Hundreds farewell surf legend

Ian “Sam” Salmond got the send-off of a lifetime when hundreds of people from all over the country descended on Champion Beach yesterday for a paddle-out to honour the late surfing champion.

Sam tragically lost his battle with cancer last Monday and his mates have come together to organise the massive event and farewell their friend in style.

“This is exactly the way he would have wanted it,” said Leon Norris, Sam’s mate and Geraldton Board Riders president.

“We’ve got people flying in from all over the place to honour his life and it’s such a beautiful venue for it.

“He was the funniest guy I know and every time we got together he’d have us in stitches, he was just such a great person to have around.”

Champion Beach is a fitting spot to remember a man who dedicated his life to championing the positive influence surfing can have on young people.

He was an icon of the local, state and national surfing community but will be most fondly remembered for his work with junior development surfing programs in Geraldton.

Indigenous surfer Mark Dann said he was thankful for the support Sam had given to him over the years.

“He really took me and my brother Kenny under his wing and he was always there when we needed to talk to someone,” he said.

“Sam was one of a kind because he was brilliant with all of us and he would do anything for the community.”

Sam grew up in Geraldton riding the many breaks the coastline had to offer, before opening the Corner Surf Shop in 1976.

The shop remains a beacon for the surfing community to this day.

Sam had been involved in the GBR since its inception nearly 40 years ago and his work with young surfers helped earn the club a “Number One Board Riders Club” award in 2000 from Surfing Australia.

Sam also lent his talents to judging, starting at a local level before going on to be crowned the top Australian judge at the Australian titles in 2007.

He worked hard to establish Western Australia’s first Junior Development Club in Geraldton, helping many young surfers, and was a qualified surf coach.

The accolades never stopped flowing for Sam whether he was in or out of the water.

GBR president Leon Norris said he was unstoppable on the board even in his latter years.

“We had a spot to fill for the Masters division when the Australian National Surfing titles were held here in 1995 and I convinced Sam to jump in even though he really didn’t want to,” he said.

“Of course he went on to win the national title that year for the over-40s category.”

“He had very high values and was a great decision maker, which was what made him such a good surfing judge.

“He wouldn’t take crap from anybody but he would go out of his way to support anyone who was in need. There was no end to his generosity.”

Ian “Sam” Salmond is survived by his wife Suzi and daughters Coco and Jerri.

His funeral will be held at the Geraldton Surf Life Saving Club today at 3.30pm.