atandem surfing demonstration. Letham was 15 at the time, but anaccomplished swimmer and bodysurfer, and known as something of a
tomboy. On the first few waves they paddled for she yelled for him tostop because it felt like going off a cliff. Being a gentleman Kahanamokudid stop, but then ignored her cries, went anyway, and hauled her up. Theyrode four waves that day and Letham was, as she later said "hooked forlife".

Letham went on to become an accomplished surfer, and to teach surfing andswimming.

References

*"Surf's up: The Girl's Guide to Surfing", Louise Southerden, ISBN 1-74114-237-7.
*"Making Waves - Isabel Letham 1899-1995", Warringah Council Local Studies [http://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/locstud1.htm]
* [http://www.legendarysurfers.com/surf/legends/ls28.shtml#isabel_letham legendarysurfers.com entry for Letham]