Day 3 of Competition – Friday, 11^th May

Contest Location:  Rainbow Bay, Coolangatta, Queensland

Surftech Professional Open Mens & Womens

Julian Wilson late entry for Professional Mens Open

Day 3 of the 2007 Malfunction Surf festival is on again at Rainbow Bay in excellent point surf with an increase in the easterly swell (1 to less than 2 metres) overnight.  Sunshine Coast’s surfing sensation Julian Wilson (Coolum) has been a late inclusion in the Surftech Professional Open Mens Division with the opening rounds starting at 8am.  Last time Julian Wilson surfed at Snapper Rocks, Rainbow Bay, Coolangatta, he created the greatest upset of the Quiksilver Pro by defeating 8 times world champion Kelly Slater.  Wilson who recently won the Annual Byron Bay Malibu Event has put his longboard surfing on hold while pursuing a pro junior short board career.  Wilson is rated in the top 6 in Australia Pro Junior Short Board Circuit and last years World ISA Junior Short Board Champion. 

Currumbin’s Jackson Close is looking to emulate Harley Ingleby’s efforts last year by winning three finals.  Already Jackson has won the Bic One Board Challenge Mens (Wednesday) and the Golden Breed Retro Boards (Thursday), and will be keen to win the trifecta via the Surftech Pro’s.  The only obstacle standing in Jackson’s winning way is Julian Wilson who is one of those unique surfers like Jackson who can surf short boards as well as longboards professionally.  One of Wilson’s huge advantages is that he is capable of performing aerial manoeuvres on a longboard which the judging criteria will now favour, with the emphasis on modern day surfing manoeuvres scoring highly in longboard competition. 

In the Surftech Professional 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 on Wednesday by winning the Bic One Board Challenge Womens finals.  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 super barrells on the "Superbank" at Rainbow Bay are firing off again today and swell forecast is awesome with continuing pumping surf right through until Sunday’s finals  making for perfect surfing conditions at Rainbow Bay, Coolangatta, Queensland.

At 8am today the World Longboard Professionals will be competing in the Surftech Open Mens (1 Star WLT/6 Star ALC Event worth $7500) and Surftech Open Womens (1 Star WLT/6 Star ALC Event worth $2500), ASP rated. 

After today’s Surftech Professional Open Mens & Womens, from midday we will see the start of the Streets Open Mens Amateur, Lipton Ice Tea Womens Amateur, Bruce McCullough Dental Surgery Over 40’s, and Dukes Longboard Over 50’s which includes former five times World Longboard Champion, the legendary Nat Young and defending champion of the Malfunction Over 50’s Rainbow Bay’s Robye Deane.

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.  Robert August will be competing in the O/60’s on Saturday.

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.