Barry and Noela Coulter, Longtime Locals and Alex Mal Club Life Members

Barry Coulter (alias Barry Bluff or Croc)

Born in Brisbane in 1944 and came to Alexandra Headland in 1946 which has been home for 62 years.

Started surfing seriously in 1962 and it became a way of life. Met Noela through surfing and married in 1967. We consequently had three sons Damian, Drew and Luke. As they grew up they also got into surfing and it became a way of life for us all.

I joined the Alex Malibu Club in 1984 and became President in 1986. I’ve been contest director and also gear steward for a number of years. I have the opinion “what you put in is what you get back”.

I have had a large number of achievements in my competitive surfing [I did not start to compete in comps. until the age of 41] including surfing in 5 Australian Titles. First place in 1985 and 1986, second place in 1987, 1991 and 1993. I ride single fin 9ft 6in old style surfboards and at the age of 64 I still enjoy my surfing as much as ever as well as the comradeship.

Noela Coulter

Born in Brisbane and moved to Buderim at age 11yrs. Lived on a banana farm in an old farm house and had two horses and one of them carried me to school every day for a while.

I remember seeing a Comp T shirt once and it said “Where were you in 62? Well at the age of 14 I saw the first Gidget Movie and fell in love with the idea of surfing. That was in 1962 and the beginning of a lifestyle I could only dream of . The horses got sold and my father scraped and saved to help me buy my first surfboard.

I eventually got a Gordon and Woods 10ft 6in surfboard and had to leave it in the shed at the Alex Surf Club and for a few years and my dear father would drive down the hill from Buderim {until I got my drivers licence} and leave me on the beach at the corner or at the spit and off I would go surfing all day. I continued surfing as much as possible and met Barry when I was 16yrs old. He was 20. We married in 1967 and I gave up surfing in 1969 when I was pregnant with Damian.

I didn’t get back to surfing for about 15yrs and by that time we had Drew and Luke as well to keep me busy. I did try to surf a short board once but I just floundered about and my confidence took a battering. I took up surfing again seriously when the boys were 15, 13 and 9 years old.

I was 36 and was tired of watching them all enjoying themselves in the water so I bought an 8ft surfboard off a friend and that was the beginning of a whole new world. We joined the Alex Mal Club in 1984 and we surfed in many comps through the years. Made a lot of new friends as well.

My best results in a comp was 3rd in the Australian Titles in 1986 and 3 rd at the Malfunction at Snapper Rocks in 1996. I came up against a tough lot of competitors in both those comps and much younger competitors as well. The first Grandmother to be in a final at the Malfunction! I’ve always hated competing and have left that side of things for all the males in the family.

I finally gave up competing in club comps at the age of 50. No regrets. I have 5 surfboards at the moment and my favourite is a 9ft 2in Takayama nose rider. I went surfing in Hawaii last April just before my 60 th birthday and have had many surfing trips to Bali with the family.

My biggest thrill is watching my Sons and my Grandchildren surfing Longboards, Shortboards and now Stand-up Surfing. I plan to keep surfing as long as I can and will endeavour not to embarrass my boys in doing so. They are my biggest supporters and I love them for that.