Judy Trim wrote this essay on her longtime boardmaker and friend Shane Stedman, shortly before she died in 2018. It appeared in The Shane Gang, Stedman's autobiography, published that same year. This version has been slightly edited.

—the new era had arrived. Shortboards, powerful bottom turns, re-entries, and radical cutbacks. The Everly Brothers, the Stomp with Little Pattie, all the staid dancing—gone. Enter Janis Joplin, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane—freedom. Everyone was smoking hash and drinking blackberry nip. Same thing in the water. No more hang fives or tandem surfing. In came Ted Spencer, Butch Cooney, Wayne Lynch, and yes, me too.

Dad bought me my first surfboard when I was eleven years old. Scott Dylan shaped it, and for its time it was perfect for me. I surfed whenever, and wherever I could. At age 14, I was encouraged to go into the 1968 State Titles, and I had to borrow a board because mine was smashed up.

I don’t remember how I first met Shane, but it was between the 1968 State Titles and the Australian Titles. Having met him, and in need of a new board for the contest, Shane offered me a sponsorship, which I quickly accepted. I had a beautiful new 6’8" board made. I don’t recall who shaped it, but it was fantastic, and I won the Australian Titles on it.

Not many women surfers were around at that time, and the few that surfed in Sydney were ridiculed. It was a "Be seen, not heard" kind of attitude from the guys. Shane didn’t go by this standard, however, as he was generous and totally supportive of my surfing. This I shall never forget.

I remember doing this little job at Shane’s factory making 

 which were two resin balls with about ten inches of string through each and tied to a grip ring on the other end. The idea was to hold the ring and move your hand up and down so that the balls bounced off each other, above and below your hand, All I got was bruised hands, and I didn’t do that job for very long. Stick to surfing.

And surf I did. Surfing was everything to me.

Often Shane would take me to where the waves were happening, driving that British green Jaguar he had. He usually drove barefoot. Shane at that time was right where he was meant to be—in amongst it, and often ahead of it. My peak surfing was between 1968 and 1978, always riding a Shane board. Shane Surfboards was putting ads in magazines that were completely different from everybody else's. He had his finger on the pulse. He had a great team, too. Butch Cooney was on there, and he shaped some boards for me in those years. They were so light and easy to ride. Jim Beardsley also shaped me a couple of boards, which were spot-on as we;;.

Jump forward forty-odd years. I hadn’t seen Shane much after 1978. Life got in the way. I last saw him at Dad’s funeral in 2005—I didn’t realize it was Shane until I saw his eyes and his smile and I knew who it was straight away. I was so touched by him paying respect to my father. He was still the same Shane, always the great smile and generosity of spirit.

JUDY TRIM TRIBUTE TO SHANE STEDMAN

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