SURF World at Currumbin is in for a treat and you can be part of it.

On October 6, Surf World will host a slide night by icon of the surfing world, John Witzig.

"John Witzig has a 'career' studded by controversy," a spokesman for Surf World said.

"He has been a surfer, photographer, writer, editor and publisher.

"The former editor of Surfing World and Surf International in the 1960's, founding partner of Tracks magazine in 1970 and Sea Notes in 1977. John has done it all.

"In 1967 he wrote a controversial article for the American Surfer magazine titled 'We're Tops' which claimed Australian surfers were better than American surfers."

The article was later described as "splendidly inflammatory".

He will show a selection of his photos from the 60s and 70s, with commentary on that evolutionary era in surfing when board design was changing rapidly and surfers were exploring the virgin breaks that have now become mainstream destinations.

"John will be ably backed up by expat American, and world-renowned surf forecaster, Mike Perry," the spokesman said.

"Though well known by the surfing hierarchy, Mike and his contributions to surfing have generally remained under the radar.

"Thanks to Paul Witzig, John's brother, the night will end with the showing of three short film clips from his groundbreaking movies, Hot Generation, Evolution and Sea of Joy.

"John Witzig got lucky when some of his friends got famous.

"He was hanging around surfing in Australia with the right people at the right time.

"He misspent his youth involved with surfing magazines - writing, taking photographs, editing and designing - until it dawned on him that he'd better get a real job and he moved into mainstream publishing.

"He's continued to misspend his adulthood in that field. Publishing remains a passion as do exotic places (just about anywhere out of Australia) and he travels as much as he can (which isn't much these days)."

The evening begins at 6pm at Surf World, Tomewin Road, Currumbin (opposite Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary). Call 07 5525 6380 for more information.