thats nice
Can you tell me why you felt Peter belonged in that list? Not only did he develop power surfing and man-on-man surfing and was totally involved in the shortboard change, he was responsible for the weight change in boards as well, which everyone overlooks. Nat Young came along after the Peru World Titles (1965) where he got second to (David) Nuuhiwa riding a 10’1”. Nat was very unhappy. Then he gets beaten (at the Australian Titles) by Midget in 65 on Midget’s stringerless 9’8” and Nat’s still riding his 10’1”. After this, Peter happened to be at Byron one day surfing his 9’0” and Nat asks, “Can I have a lend of it?” Nat stayed out for three hours on it! Peter was supposed to be home on the Gold Coast by 6pm but was hours late. Suddenly two weeks later Nat and his friend from Collaroy show up at Peter’s place in a ute. Well, what a surprise this is! And lo and behold his board’s still getting fixed or something and I’m like, “I guess you want to ride one of our boards?” So Laurie Hohensee has leant him his 9’4” for Burleigh, the same length Nat rode in the 66 World Titles. Well, Peter was tearing the place apart with his power surfing on a 9-foot board, and they’re all watching Peter Drouyn surf. So it went from Byron Bay to Nat coming up for two weeks and changing his style completely because he wasn’t winning, and his boards shortened by a foot – which is much more than they shortened later on – and they’re saying Peter had nothing to do with it? I wanted a 9-foot board but I also wanted it to be only 16 pounds, which in those days was unheard of. “One layer of eight ounce glass!? You’re kidding!” Peter ended up getting on his knees and begging and they did it and of course Peter ripped on it at the 66 Australian Titles in the juniors, but the board broke in half just before he left for the World Titles in San Diego (won by Nat) and he had to ride a 22lb board that was too far back in time for Peter. Peter died in that contest. He was so depressed. It was supposed to be an Australian team but they just left Peter, a 16-year-old, on the beach alone the whole time. What good did that do him? (There was no junior division in San Diego so Peter surfed in the Opens and finished 12th).
from swell net
In a similar vein was this 1968 Hohensee single fin. It was in poor condition and the seller could’ve expected a couple hundred bucks but for the name pencilled along the stringer behind the fin – Peter Drouyn. Ol' Westerly wasn't known as much of a shaper but celebrity and scarcity guide the second-hand market every bit as much as shaping chops. 48 bids stood as testament to that, and the seller pocketed $660. The new owner is gonna have a few repairs but they'll wanna keep that name intact.