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by www.australianlongboarding.com
Hosted annually by the DV8 Malibu Club Inc., this was the 22nd Annual Skipp Banana Malibu Classic and was held on Saturday February 10 2007 at Big Park, Warilla. A good choice? Some wouldn't have agreed. But I guess you have to take what Mother Nature serves up, eh!
Surf looked reasonable by the time the contest relocated from the meeting spot at Shell Harbour to Big Park at Warilla. It was a popular day for surf-related events in the area. Whilst at the meeting spot at Shell Harbour, a shortboard club intent on holding a contest turned up, checked the conditions, and then moved on. When the Banana settled on Big Park, it shared the beach-front with a life saving carnival of some description. We were able to use separate peaks, thank goodness.
We weren't so fortunate with the local free surfers though, as they continually and consistently insisted on surfing through the contest area, despite being asked numerous times to move elsewhere. The beach is long. There were plenty of breaks. But these moronic fools just had to surf right in the middle of the contest area. During the Over-45 Final there were AT LEAST 30 shortboarders and body boarders surfing in the area.
The surf was pretty ordinary, though much improved on last years contest. There were very few shoulders to work with, and the surface remained pretty bumping all day.
There were approximately 25 heats, semis and finals, with around 50 surfers doing combat. This number was well down on last year when there were around 75 competitors.
For the first time this year an Open Women's event was run. There were only 4 competitors this time round, but hopes are that there will be greater numbers in subsequent events.
On a real positive note, the weather was FANTASTIC. The predicted rain never came. Bad for the farmers, good for the surf spectators.
The "Iron Guts" was run & won again this year. The rules are simple. Each contestant had to eat a cold pastry, then drink a warm beer, and finally paddle a board out to a marker, then paddle/catch a wave back in.
Despite the distinct lack of clean waves, the surfers put on a good display.
