Roger Clements has few regrets after a surfing career which brought no shortage of trophies and prestige.
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But the Newcastle surfing legend wishes he had the chance to experience the world tour when it started in the mid-70s.
Clements retired this month from his job writing Beachwatch for the Newcastle Herald and has also left 2NURFM, where he worked as a copywriter and on air. The 66-year-old was diagnosed with bladder cancer late last year but has responded well to treatment and hopes to be back in the water soon.
When the world tour began in 1975, Clements was in his prime, having beaten two-time Australian champion Michael Peterson in the 1972 Mattara Surf Classic.
He was more than competitive against international surfers at the Bells Beach Classic from 1973 to ’77 and won the Mattara again in 1977, beating Bells winner Simon Anderson. But the fledgling world tour was a bridge too far, mainly due to finances.
“Peter Townend and Simon Anderson and all those guys wanted me to go with them, but because I only lived week-to-week as far as money went, I could never afford to lose my job and take the chance of going overseas,” Clements said.
“We had sponsors, but all we got was boards. They really struggled a lot of them. It wasn’t until the sponsorship dollars started rolling into it that they became more comfortable, but that wasn’t until about the ’78 mark, I guess.
“I do regret it, but I didn’t want to get stuck in a country with no money and no support. Bells was a taste of it. It wasn’t a fact of not being good enough; it was just not having the money.”
Clements grew up in Crescent Head, started surfing at 11 and moved to Merewether with his family four years later. He began writing weekly reports on the city’s competitive surfing scene for the Herald 42 years ago and also worked for 2NX and 2HD as a surf reporter and advertising copywriter.
The work allowed him to pursue his passion for competitive surfing on both short and long boards. He won national titles and was selected in Australian amateur teams for events in England and California in 1981 and 1983, the latter as captain.
He is a past president and life member of Merewether Surfboard Club and one of 10 names in its Hall of Fame, with the likes of Mark Richards, Peter Cornish and Luke Egan; a life member of Steel City Malibu Club, Surfing Newcastle and Surfing NSW; has won the Duke Kahanamoku Award for services to Australian surfing, and is in the Hunter Sporting Hall of Fame.
Clements has had chemotherapy to treat his cancer and hopes to return soon to the Dixon Park break.
“I’m still sore from the operation. I still take it day by day,” he said.
“The prognosis is good. It’s just a matter of time.”
