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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MALFUNCTION
WOULDN’T IT BE NICE?...
… if you could have a surfing contest that has a record of having waves every single time it is scheduled? … if low tide didn’t offer complete closeouts?... the prevailing winds is offshore ?…the wave is one of the most perfectly shaped point surfs on the planet?... a place where many waves offer the surfer the opportunity of performing every trick in his repertoire at least once?...and in the case of the hang ten, usually three or four such perfect opportunities and a couple of disappearing barrel rides as well? Well it’s true!!! Such a contest exists. It’s called the ‘MALFUNCTION’
“The ‘MALFUNCTION’ has proven to be the premier event for longboarding Down Under” – Mike Davis, former assistant director ‘Surfers Journal’
The ‘MALFUNCTION’ started off in 1984 as an excuse to get together with likeminded surfers. The contest was designed for those that wanted to get back to having fun in the waves. The inaugural contest was the brainchild of Steve McInerney, Peter ‘Stickman’ Stiklen and Marty Tullemans. Marty described the contest thus, “it’s a celebration of longboard riding involving the ‘Riders of the Lost Art’ as well as being a historical prelude”
The first event was won by surfing legend Jeff Hakman from the USA. There is no doubt that this was the start of something really big when it happened the first time. The ‘MALFUNCTION’ brought legions of ‘legends from the 50’s and 60’s out of retirement and back into the limelight. The quality of the surfing was surprising, even from the first event. Many of the inaugural surfers still compete in the event and figure prominently in the outcome of the contest.
No one had any idea that this seed would grow from 90 interested Mal riders to the event it is today, which runs for over four days and attracts contestants from all over the planet. The surfing, the venue, the stoke, but most of all the synergy of all these surfers getting together and just having ‘one hell of a good time’ was enough to do it again after the success of the first one.
Reprinted thanks to Pacific Longboard Magazine
The ‘MALFUNCTION’ will be the highlight of the Australasian Longboarding calendar.
Attracting Australasia’s top male and female longboarder surfers and a host of amateur and local surfers from around the country, the ‘MALFUNCTION’ is scheduled to be held in the Coolangatta/Tweed area in each year. With the world famous ‘Superbank” extending across Rainbow Bay, this location can produce a variety of wave conditions ranging from 2 ft peelers to thunderous overhead barrels.
The ‘MALFUNCTION’ will be sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) and Surfing Australia. As well as the two ASP Australasia sanctioned divisions for men and women, there will be open amateur divisions for men and women as well as five age divisions a whole day of retro surfing, another day of surfing on BIC designed boards, demonstrations of other longboard style surfing equipment.
Out of the water we have a host of other activities including a surf art, photographic and memorabilia auction plus a sumptuous semi formal dinner. For the first time there is a display of different types of surf vehicles that have been instrumental in transporting us to the beach over the last 50 years as well as plenty of other social activities after the sun goes down.
The fabled points of the Southern Gold Coast
