GirlStandingBesideSurfBoat1986 Ed. 2 of 10

This 1986 fine art photograph captures a moment poised between stillness and action, as a model stands beside a traditional wooden surf boat moments before it is pushed into the surf by a crew of surf lifesavers. The oars are set, the men gathered just outside the boat, ready to launch.
Surf boats were once the primary method of ocean rescue in the early twentieth century — heavy, hand-built vessels designed to cut through rough water on the way out and ride waves back to shore. Controlled by a standing sweep using a long rear oar as a tiller, the boats demanded exceptional skill to prevent capsizing as they surfed the waves home.
While no longer used for rescue, surf boats remain central to the competitive and ceremonial life of surf lifesaving. The image reflects this enduring tradition and its place within Australian beach culture, where history, athleticism, and community converge. It speaks to a way of life shaped by the ocean — one that continues to define summer along Australia’s coastline.

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Tony Potts is an internationally recognised Sydney-based photographer whose career spans more than four decades. Working primarily in black and white, his photography explores fashion, the human form and Australian beach culture, particularly through his long-running series on Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
Potts has exhibited internationally and his work is held in private collections across Australia, Europe and the United States. Alongside his fine art practice, he enjoyed a successful international career in fashion and advertising photography.
He continues to release selected works from his extensive photographic archive as limited edition fine art prints.