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Franklin Hamilton (Frank) Latta (1947–2010)

by Malcolm Brown

Frank Latta was never destined to be a scholar, not when he lived at Cronulla, the surf was up and all his mates were taking to the waves on boards. As a 15-year-old, he wanted to join them and bought a balsa wood board from Coles Marine in Cronulla, undertaking to pay it back at 2/6 a week.

Latta bleached his hair and became hooked on the sport. When he forgot his 2/6 repayments and Mr Cole repossessed the board, he borrowed a mate's board and took the day off school. He had a misfortune in the surf, knocked out his front teeth and got a school caning for wagging it. His resolution to that problem was to virtually abandon school. In the decades that followed, Latta became a top competitive surfer, a skilled and prolific surfboard shaper and designer and a character of the Australian surfing scene.

Franklin Hamilton Latta was born in Sydney on January 15, 1947, son of Richard Latta, who started the Kurnell-Cronulla bus service, and Winifred (nee Anderson). He grew up in Cronulla and developed a great affinity for birds and animals, in particular racing pigeons. ''He was tall and athletic and certainly wasn't scared of anyone or anything and was always the first to have a go or dare someone which sometimes had bad consequences,'' said his boyhood friend David Wilson.

When Latta discovered surfing, he established his own style. ''From 1963 on he entered many surf contests with great success,'' Wilson said. ''After Cronulla Boardriders waned, a new exciting club emerged, St George Surfing Association, and boasted the cream of surfing talent south of the bridge. Frank was the champion year after year.'' At 19, Latta married a local girl, Diane Ledbeater, and soon became a father. At about this time, he was introduced to surf design and shaping, working for Jackson Surfboards, Cronulla. Brian Jackson, who employed him, said: ''As a shaper he worked for me, as a surfer he excelled and as a mate, he never ceased to amaze me.''

In 1968, Latta moved north, working for various employers making surfboards. He and his growing family lived in various places, including Noosa, Brisbane and Byron Bay. Latta, known for his fierce competitiveness, won numerous surfing contests or was well placed. He took up snooker, playing for a time with the great Eddie Charlton.

For a time, Latta was part-owner of a pool hall in Brisbane, and became snooker champion of the far north coast of NSW. But it was surfing that came first, and not just for himself. When he saw people in trouble in the surf, he rescued them. Once he came close to becoming a casualty himself, when his surfboard slammed into a sand bar and he struck his head heavily.

His marriage to Diane ended in divorce. In 1985, Latta and his family moved to Brookvale, where he went back to his trade. In 1986 he married a nurse, Michele Jolly, in the Warriewood Surf Club. In 1988, he and Michele went to California, where for three months Latta competed in surfing events. In 1991, the family moved to Bulli where Latta again made surfboards, this time for John Skipp at Skipp Surfboards.

He made a brief return trip to the US in 1990 to compete in long boards events.

Latta's surfboards had now become quite famous. His friend Bill Morris said Latta was the ''ultimate perfectionist''. Another friend, Garry Birdsall, said: ''Many surfers wouldn't surf anything less than a Frank Latta board.'' But time moved on and after several years with Skipp Surfboards, plagued by osteoarthritis in his hip, Latta felt he had to move on. His employer, John Skipp, said it was so sad to see him give away ''the work he loved''. Latta moved to Macksville, on the mid north coast, where he bought a blueberry farm and resumed his interest in racing pigeons.

Latta was very fit, with barely a day's illness in his life. But on Wednesday, August 4, he went surfing and suffered an apparent heart attack, drowning when he fell into the water. Frank Latta is survived by Michele, his daughters Lanelle, Lisa and Selina and 10 grandchildren.

Original publication

Citation details

Malcolm Brown, 'Latta, Franklin Hamilton (Frank) (1947–2010)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/latta-franklin-hamilton-frank-16854/text28750, accessed 19 March 2024.

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