"DROUYN TO MAKE WAVES IN CHINA," DAMIEN MURPHY, THE AGE (1985)

Damien Murphy's article about Peter Drouyn's upcoming visit to China was published in the October 10th issue of the Age newspaper.

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The People’s Republic of China wants to go surfing and has imported an Australian surfer to teach its youngsters how to ride waves.

Gold Coast surfer Peter Drouyn, 35, a former Australian senior and junior surfboard champion, has left to coach the finer points of surfing to a group of hand-picked Chinese on Hainan Island, near Vietnam.

The Chinese Government invited Drouyn to introduce surfing after he approached Peking on the possibility while studying at Griffith University’s school of modem Asian studies two years ago.

The Chinese experiment is Drouyn’s latest exploit in a career of coups that began in 1964 when he travelled down to Sydney to compete in the first world surf riding titles amid rumors that he was doing unheard-of things on Gold Coast waves.

Injuries in a pub brawl put paid to his hopes but Drouyn returned the next year to take the Australian junior title and he then began regular trips to Hawaii, gaining a reputation—and some titles—as Australia’s best and most radical big wave rider there.

In 1971, when Australia’s leading surfers went into their “Country Soul” period, the non-conformist Drouyn enrolled at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney: the experience has stood him in good stead as Drouyn is still a regular face on Queensland television commercials.

In 1977, he revolutionized professional surfing by formulating the man-on-man concept at the Stubbies contest, only to end up selling Gold Coast real estate and drinking a lot of XXXX [beer] before enrolling at Griffith University.

Before leaving his home on the Gold Coast’s Isle of Capri, Drouyn said Griffith had given him a new direction in life and the university had not only helped draw up his submission to the Chinese Government but assisted in preparing a video in Mandarin to explain surfing to the Chinese.

"It’s an all-expenses paid situation and they’ve already handpicked 20 kids, aged between 10 and 20, from various other sports, such as gymnastics, for the first seminar I’ll be holding,” Drouyn said.

He said the area around Hainan Island was potentially one of the world’s great surfing areas—Australian troops had sampled the waves of the China Sea during the Vietnam War.

"It’s completely tropical, white beaches, coral reefs and excellent surf waves," Drouyn said.

A couple of Drouyn’s Australian surfing contemporaries, Ian Cairns and Peter Townend, have had great success in coaching Californian youngsters and the Gold Coast maestro saw no reason why the Chinese could not have a team in international amateur competition within 12 months and start winning before 1988.

Ever the creative thinker, Drouyn did not see it stopping there. He believes that in 20 years' time the world professional surfing circuit will be held entirely in inland pools and dominated by Eastern Bloc nations.

“It’s got to be a possibility. If surfing in China takes off in a big way, I can see the Russians wanting to get into the act,” he said.