Who knows the real Midget Farrelly?

So who knows the real Midget?

Midget Farrelly is an Australian surfing icon yet compared with some of the historical press other past champs receive Midget receives comparatively little media praise. So why is that?

Well the answer to that is in the question itself. It's the choice of the media, and that begs the question why?

It is hard today to imagine the level of press Midget received in the mid-sixties. Let's just say it was rock god status. Then the much publicised fallout with Nat and therefore with Nat's crew of mates who owned the surf media of the day. The subsequent Tracks article that followed claiming Midget's surfing as old hat and "passe" had Midget off the radar pretty much for the back end of the sixties till the 1970 World Title at Bells Beach.

Midget got a very close second to Rolf Arness in 1970. In fact it's said one more wave and Midget would have won that title, and had he caught that wave the history of surfing would have taken a different course. Namely the design ideas would have stayed focused in Australia and not gone to the Hawaiian gun inspired planshapes that resulted from Rolf's win. Midget's inspiration as a board designer obviously would have taken centre stage as all world champs have even to this day...practical or not.

So when we think of champs in Australian surfing, it's not like we don't think of Midget, but the mass of focus tends to go to Nat, MR, Rabbit, TC etc etc. But here's a fact: Midget is the champion of the champions. He was there before anyone else.

I have the pleasure of knowing Midget though I'm not on his Xmas list. I've shared stories and waves with him over the years though I've hardly seen him over the past decade or more. Fact is, I grew up down the road from him and his sister Jane was our resident family babysitter.

From that perspective I have witnessed how powerful Midget's win was In 1964 and how It dragged almost an entire generation into surfing awareness. So powerful was the '64 win that it forever changed the course of his life; it made him Australian surfing's first tall poppy and that made him a target.

In a land known for cutting down tall poppies, before its too late and he can't hear us, what say we all raise a glass in Midget's direction and say thanks for all he contributed to the world of surfing. It's not like Midget has never had a glass raised in his name before, but what's say we raise a united one, friend and foe, old and new, industry and non industry. Midget's a digger, he's fought his battles, he's caught his waves and he's ridden them good.

I saw him the other day and that's what inspired this rave. He wouldn't say but I know he's been in hospital where a huge tumor was removed. Let's not leave it till its to late to say hi and thanks Midget.

PS: A few years back I was out at Queenscliff with Midget. It was a huge swell with waves coming off the Bommie directly onto that Queeny left bank. There were not many of us out though it was offshore and clean. The sets were frequent and there were a lot of them. I had caught a wave in and was standing at the Queeny showers looking out to sea when I saw Midget paddle for the meanest sand dredging ten footer the morning had produced. My first thought was geez that's ballsy. What I saw then was true artistry and forever painted in my mind why Midget was Midget. There was no panic, just perfect choice of line and timing, an art forgotten in today's clamour to be like so and so.....