Colin Bright: Sun, Surf and Sex

Abstract

I have been swimming and surfing my whole life, from early youth through to the present time. My early adult years were spent mostly at Bondi Beach, and I have lived at Dee Why Beach for the past 25 years, where I still swim and surf. I love summer and the hot weather it brings - even heatwaves. If it were in my power I would live a life of Endless Summers. The beach aesthetic is one of freedom of spirit, pure-hearted fun, and a connectedness with nature's beauty and power. Nevertheless, the beach represents our final acquiescence of a sunoriented lifestyle - one that is appropriate to this climate. The beach can be a refuge from the outside world, but the beach has its own historico-cultural story to tell. In fact, beach history can be seen as a microcosm of the cultural development of society at large. There are 'freedoms' taken for granted on the beach now that have been fought for over many years.