QUEENSLAND'S oldest surfboard riding club, the Kirra Surfriders (KSC), will be celebrating its 50th anniversary with a huge reunion party on top of Kirra Hill at the Cultural Centre (formerly Coolangatta State School) on Saturday, January 28, from 2.30pm until 8pm.

The first club president, Tony Butler was only 15 when elected.

"We were only kids and surfing perfect waves at Kirra with a handful out," said Butler, who admitted his memory was a little hazy from those early embryonic days.

"The idea was to form a club to give our members competitive experience and have a good time - some of which shouldn't be mentioned."

Butler remembers when the club had its first competition with the Maroubra Boardriders, with a young Gordon Merchant (Billabong founder), who was Maroubra member.

"Both our clubs met down at Byron Bay, where we slept overnight at the Pass," Butler said.

He credits the early committee of Mal and Barry Sutherland, Curly Pinnegar, Brian Woodrick, the late Bill Stafford senior and John Charlton senior for guiding the club.

Their first meeting was held in the ladies downstairs showers, because they were bigger than the men's.

Butler's father was managing the Kirra Hotel and Butler's bedroom above the public bar had a full view of the beach.

Meetings became mobile from the Kirra Surf Club to the Kirra Hotel down to the Patch (Queensland Hotel) at Greenmount until the mid 90s, when the Kirra Surf Lifesaving Club gave the KSC its own clubhouse, where it sits today under the restaurant.

This early legacy has allowed the Kirra Surfriders Club to develop into one of the great Australian boardriding clubs.

Its roll call of surfers is legendary and boast such high-profile names such as:

Joe Larkin, John Standing, Keith Paul, Allan Balmer, Graham Black, Furry Austin, Hacka Allen, Les Aberdeen, PT, Rabbit Bartholomew, Michael Peterson, Tommy Peterson, Kerry Gill, Ray Manicarus, Jason Buttenshaw, Reg Riley, Kevin Charman, Tony Ray, Sam Watts, Scat Pitchers, Danny Tukino, Jason Frost, Jason Spence, Ismael Trotter, Jamie Kasdaglis, Luke Costello, Stuart Darcy, Aaron Pinnegar, Neil Purchase Jnr , Robbie Cohen, Damon Harvey, Darren Handley , Dru Adler, John "Bearsey" Cummings, Dean Lock, Mick Rabbidge, Joel Pitchers, Brad Lancaster, Adam Fletcher, Joel Green, Ed, Sean and Mick Fanning, Corey Ziems, Asher Pacey, Clancy Dawson, Jason Stevens, Nathan Bartlett, Matt Lee, Dale Richards, Jack Freestone, Justin Holland, Sam Clift plus the girls who include John Charlton's daughters Carol, Robyn and Denise, Sally Paxton, Serena Townend, Colleen Deane, Donna Cash, their first women's President Debbie Long, Trudy Todd, Rochelle Scammell and Brittani Nichol.

Some have passed away, some have left and joined other clubs but the spirit of KSC remains as solid as ever.

Rochelle Scammell, whose dad Graeme was president and mum Lynn helped to apply successfully for a grant to set up the first clubhouse, was quoted in the book Beyond the Green Room, published in 2001, as saying: "Kirra isn't just a surfriding club but an organisation that works on team effort and family spirit. Without this, KSC wouldn't be where it is today." That sums up the KSC perfectly.

The annual Kirra Teams event, sponsored by Volcom, with as many as 40 clubs, will be another huge event in February and following on the KSC will be vying for the Jim Beam National Surf Tag teams at North Wall Ballina.

For tickets to KSC 50th check out the Facebook page with info to go online to pay or you can purchase the $10 tickets from the Kirra Surf Life Saving club. Happy 50th KSC.