So much cool shit in this article! I'm going step back take it all in and think for a couple of days and comment again.

Ok so interesting reading this as I am not from Torquay I am from melbourne
! But I started surfing Winkipop at around 12 years old and sometimes at a rather large size even though my surfing wasn't that good at the time and fitness wise sometimes i probably should have drowned.
I wasn't allowed to surf it but would convince mates parents or my cousin to take me there I soon grew to recognize that it was proper big after about 10 surfs out there at around 6-10ft brown and ugly uppers all sweep and riptorn and that off west wind in it and the only faces were guys like Glen Cassy and Browny and Shaun and crew out. I didnt even think about how big it was or Dangerous until I was about 14 I just didn't know? I Blame the North Shore movie for that..
But my love affair with winki started young and soon become obsessed with it and being from Melbourne I was not in a pecking order so i had to work out my own little secrets of the wave to snag a few in between getting a set if i was lucky every surf.
Uppers was my joy i had a little secret spot some were there where a I get these little small to medium ones that grew and raced of down the line.
A little further out there somewhere guys like Rod brooks and the older crew would take the sets! I watched and learned and got to know Exactly who and what waves were the best without ever taking a spot in the lineup not being a local.
And yes I agree with inexperienced surfers being the biggest hazard in surfing today to say people have blinkers on is a understatement and I who has also been a teacher of surfing feel we are a little responsible in the near death experience of 2week old beginner become surfing pro hurtling down towards us on there 10ft yellow mal while we stand there in knee deep water with no where to go! there is nothing more terrifying in surfing.
The need to teach beginners about looking 360deg around them in the water and also not to take of if any one is anywhere in front of you if you cant surf is a must. Also I think the days of beginners and mals need to come to a end! With board volume and size these days a beginner can just as if not easier learn on a much shorter board. safety wise the most dangerous person in the water is a inexperienced surfer on a mal.
1 the board is 10-14long 2 the leg rope is the same. so when some one falls or cant paddle over a 2ft wave we have as behind paddlers with current drift about 30ft of big arse surfboard travel time coming at us.
They are war harder to control have to be abandoned at a wave 1ft and above and also if dropped in on can still hit you up 5seconds after falling on the wave they were riding with you.
Torquay point is one classic example of this danger! I haven't surfed proper winki in over 15years I have had one surf back there on a 1ft day I'm looking forward to it will never forget the first wave out there in was 3ft emerald green wall crystal clear water with the beady reef running underneath WOW i was 12.

I Think I know that photo your talking (20years old easy) about as well? it's 8-10ft easy a photo looking down at Winki with that one bomb just starting to unload at uppers maybe a guy about to get badly caught inside! overcast steely and a little sandy! my fav days too and so nice to block out that early sun in the eyes down the line blues! and I think they should run more of those pics just break up that blue a bit.
A long time ago there was a 3-4 page thing in a mag and it was about how WinkiPop got it's name! Some amazing Angles and photos i just think the best pics at winki is a surfer just taking off,topturn,or trim line in the barrel so you can just mind surf and all that wall ahead. But apparently winkipop got it's name by a girl saying I want a Winkipop which in her language was she wanted a SHAG. That Mag is easy 30years old???