Yallingup was the first of the many breaks between Cape Naturalite and Cape Leeuwin to the ‘discovered’ by Perth surfers in the 1950’s, with the first recoded surf in 1954. In those days the beach was accesses via potholed road only used a by a few fishermen. In 1956 following the surfing demonstration at Torquay a couple of balsa Malibu boards were purchased off the Americans and brought back to WA and locals starting making hollow plywood replicas until balsa became available. What followed rapid growth in surfing in WA and more surfers heading south of weekend for bigger waves.
The local farmers were not impressed with these strange looking city slickers invading their patch, driving along their tracks and stealing their girls at dances. By the seventies quite a lot of surfers had settled in the southwest between Busselton and Augusta. The farmer’s sons mellowed and some even started surfing. Surfers started businesses, the wine and tourism industries blossomed. Ian Cairns and Dave McCaulay honed their big wave skills on the reef breaks and headed off on the fledgling pro tour. A new wave of second-generation surfers started hitting the waves including professional surfers Taj Burrow, Melanie Redman, Holly Monkman and the Patterson brothers.
In 1985 the “Bunch of fun locals” staged their first Malibu revival contest in giant surf. The contest has continued since and Yallingup is now the premier longboard break in WA and is the headquarters of the Indian Ocean Longboard Club. The Yallingup Boardriders Club represents the shortboard community with monthly contests, microgrom fun comps and its annual Single Fin Contest. Taj Burrow hosts the annual “Taj’s Small Fries” contest to showcase the emerging junior talent in the state.
Yallingup has come a long way since the days of hollow plywood toothpicks and hammocks
strung between the trees. The main break breaks over a reef offering rights and on bigger days long lefts. The reserve was dedicated on3 December 2011.
