Shane Stedman might not have won a world surfing pro trophy, but he has earned his stripes as one of Australia’s surf industry legends.

Just weeks away from his 80th birthday, the surfer, surf report broadcaster, commentator, surfboard manufacturer and designer, is preparing to sell the Mona Vale beach house he has owned since 1974.

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He is planning a big move to the north coast with his children Bonnie and Luke and their respective families.

They plan to build three homes on a big land holding at Lennox Head. It’s a big dream for Stedman, who has emphysema from years spent sanding surfboards without a mask.

He is contemplating surgery in the coming months to improve his lung function but sees a move to the country as a big bonus for his health.

His beloved home, at 61 Hillcrest Ave, was listed this week with James Baker, of McGrath Pittwater. It is scheduled to go to auction on May 1, with a price guide of $4.5 million.

Surfing isn’t the only thing Stedman is famous for. He invented the iconic Ugg boot, which earned its name from a shortened form of the word ugly.

In 1995 he sold the trademark to US company Deckers, a decision he doesn’t regret.

“When I sold the trademark I did a deal with them and said I want three free pairs of Uggs every year (for himself and his two children),” he said.

“I’m still getting them 25 years later.”

A lot has changed at his Mona Vale home, which was originally built in the 1890s, but he still remembers seeing it for the first time almost 50 years ago.

“Mate, it was a mess,” he said. “It was run down, beaten up, covered in graffiti and some of the fibro was actually falling off. And it was full of squatters.”

He was captivated by the views, and has never tired of looking over the Basin, across to Mona Vale and down along the beach to Warriewood.

“I’ve spent a lifetime fixing it up and filling it with memories and it has been one of my greatest joys,” he said.

“But now it’s time for the next right kind of person to buy it, whoever that may be.”

And his family grew in the 1970s, so too did the house.

“We added the loft, and dug out the underneath,” Stedman said.

“The kids changed rooms, we added walls, we ripped others out, it was a living, breathing extension of our family.”

But the view remains unchanged – as magnificent now as it was in 1974.

“Whether it’s watching the thunderstorms roll in from the south, or just admiring the sunset, every day gifted us an appreciation and a sense of gratitude for the good fortune we’d enjoyed having lived there,” he said.

Packing up decades of memories – including some 50 surfboards – hasn’t been an easy task.

“A lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into this place, and it’s the roots of my kids,” he said.

“I am very pleased with the way they have turned out – they’re good humans and I am looking forward to the fun ahead.”

He said it would be hard to say goodbye to the house, which stands proudly on the hill, a testament to his hard work and clever design.

“It’s going to be even harder on auction day when it goes,” he said.

“In three weeks’ time I will be 80 and I’m still working pretty solidly. It was all for fun and we made some money along the way – not a lot but it’s been an amazing ride.”

Originally published as Aussie surf legend and Ugg boots inventor Shane Stedman selling his Mona Vale Beach house

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