Layne and hubby Kirk Pengilly of INXS. Photo: Joli

I’ll be honest, I was never much of an LB fan myself. I’m not sure if it was the sourpuss ‘I don’t get the love I deserve’ vibe, the fact that she looked a bit like MR, or just the whole slightly queasy Kenny B thing, whatever.

As a young, mysogynistic skeptic, it was much easier to love lovely Lisa. But as a competitive surfer, nobody’s silly taste nuances can deny her. 7 ASP World Titles in the 90’s and naughties, 6 consecutive, speak for themselves. And while her competitive career was brought to an end through a neck injury, performances in heavy surf like the ours keg in 2009 remind us of just how good an all round surfer Beachley was.

– GD