Midget Farrelly

December, 1968

Australian surfers want to be as original as they can possibly be in this unoriginal period in surfing.

“Midget Farrelly: Man Goes to the Ocean,” by Drew Kampion, ran in the March 1969 issue of SURFER. Farrelly was 25, and had just finished runner-up to Fred Hemmings in the 1968 world championships.

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Why do you surf?

Originally it was because I could not resist surfing. I would have had to be completely insensitive to avoid the magnetism of the thing. I surf today for the same reason.  I think, basically, we all respond to the magnetism. If anything, for me, it’s become stronger over...