*Everyone knows Kenny Little, and now the veteran surfer is sharing his decades of experience with Port News readers. You can find Kenny's first report here. But first, Paul Jobber explains why Kenny's addicted to a good wave.
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It's the simple answer to a question that sums up how Kenny Little has been able to close in on 60-straight years with a surfboard tucked under his arm.
He learned to love the ocean after moving to Port Macquarie from the New England region as a fresh-faced 10-year-old.
Twelve months later he became a regular fixture at Flynns Beach as part of Port Macquarie nippers.
His reason for getting out and amongst the waves is quite straightforward.
"When you live by the ocean, you should use the ocean... it's as simple as that," he said.
Back during his starting days, there were no wetsuits or leg ropes, so you had to learn how to improvise pretty quickly.
You either didn't surf if the water was cold or you threw on a footy jumper - or a woollen-knitted jumper in Kenny's case - to warm up as you paddled out.
He has seen the surf world change in the last half a century.
The 400-metre swim from Flagstaff Hill to Port Macquarie breakwall became a regular part of many early-morning paddles to retrieve his board as a young kid.
"I surfed before there were leg ropes," Kenny said.
"If you lost your board at Flagstaff, it was a long swim to breakwall. But often if I lost my board I'd bodysurf 300 metres and then swim the rest of the 100 metres to get my board [because] that's what you did in those days."
The main reason why Kenny has continued to surf as he has gotten older is also a simple one - surfing becomes addictive.
You're always searching for that next wave and it doesn't matter how long it takes to catch it.
"I'm just waiting for the next good wave because when you catch a really good wave, you might go up to 10 weeks before you catch another one," he said.
"But you know eventually you'll get another wave so it keeps pushing you on all the time. It's addictive."
In the 58 years since Kenny first tucked a board under his arm, he believes there is no other beach in Australia like the stretch of coastline that incorporates Town Beach.
"There's no beach in Australia like Town Beach in my opinion," he said.
"I've seen Flagstaff breaking with about 10 surfers on it, I've seen Chicken's Break on it with about 10 surfers on it and I've seen Breakwall breaking with about 15 or 20 surfers on it all at the same time.
"I don't think there's any other beach in Australia you can do that on."
And the age-old question - when will Kenny catch his final wave?
"I want to make another two years. I am a bit slower getting up now so I like foam starts. If you ask anyone they'll tell you I'm the foam start monster," he said.
"I'll come out of the foam and there'll be someone there and they can't see me for my white hair."
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