1970 The Club was now patrolling Ocean Beach a beautiful sandy surf beach.
By 1972 the new clubhouse on the beach had been built, tower erected and regional council had built toilets and changing rooms.
Competition:
The decade of the seventies was massive for the young club making a name for itself locally and at national level. In his booklet titled “Surf Life Saving in Hawkes Bay 1910-1971” by Barrie M Dennehy an early member of the Westshore club he wrote “in 1970 KIWI amalgamated with the Ocean Beach club to form The Ocean Beach Kiwi Club and although they endured some early highs and lows their competitive strength was soon to emerge. Within two years by 1972 they had ended the Westshore Clubs ten year reign with the pennant (top Hawkes Bay Club) and HBSLSA had to enter a new Club Champion into the records” OBK was on its way!!
Vicki Wilson gets a kiss from her dad Ivan after winning her first NZ Woman’s belt title (swim to the buoy towing the surf line) Vicki was also second in the surf race and third in the teams race with team mates see photo below.
Vicki Wilson went on to win the belt title three more times 1973, 1974 and 1975. Also 1975 second in team’s race, 1974 second in tube rescue.
Left to right: 3rd in Ladies surf teams race J Wrightson, Vicki Wilson, J Arnold and H Arnold.
Like his sister Michael Wilson was an outstanding competitor. Individual result up to 1974 included
1972, 2nd junior Ironman (swim board ski), 1973 1st junior Ironman and junior surf ski race and 1974 2nd senior surf ski and ski rescue. There was more to come.
3rd junior surf teams race.
Left to right M Baylis, M Wilson, J Coutts and S Brown
Ist Senior Surf Teams Race also 2nd Neoprene tube race R Brown
Left to right: S Pohio, R Brown, B Wilson, B Bennett
THE BIG WAVE BENNY STORY surf teams race:
Okura beach New Plymouth 1973. Scary huge waves that day. The above team of 4 swimmers each swimming in a heat getting points same as the place they finish. Team with the lowest points wins. Selwyn 4th, Brian 3rd Russell 2nd in their heats KIWI in with a chance to win GOLD. All depends on Benny the smallest in the team who is not a champion pool swimmer like his team mates but a champion body surfer on waves. As the swimmers went around the Buoys looked like Benny well back in the bunch however a massive wave breaks on the buoy line. Benny catches and body surfs the wave 150 metres to the shore. We are all looking for Benny but he can’t be seen in the mass of white water. The wave hits the beach and like a pip out of an orange out pops Benny. He sprints up the beach in 4th place much to the thousands of excited spectators on the beach. KIWI TEAM WINS GOLD AND BIG WAVE BENNY BECOMES FAMOUS FOR EVER AND A CLUB HERO.
2nd Ladies surf teams race.
Left to right: A Baylis, L Gillies, V Wilson and J Wrightson. In 1974 A Baylis was also 2nd in the Ladies surf race.
Club Canoe crew trying out our new canoe at Ocean Beach. This crew went on to represent the Hawkes Bay team at Interdistricts that year 1973.
Left to right: S Larsen, B Faulknor, A Horton and Roy Cooper
Nationals 1974 the club finished 6th top club
2nd in Canoe race and canoe rescue with Brian Wilson as swimmer
Left to right: A Horton, G Larsen, B Faulknor and S Larsen
Same team as above including Brian Wilson first on the left just received their medals.
1st junior surf teams race and John Coutts 1st junior belt race
Left to right: J Coutts, M Baylis, P Benson and D Gledhill
Nationals 1975 the club finished 4th top club
M Wilson 1st surf teams race, senior ski and ski rescue with T Dell as patient.
In 1975 Michael Wilson Won the Hawkes Bay sportsman of the year award, he was a member of the New Zealand Surf Life Saving team that competed at the World Champs in South Africa. Michael became a world champion by winning the surf ski race.
1975 Waimarama Surf Nationals Poster.
1st senior Canoe and 2nd senior canoe rescue
Left to right: B Wilson, B Clark, M Wilson and T Dell
1st junior surf teams race
Left to right: P Brough, D Gledhill, P Benson and J Payne
1st Senior surf teams race
Left to right J Coutts, B Wilson, R Brown and M Wilson
1st senior tube rescue J Coutts with patient Brough
The full team of only 21 competitors who contested one of our most successful nationals.
Left to right: back row P Brough, J Payne, G Larsen, J Coutts, B Clark, D Place, G McClurg, M Baylis,
B Wilson, D Gledhill, M Wilson, A Horton, J Smith, R Brown, S Larsen and I Wilson (president)
Front row: P Benson, T Dell, L Wrightson, V Wilson B Faulknor, J Wrightson and L Kite.
1st Senior Surf teams race.
Left to right: J Coutts, B Wilson, P Benson and D Gledhill
Left to right: J Irons, J Bone, L Wrightson, L Kite
J Coutts 1st individual surf race and 1st tube rescue with P Brough as patient
2nd Taplin relay 2 swimmers, 2 board paddlers and 2 ski paddlers
Left to right: Back row M Wilson, J Coutts, B Wilson Front row G Larsen, D Gledhill and A Horton
1st Senior Canoe Rescue.
Left to right: back row B Wilson, P Clark, M Wilson Front row G Larsen and B Faulknor.
1976 Hawkes Bay Surf Life Saving Team. Thanks to the strength of the teams OBK swimmers, Paddlers and sprinters it was the first time a HB team had ever won an Inter-districts event.
Left to right: Back row R Gempton (pacific) M Chatfield, J Murphy and P Guthrie (all Westshore) Middle row B Wilson (OBK) D Munro (Westshore) M Wilson, B Clark, R Brown, J Payne (all OBK) T Miles (Westshore). Front row I Wilson (president), G Larsen (OBK) W Jones (pacific) J Coutts (OBK) W Donnelly (Westshore) C Frazerhurst (coach).
Points: 1st Hawkes Bay 64 points, 2nd Auckland 40 points and 3rd Taranaki 33 points.
Newspaper article regarding Hawkes Bay’s awesome win.
Jan Bone.
Jan Bone was the star of the 1977 team at nationals winning the ladies surf race and 2nd in the Belt race. Other results included John Coutts 2nd open tube rescue and 3rd open men’s surf race. 3rd ladies surf teams race J Bone, L Kite, L Wrightson and J Irons. Also 3rd I Scott junior belt race, junior surf teams race, junior canoe and 3rd surf race age group 24-30 M Wilson.
The clubs most famous rescue at Ocean Beach.
The photo shows Michael Larsen the patrol captain on the day of the rescue 1978 receiving on behalf of the club the OUTSTANDING RESCUE OF THE YEAR AWARD 1978 from governor general sir Keith Holyoake. Present at NZSLSA AGM August 1978 looking on are president NZSLSA George Perry (centre left) and president of Soma Textiles Mr Stan Amos.
It was a great day in 1973 when John Coutts decided to join OBK Surf Club. At the time the Wilson Family Brian, Michael and Vicki were the backbone of the clubs competitive success however they needed help to build strong teams to be competitive in team events at National level. The miracle happened when John Coutts turned up bringing with him lots of his mates from the Heretaunga swimming club in Hastings including Pat Benson, Russell and Stephen Brown, John Payne, Selwyn Pohio, Daryl Gledhill plus others. These were all either Hawkes Bay or national swimming champions. This influx of talent allowed the small OBK club to form not only individual champions but also champion teams like Surf teams race, Taplin relay and canoe crews. John Coutts wasn’t just amazing swimmer he had an outgoing, fun loving playful personality which bought out the best in his team mates and helped develop a unique culture in the club. Some of the dress up and “this is your life parties” he organised will be remembered fondly by his team mates male and female.
In 2012 John Coutts Olympic and commonwealth Games Swimmer, Champion Surf Life Saver and Cook Strait swimmer was inducted into Hawkes Bay Sports Hall of Fame.
Here’s Johns factbox as written by Shane Hurndell of Hawkes Bay Today Newspaper. In 1972 at the age of 16 became the youngest person to win Hawkes Bay Sports person of the year award. He broke more than 100 national long and short course swimming records and held national records in 100m and 200m fly and 200m individual medley. He was the first New Zealand swimmer to break the 60 second barrier for the 100m fly. He won ten national open titles. A bronze medallist in the 200m fly at the 1974 commonwealth Games in Christchurch. A New Zealand rep at the Montreal Olympics in 1976. A winner of 7 National surf lifesaving titles and a member of the Hawkes Bay inter-districts team which won the national title. Swam Cook Strait from North to South in 1977 in 9h 24m breaking the World record by 10 minutes. Swam Cook Strait from South to North in 1978 in 6h 45m smashing the record by 2h 29m. Became the first male to swim Cook Strait in both directions. Swam Lake Taupo three times, two of them in record time.
1977 Cook Strait swim
John Coutts and Pat Benson Cook Strait swimmers. Pat Benson played a big part in swimming with John in 1977 and getting him to the south Island when the tide had changed against them and things got tough.
John swam north to south 13 Feb 1977 South to North 18 Feb 1978. Pat swam north to South 24 Feb 1979.
The Amazing Surf Athlete Brian Wilson.
Throughout the sixties and seventies starting as a 14 year old Brian formed part of the backbone of the clubs competitive success. From 1965 till 1976 Brian won 8 Gold, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze medals at National Level.
Whether it was surf ski paddling, board paddling or swimming (he was a 400metre nz swimming pool champion) Brian was an outstanding athlete up there with the best in New Zealand.
After attending university and qualifying as a Pharmacist and travelling overseas Brian moved to Gisborne in 1980 and joined the Midway club. Brian specialised as a surf board paddler and won National titles in 1983, 84 and 87. He was selected for the New Zealand team in 1982, 85 and 87.
Brian also took up Kayak paddling and although he didn’t make the 1984 Olympic team he was selected as co-coach. This was the year Ian Ferguson and Paul Mac Donald dominated the racing. Brian was also sole coach for the 1985 World kayak champs. Brian also competed in Waka Ama canoeing winning many NZ titles in team events. He is still paddling his canoe as at 2023.
The Amazing Wilson Family.
Left to right Vicki, Brian, Michael, Anne, Ivan and Bernice.
Photo taken around 1992
