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24^th Annual Malfunction Surf Festival 2007

8^th – 13^th May

Day 1 of Competition – Wednesday, 9^th May

Contest Location:  Rainbow Bay, Coolangatta, Queensland

Bic one board challenge mens and womens finals

Jackson Close wins Mens Final and Chelsea Williams wins Womens Final

Day One of the Malfunction Surf festival kicked off this morning in sensational pumping point surf on a 1 to 1.5 metre easterly swell at Rainbow Bay with the Bic One Board Challenge for both the men and women longboarders who were required to compete on the Bic Longboards only in a 1 day competition.  See finals results below.

 The super barrells on the "Superbank" at Rainbow Bay were totally awesome and had Contest Director Sean McKeown in a froth, “this is as good as it gets and the waves are only going to get better for the rest of the five day event.  We have been blessed with both excellent surf and sensational sunny Queensland weather”.  South west to south east winds and an increasing east north east swell is the forecast right through to the weekend making for perfect surfing conditions at Rainbow Bay, Coolangatta, Queensland.

 The originator of the Bic One Board Challenge event former five times World Longboard Champion and iconic surfing legend, Nat Young will be competing in the Over 50’s but couldn’t resist surfing the excellent waves at Rainbow Bay today and as all entries were filled in the Open Mens, Nat was given the choice to surf with the women and one he couldn’t refuse.  Nat and wife Ti, son Bryce and daughter Nava, had only just stepped off the plane coming home from the World Professional Longboard Titles in France.  The Young family landed in Brisbane at 11am and arrived jet-lagged and a little weary for their travels arriving at Rainbow Bay at midday where Nat, Bryce and Nava all competed in the Bic One Board Challenge.

Such is a diversity in age range with the Malfunction Surf Festival stemming from Rainbow Bay’s twin sisters Brodie & Amiya Doyle (13 years old surfing in their first Malfunction event), with a lot of help from their dad Martin Doyle, to the oldest competitor 78 year old Barry “Magoo” McGuigan (Over 60’s Australian Longboard Champ).

Tomorrow’s competition (10^th May) for Day two of the Malfunction will be the Golden Breed Retro boards for Opens and Under 18’s and the Golden Breed Old Mal section (boards made before 1967).  The Retro competitors must surf on boards that were constructed prior to 1981 and the finals of the Retro will be held on Thursday afternoon at 4.00pm.  The Golden Breed Old Mal final will be held on Thursday at 3.30pm.  Harley Ingleby, the defending Golden Breed Retro Champion, will face stiff competition from Sunshine Coasts Harrison Roach, and Gold Coasts Matt Aldridge, Jackson Close and Mark MacNamara.  Latest surprise entry is Brent "Brenno" Dorrington one of Coolangatta's hottest pro juniors, who will surf in the Malfunction for the first time in the Golden Breed Retro Boards.

Friday’s program will feature the opening rounds of the World Longboard Professionals in the Surftech Open Mens (1 Star WLT/6 Star ALC Event worth $7500) and Open Womens (1 Star WLT/6 Star ALC Event worth $2500), ASP rated.  Defending Malfunction winner Harley Ingleby (Emerald Beach) has returned from France after finishing number five in the world and  is back to defend his crown.  As well as former Malfunction winner and also placing equal fifth in the World Titles, Currumbin’s Jackson Close who only just missed in the final last year and will be ready to create an upset as he did in France.  Other contenders in the Surftech Open Mens include Sunshine Coasts Harrison Roach, Grant Thomas, Seb Wilson (recent runner up at the Byron Bay longboard event), and recent Queensland Open Mens State Champion Ben Fesselet, and Oliver Shaw of Rainbow bay.

In the Surftech Open Womens, Tweed Heads Chelsea Williams is looking to make amends after her shock elimination last year.  Chelsea has been on a roll in 2007 winning her last three professional events and adding a fourth for today finals win.  Other contenders in the Surf Tech Open Womens include Gold Coasts Selby & Tegan Riddle, Lisa Nicholson, and Kirsty Webster, Nat Young’s daughter Nava is also competing. 

The 2007 Malfunction Surf Festival has 260 entries in the 17 different divisions from all over Australia and international competitors from 5 different countries making this the biggest Malfunction for several years.

This year’s Malfunction has attracted the star of the 1964 Bruce Brown surf flick “The Endless Summer” California's Robert August now residing in Costa Rica will be a special VIP Guest Speaker at a dinner function to be held Friday, 11 May at 6.30pm, at Twin Towns.  Hawaiian big wave legend and surfboard shaper Billy Hamilton dropped in to check out the show and quickly disappeared from view in the perfect surf on offer.

One division that is sure to be a big hit is the Empire Trade Stand Up Paddle Surf division. Originally scheduled as an exhibition only, this ancient discipline of surfing has attracted 14 competitors from across the Pacific and a coaching clinic will be held Saturday morning at the Jack Evans Boat Harbour.

The Malfunction is more than just a surf competition embracing the surfing culture with a number of social and cultural events such as the Surfing art and photo memorabilia display in the Function Room at the Greenmount Resort from Tuesday until Sunday. Gold Coast iconic surfing legends Mal Sutherland and Eddie Sawden have their photos of the good old days on show and well known Gold Coast surfing artist’s Mal Leckie and Richard Harvey feature their amazing art.

The Hill Street Night Club at Greenmount Resort will be the setting for "Beyond the Line Up" a film by Paul Francis on Wednesday 9^th May, 7pm $10 cost, plus short surf films including George Greenough’s Dolphin movie and Captain Goodvibes cartoon movie featuring the well-known Tracks Magazine character.  Beyond the Line Up is a 53 minute move featuring interviews with Nat & Beau Young, and Tweed Coasts Neil Purchase Junior, explaining his backhand tube riding technique.

TODAYS BIC ONE BOARD CHALLENGE FINALS RESULTS

Bic One Board Challenge Open Mens Final                                                           Bic One Board Challenge Open Womens Final

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