In 1966, he was among the first to surf the Cribbar off Towan Head in the United Kingdom, along with Peter Russell, John McIlroy and American Jack Lydgate, during that year's Great September Swell.
[1] In 2013, Friar contacted locals in Newquay with plans to reunite the group of 1966 Cribbar surfers for the 2016 unveiling of a monument and a "celebration of British surfing" event.
[3] In 2009, Friar received permission from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries for a pilot program to study the potential commercialisation of hemp.
[8] In 2011, Friar and Harper collaborated with two-time Wynne Prize winner Ian Bettinson to create a series of semi-abstract artworks and poetry.
[9] Over three weeks, the artists jointly created 30 works of art that were subsequently featured at the live exhibition version of Grand Designs Australia.