Early Surfing Years

Townend was born in Coolangatta, Queensland

Coolangatta, Queensland

Coolangatta is the southernmost suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It has a population of 4,869 and is named after the schooner Coolangatta which was wrecked there in 1846....

 (Australia), was considered to be one of the best surfers in the world throughout the 70's and 80's. Some however might argue that the competition was a lot less competitive and the surf tours were loosely planned, none-the-less his title remains. Townend had a rather extensive resume apart from surfing including movie stuntman, contest organizer, writer, publisher, marketer, and coach to future superstars..
Townend began surfing in 1967 and attended his first competition in 1969. By this time he was aleady shaping boards as well as doing promotional work for Gordon and Smith Australia and working as a UPI journalist for the Sydney Daily Mirror. Townend was building a life in the surfing industry and simultaneously funding his travels. Townend was very competitive, as evidenced by his repeated contest performances at the Australian National Titles. He took 2nd in the juniors division in 1971 and then 2nd in the men’s division in 1972, 73, 74, and 76. He later made history when at 23 years old; Peter Townend became the 1976 IPS

IPS

- Medicine and biology :* Induced pluripotent stem cell* Intermittent photic stimulation, a neuroimaging technique* Intraparietal sulcus, a region of the brain* Ips , a genus of bark beetle- Media and entertainment :...

 World Surfing Champion. Shortly after Townend co-founded the Bronzed Aussies in an attempt to not only legitimize surfing, but build a global franchise and attract big bank sponsors to the sport. But surfers didn’t buy the clean living lifestyle and the movement eventually fell through. "Another post IPS championship career move saw Townend spending a good portion of 1977 riding waves as William Kat’s stunt double for the surf film 'Big Wednesday

Big Wednesday

Big Wednesday is an American coming of age film directed by John Milius. Milius co-wrote Big Wednesday with Denny Aaberg, and it is loosely based on their own experiences at Malibu and a short story Aaberg had published in a 1974 Surfer Magazine entitled "No Pants Mance." The picture stars...

'". By 1978, Townend was again focused on competition with back-to-back IPS 5th place finishes in 1978 and 1979.. He finally took a much deserved first place victory at the Hang Ten

Hang Ten

Hanging Ten is a surfing maneuver and is considered one of the most impressive and iconic stunts one can perform with a surfboard. Hanging ten is when the surfer positions the surfboard in such a way that the back of it is covered by the wave and the wave rider is free to walk to the front of the...

 contest in Durban, South Africa in 1979.

Other Jobs

In the same year, he moved to Huntington Beach, California

Huntington Beach, California

Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...

 to serve as America's National Team coach and executive director. During his tenure, he coached many future world tour contenders including three-time world champion Tom Curren

Tom Curren

Tom Curren Tom Curren Tom Curren (born July 3, 1964, in Santa Barbara, California is an American surfer. He was born to father Pat (big-wave legend and shaper) and mother Jeanine. His brother Joe is also a professional surfer and popular photographer and he also has a sister, Anna....

. He also coached the Americans to a win at the World Amateur Championships. By 1984, Townend began working for Surfing Magazine

Surfing Magazine

Founded in December 1964, Surfing Magazine is a magazine originally published by Primedia and later by Source Interlink Companies, Inc. As of 2008, the corporate offices are in Norcross, Georgia. Editorial, production, and ad sales function remain in San Clemente, California, close to the same...

, eventually moving up to associate publisher and advertising director. This led to a position as marketing director for Rusty surf wear in 1999. He also got a job as the voice for Prime Ticket and ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

 as a color commentator for the Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour and the Bud Pro Surfing Tour. Townend was president of the Surf Industry Manufactures Association (SIMA) for two years and helped found Surfing America, "an organization that oversees ASP North America and the Fosters Pro Surfing Tour and helps focus amateur surfers towards professional competition". "In 1998, Townend was inducted into Huntington Beach Walk of Fame, the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame in 2001, as well as the International Surfing Hall of Fame." As of 2010, Townend serves on the Board of Directors for USA Skateboarding with the goal to get skateboarding into the Olympics and is founder and owner of ActivEmpire, a company which specializes in action sports brand and media consultancy, coaching, athlete management and promotions.