Midget Farrelly, Makaha 1968 by Leroy Grannis
24 by 36 inch Poster Print (approx. 61x91cm... it's big!).
Printed on acid free paper with fade resistant inks.
Photographed here by legendary photographer Leroy Grannis in 1968, Midget Farrelly was Australia's first great surfing export. Famed for being articulate, well groomed and a devoted sportsman Bernard "Midget" Farrelly was the first non-Hawaiian to win the 1962 Makaha International, unofficially recognised as surfing's World Champs, at the tender age of 18. And once the surf world had organised itself and the first official World Champs was held at Manly Beach, Sydney in 1964, Midget won that too.
ABOUT LEROY GRANNIS
Each decade has given surfing a slew of era-defining imagery and if you delve into the 1960s, many of the most stunning were taken by Leroy Grannis. Born and raised in Hermosa Beach, California Grannis spent his childhood swimming and bodysurfing. As the popularity of surfing grew so did his interest. Between stints in the military Grannis became a firm fixture of the surf clubs of the 1940s and by 1946 had photographs printed in the book California Surfriders. From that point on his work became prominent in the booming surf media, focussed on a handful of Southern California based mags. Once waterproof camera housing became readily available in the '60s Grannis became the number one name, even developing a box which allowed him to reload his film in the water, whilst his peers swam in to the beach to reload theirs. By the '70s his interest in surf photography waned and as he became interested in other subjects he abandoned the water altogether. Luckily though, he left an extensive legacy of beautiful images behind.
