Steve Cooney: "I remember it very clearly!"

 Laurie McGinness picture
Laurie McGinness (blindboy)
Talking Heads

Steve Cooney was the archetypal underground surfer of the early 70s. His surfing was fast, fluid and stylish. At an early age his free surfing around his northern beaches home attracted media attention, but his horizons expanded rapidly, first to the north coast points and ultimately to Bali where he became, at 14 years of age, the first person to surf Uluwatu. It is a story that has been told a few times but still intrigues. Given surfing's increasingly macho culture, the idea of a 14 year old being the first to venture out of that cave into unknown waters, now seems incongruous.

Blindboy: So tell me about that first trip to Bali.
Steve Cooney: That was an extension of going to the north coast with Albe. I had done numerous trips with him surfing the north coast points, then came back and won the NSW junior title at North Narrabeen. John Witzig was around too, so I was with both of them shooting and doing things. So when Albe said "Do you want to come?" I said, " Of course." So that was when Mum went and got me out of school.  She had to tell the headmaster that I was leaving school prior to my 15th birthday which, in those days, was the official leaving date. He wasn't happy about it because I was a good student. To me it seemed like an opportunity too good to miss. So we jumped on the plane. I was on the other side but Albe was watching the Bukit as we landed, so he had a suspicion that there were waves out there.

We surfed Kuta Reef for a while, which was great. There was no-one in the water, just Rusty [Miller] and me and Paul Hutchinson. That was great because it was gradually moving into a heavier situation. Coming from the north coast points was a good fitness thing, then surfing the lefts pretty consistently at Kuta Reef, edged me into what we found at Ulu. Albe and I went out there once and couldn't get in. We ended up in some village.  The next day Albe went out on his own and found his way in. He came back that night and told us "I think I've found something."  So as quickly as we could, the next day or the day after, we organised bemos and me, Paul Hutchinson, his brother Geoff, Albe, and maybe David Elfick, ended up getting in from the temple side of Ulu. We were walking in over that original track over the ridges, and you could see the back of Uluwatu. We got to the cave and sussed it out.


I remember it very clearly, there's one wave in the movie that was the first wave I rode, I highlight that in Ulu32 [Steve's film history of 32 years of surfing Indonesia]. It was a bit bumpy, half tide going down the inside.  I was taking off on the edge of the peak because the main peak was shorter and not linking up.  I went a bit wider and that was getting me down through the inside.  My first wave was a bit bumpy and I was nervous because I was the only one in the water and there was a lot of sea life around.  It was beautiful, I loved it, I wasn't scared, just nervous because I didn't know the place.  So I ended up picking off a really long  one that went all the way down.  The local people were screaming on the headland as I took off and screamed all the way through the wave until I pulled out, then went dead silent.  So I paddled back out in dead silence.

Cooney's first wave at Uluwatu, as far as he knows the very first wave ridden there

So why didn't anyone else go out?
Rusty didn't come with us that first time.  Paul was a shaper and not a highly accomplished surfer and Geoff was just along for the ride.  I stayed out for a while.  It was really enjoyable, picking your way through the reef with no leg rope, trying not to fall off, knowing that it was a bit of an issue and that you wouldn't find your board quickly with the water running down the reef.  There was no-one there to pick it up for you.  So I just tried to be careful and when I did fall off I would try to fall on my board or flat on my back so I didn't go too deep. The first couple of sessions were really memorable, the first wave particularly because after that all the tension in me settled down and I just started to enjoy the place.  I did lose my board a few times.  I tried to keep it to a minimum because Ulu doesn't let you out easily but I didn't lose much bark off.  Then there were the bigger days surfing with Rusty, which feature in the film.

Did you anticipate what it would become?
No, not at all.  I was just a 14 year old grommet, so I didn't anticipate the reaction at all.

What do you think of the changes?
Some people used to make me feel guilty about it, even though it was out of my control, I had nothing to do with it. I was just dragged along. I got over that. It was inevitable. The way surfing has gone, how were you going to keep the place quiet? It's one of the most unbelievable pockets of surf breaks within a few kilometres of each other, outside Hawaii.

What about other breaks? Did you get to any of them?
On a flat day we hiked from Jimbaran up past Belangun to where we could see Ulu. We would run into the odd farmer with a sickle looking at us going, "You idiots".

Did you surf the other side of the island at all?
We went to Sanur and paddled out. It was clean but peaky and short so we couldn't really see the potential there. It was low tide and we walked out on the reef. So it was all arse about. We were only there for a couple of hours and the bemo was waiting for us. After that we stuck to Ulu, surviving on warm 7 Up and peanuts!

//blindboy

Comments

Chipper's picture
Chipper's picture
Chipper Monday, 20 Nov 2017 at 2:23pm

Great Interview BB!!!
Imagine being those guys and doing that ...... what a life experience.... what a wave.... (and no leash!) I didn't get there until the late 80's, aged 21 and it was special then but had started being crowded. Yet you could still stay in the losmen on the beach/cliffs after walking through the paddocks to get to the wave ...Bingin too!!!

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Monday, 20 Nov 2017 at 2:34pm

Cool story.

Hard to fathom doing that shit at 14 years of age . Especially unencumbered by parental supervision. His mum was certainly open minded !

Not sure about the " Increasingly macho culture of surfing " though BB. I'd say it's getting way less macho.

Too democratic , I reckon .

crustt's picture
crustt's picture
crustt Tuesday, 21 Nov 2017 at 5:45am

Different times back then Blowin, we ran free.

crg's picture
crg's picture
crg Monday, 20 Nov 2017 at 2:34pm

You could fast forward that wave to present day and make the hippest hipster so happy with himself.

mantown's picture
mantown's picture
mantown Monday, 20 Nov 2017 at 2:48pm

Wasn't Mike Boyum first to surf Ulluwatu?

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Monday, 20 Nov 2017 at 2:57pm

History goes that Mike and Bill Boyum arrived not long after. The next year, 1972, Bill Boyum 'discovered' G'Land with Bob Laverty.

Halfscousehalfcockneyfullaussie's picture
Halfscousehalfcockneyfullaussie's picture
Halfscousehalfc... Monday, 20 Nov 2017 at 3:58pm

Top wave, well surfed too. How longs that single?

dimdim's picture
dimdim's picture
dimdim Monday, 20 Nov 2017 at 4:13pm

Well Blind Boy. In 78-79 you gave me some very good advice.."Go to Bali. Go now"
Never mind .I went to Byron instead.
Would love to see some of your photos from Bali in the 70s. Please.

Lanky Dean's picture
Lanky Dean's picture
Lanky Dean Monday, 20 Nov 2017 at 4:24pm

Great article,
Hard to find a place that hasn't been scratched now days.....I don't think there's a wave/break that I was first to surf.
Imagine what it was like to stumble apon those waves. Wow that's a different time . I really like the fact that he surfed it solo though, spent a lot of time surfing breaks for the first time solo. Such an interesting feeling .

blindboy's picture
blindboy's picture
blindboy Monday, 20 Nov 2017 at 6:58pm

Thanks for the comments. I really enjoyed doing the interview and we both had a few laughs along the way!

Andy Mac's picture
Andy Mac's picture
Andy Mac Monday, 20 Nov 2017 at 10:05pm

Great interview and Steve Cooney was one of the best free natural surfers of his time.
But not sure about the claim that he was the very first to surf Ulus. I think Albe Falzon can clarify that he had heard of others before Steve and confirmed there were waves out in the Bukit. It was Russell Hughes who tipped Albe about Bali. Russell called in there in 1968 after placing third in the 1968 World Titles in Puerto Rico. Anyway as far at MOTE was concerned Steve Cooney was the trailblazer and him and Rusty Miller pioneered the way.

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Tuesday, 21 Nov 2017 at 7:11am

Wow never realised he was only 14, just being in Bali would have been a blow out with the completely different culture, let alone surfing unknown waves alone without a legrope.

blindboy's picture
blindboy's picture
blindboy Tuesday, 21 Nov 2017 at 7:24am

Andy I suppose it is possible someone surfed it before Steve, but I think it is unlikely. The strongest evidence is that the locals support his claim. It is hard to imagine someone getting in there with a board and surfing the place without drawing a lot of attention.

mredhill's picture
mredhill's picture
mredhill Tuesday, 21 Nov 2017 at 9:47am

First trip was in May '80 and I'll never forget the enormous rush of walking down the old bush track with the local kids and seeing Ulu for the first time. Waxing up in the shade of the only warung on the point and then climbing down the bamboo ladder. It's probably a bit corny but to this day, standing in that cave at dawn about to paddle out, you can't beat it.

Chipper's picture
Chipper's picture
Chipper Tuesday, 21 Nov 2017 at 11:11am

Red Hill... the ladder was still bamboo in late eighties.... and walking through the cave at low tide to a paddle out was spiritual..... not sure about the ladder now......i'm sure there is a spirituality about surfing the place still, even with the crowds. I have stayed well clear for a long time.....

mredhill's picture
mredhill's picture
mredhill Tuesday, 21 Nov 2017 at 4:27pm

The bamboo ladder is long gone Chipper, replaced with dodgy concrete stairs and a wobbly railing made out of plastic conduit. Still, it's as spiritual as ever, you've just got to get there early.

memlasurf's picture
memlasurf's picture
memlasurf Tuesday, 21 Nov 2017 at 1:54pm

I still love the place, however, you need to pick your time to get not ridiculously crowded waves. Sitting out at temples and looking back at the cliffs is a real buzz and the water is so clear and warm. Sure beats the west coast of Vic.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Tuesday, 21 Nov 2017 at 3:11pm

Sitting out at Temples and looking back at the cliffs
Hows that Dodgy 100 ft of rope ladder on the cliff face !

blindboy's picture
blindboy's picture
blindboy Thursday, 30 Nov 2017 at 9:24pm

Back to AndyMacs point about Russell Hughes tipping Albe off about Bali. It seems Russell told Albe that he had been staying in a hotel near the airport and surfing a left reef straight out the front.......pretty clearly Kuta Reef. Interestingly Mark Warren, Col Smith and Bob Evans were there at the same time as Steve and Albe but went the wrong way in their search for waves and ended up shooting average quality waves with nice scenery at Tanah Lot while Albe was shooting Uluwatu.

Legrope's picture
Legrope's picture
Legrope Tuesday, 31 Jul 2018 at 1:33pm

Great story BB. With all the hoo ha about Bali and Indo lately, it's cool to revisit this as the history is a great read. Amazing times for all the first crew to surf there.
Cheers