Day Two of the Hyundai Malfunction surfing competition hit an all time high with pumping waves and sensational surfing for the Surftech LQS mens and womens professional division.  Perfect 10 point rides, superman airs, and deep tube riding were just some of the highlights from the world’s professional longboard riders.  A flawless 1 to 1.5 metre easterly swell combed the Kingscliff sand bottom point break offering up to 200 metre rides and big scores.

The USA’s Taylor Jensen, fresh from a win a Noosa last week was easily the top scorer of the day, posting the first perfect 10 point ride of the event and then backing that up with a 9.5 to register 19.5 points out of 20.  Jensen blew everyone away and especially the judging panel when he pulled in to a long tube ride emerging to punctuate the ride when he launched out of the lip adopting a Joel Parkinson patent superman air maneuver normally reserved for short boards.  Jensen flew through the air like the man of steel  holding onto the rails by only his hands and legs stretched free from his board.  It was definitely the move of the day and something that no-one had ever seen on a longboard.  The judges had no hesitation to give him a unanimous 10 across the board.  Jensen has now firmed as the favourite for this year’s Hyundia Malfunction title in the Surftech Men’s LQS.  World number 2 Antoine Delpero (France), surfed a brilliant heat but had to be content to settle for second behind the totally inform American.  Jensen is rated 11^th in the World but today he looked like he was number 1. 

Other winners in Round 2 of the Surftech Men’s LQS event included Sunshine Coast’s Mitch Surman, Currumbin’s Jackson Close, Yamba’s Bryce Young, Emerald Beach’s Harley Ingleby, Noosa’s Josh Constable, NSW Jared Neal, and Sunshine Coast’s Harrison Roach.   In the last heat of Round 2, there was a three way exchange between  British longboard champion Ben Skinner, Sunshine Coast’s Harrison Roach and Hawaii’s Ned Snow were going wave for wave but in the end Harrison Roach of Maroochydore found that all important final wave to score a 9.1 and take the heat from Ben Skinner and eliminating Hawaii’s Ned Snow in 3^rd position.  A relieved Harrison Roach said that he couldn’t hear the scores because of the strong off-shore southerly wind but he knew that Ben Skinner was looking good, “ I was relaxed and just went surfing out their enjoying the Kingscliff point break and felt confident that I had done enough on my last wave to qualify for the quarter finals”, said the Sunshine Coast surfer who competes on both longbaords and shortboards, and was runner up in the 2007 Malfunction Mens LQS final to Dane Pioli in 2007.  Pioli is chasing a third consecutive title having won the last two professional finals in 07 and 08.  1^st and 2^nd from today’s round of 32 surfers qualify for the Surf Tech Men’s Quarter Finals to be held on Saturday (28^th March) morning starting at 8am (NSW time).

The Quarter Finals of the Surftech LQS Men’s are as follows:

Quarter 1:        Mitch Surman, Ian Bell, Jackson Close, Dillan Holland

Quarter 2:        Bryce Young, Dane Pioli, Harley Ingleby, Grant Thomas

Quarter 3:        Taylor Jensen, Justin Redman, Josh Constable, Ben Skinner

Quarter 4:        Seb Wilson, Jared Neal, Antoine Delpero, Harrison Roach

In the Surftech Women’s LQS Quarter Finals, the first heat was a backhand shoot out between defending champion Chelsea Williams (Tweed Heads) and Nava Young (Yamba) with the lead exchanging throughout the heat until Chelsea who has been undefeated so far this year, having won Noosa and Agnus Waters scored a backhand tube ride and emerged out from the doggy door to take the heat from Nava Young (daughter of Longboard Legend Nat Young).  “I didn’t really feel like I was in that heat, not knowing where to sit to find the best waves, but I will take the win even though it was a low scoring heat and I’m keen to follow through and try and win 3 titles in a row”, said Chelsea who is rated number 2 in the World and like Pioli is chasing the trifecta having won the last two Malfunction Women’s LQS Finals. 

Other winners included Ballina’s Melissa Combo, Byron Bay’s Tessa Davidson, NSW Isabelle Braley.

Semi Finals of the Surftech LQS Women’s are as follows:

Semi Final 1:   Chelsea Williams (NSW), Nava Young (NSW), Melissa Combo (NSW), Claire Norman (NSW)

Semi Final 2:   Tessa Davidson (NSW), Crystal Dzigas (Hawaii), Isabelle Braley (NSW), Rosie Locke (QLD)

The Women’s Surftech LQS Semi Finals will follow after the Men’s on Saturday morning.