Who's the Oldest Spearo in UK

[glowworm]

With 2 chaps in Dorset turning 40 this year (i'll give podge the dorset honour as it's his birthday) and after talking to UK Spearo i was wandering who is the oldest spearo in the UK?

I guess the french or italians will have spearo's around who are older than yoda but whoever the UK spearo is will be a real pioneer of the sport.

 

[Pastor]

I started spearing in 1974 but I am still 21 (again)

 

[Magpie]

DeeperBlue.net Forums - View Profile: derek foxen

Maybe?

 

[glowworm]

Magpie i think he could be a contender.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Brother Derek will be 71 this year. I'll be 171, no wait, should be I feel 171. Thank God it's half term.

Dave

 

[KWM]

There are a couple of guys that still fish regulary in there 80s who attend the BSA comps and I think that Pete Crawford is in his 70s. Pete still beats many who are half his age and younger. and I know from experience that he can run faster than me across a beech ( and for many miles if necessary.) I am 41

Regards Kev

 

[UK Spearo]

One of the Southsea crowd.... Neil Pearce's dad still dives I think, and I think he's in his 80's, might be who Kev is talking about...

 

[Mr. X]

Brother Derek will be 71 this year. I'll be 171, no wait, should be I feel 171. Thank God it's half term.

Dave

That's great. Spearfishing at 80 is amazing. I thought my neighbour, an 80 year old flyfisherman, was doing well. Mind you, at 71 Derek is "only" the same age as US presidential candidate John McCaine - so I don't know why he's retired (Britain could do with a new Prime Minister Derek, hint, hint). Part of my enthusiasm for spearing is driven by the thought that I could get too old/ill for it at any time - so make the most of it while the going is good, perhaps that is overly pessimistic, then again, not everybody reaches that age, let alone in good enough shape to dive.

 

[spaghetti]

Guys, many of you don't take competitions in high consideration, but don't forget to tribute the honor that is due to your great Pete Crawford! I said PETE CRAWFORD!
Maybe some of you don't realize that Pete is a spearfishing legend worldwide.
He qualified for the World Championship finals in 2006 at the age of 74 (!!!) like nobody, nobody else ever did in the world and in the history of this sport..
He was there in 1974 (34 years ago) wen the UK team won the European championship, defeating Italy, France and Spain.
Pete was a member of the UK team who became European champion, along with David Heaphy and another whose name I don't remember.
The final ranking for teams at those 1974 Euro champ was:
1) Uk
2) Italy
3) Spain
The final individual ranking:
1) Massimo Scarpati of Italy (we consider him the greatest of all times for his class, style and elegance)
2) Jose Amengual of Spain (3 times individual world champion, uncle and master of Pedro Carbonell)
3) Pete!
Kudos to Pete

 

[scottwilson]

Hats off to Pete then, a legend he most certainly is.

Spaghetti you mentioned Jose Amengual, I have a dvd of him and I must admit, the guy loves what he does, very cool headed guy who loves the sea and loves the sport.

 

[glowworm]

Spaghetti you are quite right but we do not have the same respect or view of spearo's in the UK as the rest of Europe.Any other sport football,rugby,cricket ect.ect.ect. he would be held in high regard.

At least we recognize his achievement's over the years.

1974 was a good yearroflrofl

 

[podge]

1974 was a good yearroflrofl

Wasn’t that the year that the rest of the UK allowed Dorset the vote, or was it when that lot finally found out that the electric light bulb wasn’t based on Voodoo Magic!!!roflrofl
Or could it have been something a little closer to home, I wonder what it could be….:friday

In all seriousness Hats of to the great Pete Crawford.:king

 

[scottwilson]

Weirdest thing ever..... I was down brixham yesterday diving for some scallops for my tea and bumped into Pete Crawford in the parking lot. Now this may sound corny as ever but, I was STOKED!!!! Very nice guy even gave me a few new dive spots that ive never thought of around the bay . Pete if you read these forums, THANKS!!!

 

[Mr. X]

Guys, many of you don't take competitions in high consideration, but don't forget to tribute the honor that is due to your great Pete Crawford! I said PETE CRAWFORD!
Maybe some of you don't realize that Pete is a spearfishing legend worldwide.
He qualified for the World Championship finals in 2006 at the age of 74 (!!!) like nobody, nobody else ever did in the world and in the history of this sport..
He was there in 1974 (34 years ago) wen the UK team won the European championship, defeating Italy, France and Spain.
Pete was a member of the UK team who became European champion, along with David Heaphy and another whose name I don't remember.
The final ranking for teams at those 1974 Euro champ was:
1) Uk
2) Italy
3) Spain
The final individual ranking:
1) Massimo Scarpati of Italy (we consider him the greatest of all times for his class, style and elegance)
2) Jose Amengual of Spain (3 times individual world champion, uncle and master of Pedro Carbonell)
3) Pete!
Kudos to Pete

The UK beat Italy ... and Spaghetti told us about it too. Kudos to Spaghetti for honesty & his obvious respect for Pete's accomplishments. But that's nothing you should see Pete's Granddad dive...
[Where was the 1974 competition held?]

 

[spaghetti]

The UK beat Italy ... and Spaghetti told us about it too. Kudos to Spaghetti for honesty & his obvious respect for Pete's accomplishments.
[Where was the 1974 competition held?]

Ireland. The 1974 Euro Champs won by UK team took place in Ireland. Sorry for delay in this reply but I hadn't seen your question in the first place.

The competition was all about hunting the typical british isles fish: bass, mullet, wrasse, flatties, makarels and pollocks. Of course the English are the masters in this type of hunting, and your team would probably win again if some of the next major international comps had to be held in british waters again.

An amazing aspect of the 1974 Euros was that Jersey isle took part with its own "national" team and, if I remember well, they gained a surprising 7th place (Jersey!!!) and Guernsey (Guernsey!) was 13th. All the Mediterranean and Latin American teams made a very poor performance. What saved the honor of Italy and Spain was the presence of two legendary champions like Amengual and Scarpati, pure class.

I promise I'll look for the old magazine where I took this report from for posting more detailed and more accurate staff on this competition.

 

[Mr. X]

...An amazing aspect of the 1974 Euros was that Jersey isle took part with its own "national" team and, if I remember well, they gained a surprising 7th place (Jersey!!!) and Guernsey (Guernsey!) was 13th. ...

I'm surprised there wasn't a Welsh, Scottish, English & N. Irish team instead of a UK team I would think most of the spearos in the UK are located near the the south coast of England(?). I don't know much about the Channel Islands but fishing seems to be in their blood (surprised they didn't place higher).

 

[neale crawford]

Guys, many of you don't take competitions in high consideration, but don't forget to tribute the honor that is due to your great Pete Crawford! I said PETE CRAWFORD!
Maybe some of you don't realize that Pete is a spearfishing legend worldwide.
He qualified for the World Championship finals in 2006 at the age of 74 (!!!) like nobody, nobody else ever did in the world and in the history of this sport..
He was there in 1974 (34 years ago) wen the UK team won the European championship, defeating Italy, France and Spain.
Pete was a member of the UK team who became European champion, along with David Heaphy and another whose name I don't remember.
The final ranking for teams at those 1974 Euro champ was:
1) Uk
2) Italy
3) Spain
The final individual ranking:
1) Massimo Scarpati of Italy (we consider him the greatest of all times for his class, style and elegance)
2) Jose Amengual of Spain (3 times individual world champion, uncle and master of Pedro Carbonell)
3) Pete!
Kudos to Pete

hi spagetti i,m peter crawfords son neale dad still spearfishing now at the age 76 .great comments there about dad do you have any other info about him in the early years . i spearfish to we dive all the time we just came back from mexico spearfishing great trip if you go on facebook search for me neale crawford theres photos of me and dad on there .do you still spearfish

 

[arrowloopboy]

The UK beat Italy ... and Spaghetti told us about it too. Kudos to Spaghetti for honesty & his obvious respect for Pete's accomplishments. But that's nothing you should see Pete's Granddad dive...
[Where was the 1974 competition held?]

Kilkee ,County Clare,9-15 of September 1974,very good pollock Hunting down that way.

 

[Yeti]

Great thread!.

 

[Scoobaru]

I'm sure that competition is detailed in a book I've read. Ill have a look and see if I can come up with title and author.