Lance Knight
| Captain Lance Knight | |
|---|---|
| File:Lance at Lances rights.jpgLance at Lances rights.jpg Lance, at Katiet with locals, 1991. | |
| Born | August 31, 1952 Manchester, United Kingdom |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Australian |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | Former Captain of MV Island Trader |
Early Life
Lance was born in 1952 in Manchester, United Kingdom, his father, William, was an engineer in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and his mother, Elizabeth, was an Australian Red Cross Nurse. Lance’s parents met when William’s ship was at Garden Island, Sydney being repaired after sustaining damage in combat.
In 1953, the family moved to Sydney, Australia. By the mid 1960s Lance would start an apprenticeship as a marine fitter at Garden Island where his father had been docked during the war. He would begin surfing on the Northern Beaches as part of the booming surf scene.
In 1970, he went to Papua New Guinea with his uncle, mentor and namesake, Lance Ellis, a captain and veteran, beginning a 20 year search for an island with a perfect right and left hand break.[1]
Lord Howe Island and the search for Lance’s
In 1981, Lance Ellis died and passed his belongings down to his nephew, including old Dutch charts of the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia. By 1983 Lance was skippering the supply vessel to Lord Howe Island and during this time, met legendary surf explorer Peter Troy. In 1990, due to disagreements with the owners, he rallied the islanders together to buy and operate their own shipping business. He set off looking for an appropriate ship, bringing along his late uncle’s charts.
In March 1991, Lance arrived in Indonesia via Singapore and eventually made his way out to the island of Sipore (Sipora) in the Mentawai Island chain off of Sumatra. After being found surfing alone in the village of Katiet by the crew of the MV Indies Trader, its captain, Martin Daly named the waves after Lance.
The story has become an integral part of surfing history in Indonesia and is regarded as one of the greatest surf discoveries of all time.[2]
The Island Trader
When Lance returned to Australia without finding a ship, his late uncle’s widow called him from New Guinea and told him of a ship for sale called the Burtide, which had been built by Burns Philp and co among four or five sister ships. Lance was unable to afford the vessel and took a job surveying the Fly River. Eventually one of his crew mentioned a sister ship to the Burtide was for sale.
They won it at auction, refitted it and brought it to Lord Howe Island in March 1992, one year after discovering Lance’s Right and Left.
References
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