Napier Travel Forum

I`m from Germany and I was surching for my old friend Bede Parker. I met Bede 28 years ago while traveling in Asia and lost kontakt. Now I wantet to know what he is doing.

All I found is something about the Bede Parker Memotial Longboard Contest.

Could someone tell me who is the guy this Memotial Longboard Contest is for - and what happened to him?

Is it possible that the Name of this Contest has something to do with the guy I`m looking for? I think his Birthday is on the 4th of July and he should be 51 years by now. He is grown up in Napier and surfing is his life. He was living in Perth in Australia, when I met him.

Please, if anyone knows something about him I would be happy about any Information! As soon as possible! I realy want to know if it ist possible to meet him again.

Or if You have an idea where I could get some Information?
Thank you very much - greetings from Germany

I was one year old then. I had no idea you were frolicking around with Bede Parker in Asia at the time. I didn't even know Asia existed then. It's a real suprise to learn you were having fun with him while I was sucking on a pacifier.

Sorry, just fooling around. I don't know him. But the word "memorial" in the longboard contest kind of suggests the dude isn't around anymore, if it is him. Hope it's not the same guy. You might want to find some specific websites to find lost friends that cover Austrailia for this purpose.

Good luck!

The Bede Parker Memorial Longboard Classic is an annual surfing competition held out at Waimarama - a beach near Napier where Bede spent alot of time surfing, growing up etc.
He was a builder but also worked on fishing boats occassionally. At the end of November 1987, Bede ( he was 32 ) and two others went missing on a fishing boat while working between Napier and Wellington. No trace of them, or their boat was ever found.