Mick Hall: Manly life saver champion and surfboard shaper dies at 87
A role model for young surfers and lifesavers and one of the most respected and colourful identities on the northern beaches for decades has died, on the Mid-North Coast.
Manly
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Flags are flying at half mast for one of the most respected and loved former members of the surfing and life saving scene on the northern beaches.
Mick Hall, from Manly, was a mentor and role model who helped shape the ocean skills of dozens of young people.
He died recently on the Mid-North Coast of NSW, where he had spent his retirement years. He was 87.
Hall was a carpenter by trade, but his real passion was the ocean.
As well as being Australian surf life saving champion in the mid 1950s as part of Manly Life Saving Club’s successful Rescue and Resuscitation (R & R) team, he became a renowned surfer on the northern beaches.
Hall graduated from making his own plywood boards to go on to work with some of the most influential board designers in Australia including Gordon Woods in his Brookvale factory.
One of his old Manly mates from the life saving club, Neil Beachley, told the Manly Daily remembered Hall as a colourful character, who was never afraid to get his shirt off anywhere name the beach.
“Mick was very fit.”
But Mr Beachley said Hall was a dedicated volunteer lifesaver as well.
They, along with another of other Australian life savers travelling to the United Kingdom and Europe in 1959 in a squad set up to train local life savers.
Mr Beachley remembered training novice life savers in Australian life saving methods on the beaches of Cornwall and the Channel Islands.
The pair also competed in life saving competitions in France and Germany during the trip.
“Mick found the English winters too cold to get his shirt off on the beach so he packed is bags and came home,” Mr Beachley said.
Hall left Manly in 1977 and settled near Forster, where he continued to surf. he swam every day well into his 80s.
On the Facebook site Manly Malibu Maniacs, Henry Jones, posted an article where he described Hall as his role model and his “alpha male”.
“He was fit, buff, handsome, and always had a beautiful girl right by his side.
Not only that … he could surf.”
Manly LSC spokesman Tony Bonner said flags are flying at half mast above the clubhouse to honour Hall’s memory. The club has also posted a notice on the club’ front window to let people know of his death.
A memorial service will be held for Hall at Forster on Thursday. His family have requested that those attending wear Hawaiian Shirts and other “beachy” apparel.
His daughter, Juanita Read posted a tribute to her father Facebook.
“He was truly blessed and found his soul in the ocean,” Ms read wrote.
“In his long and healthy life you would see him every couple days still surfing or paddling his board until quite recently. He was an amazing larger than life dad and a kind gentle soul and a loving poppy to his four grandchildren. Salty hair, sandy feet, perfect surf … RIP our hero Mr Mick.”