FROM Friday 26 to Sunday 28 July almost 200 longboard surfers will converge on Scotts Head to compete in the 38th Logger Heads Malibu Classic.

The event, now a staple on the Australian competitive longboarding calendar, attracts surfers as young as eleven years old up to 75 years old and from all parts of Australia.

A feature of the Classic is the number of family entries regularly received, with groups aiming to have the family name placed permanently on the Family Achievement Honour Board.

There are fifteen categories being contested at the classic, starting with the Under 18s Juniors Ladies and Mens through to the Over 70s Mens and Over 50s Ladies.

One of the reasons the Logger Heads Malibu Classic has remained such a popular longboard competitions is that Scotts Head offers surfers a long sand bottom point ride.

The bay at Scotts is well protected from the winter southerly winds and ideal surf conditions often last all day.

All competitors will be riding 9 foot-plus longboards, including the Old Malibu division, where surfers will be riding original pre-1965 longboards.

In recent years many more women have joined the sport of longboard surfing and Classic organisers have adjusted the Ladies Division to cater for the influx.

Lyn Adawan from Woolgoolga, the winner from last year, will hotly contest the Club Scotts-sponsored over 35 ladies along with Freshwater’s Laura Piggot and a number of noted Sunshine Coast-based lady surfers.

Lyn will not be the only past winner returning to defend their titles.

Josh Dun from Shelly Beach Malibu Club will be coming to compete in the Golden Sand Tavern Old Mal Division and Arrawarra’s Danny Bond will come back to surf in the Local Liquor Over 70s.

Logger Heads Malibu Club Life Member Alan Sheldon will try to repeat victory in the Bennett Surfboards Over 65s and Paul Scholton will again contest the Burford Blanks Open 9ft category.

A number of renowned local surfers are also tipped to do very well with Mark Fuller and Gary Farrell surfing in the Bennett Surfboards Over 65s, Lilly Lawson in the Club Scotts Open Ladies and her dad Jamie going up against local legend Troy Martin in the Reflections Over 50s.

“Anyone who wants to see some of the top notch longboard action during the classic can take in the view from one of the great vantage spots on offer at Scotts,” Logger Heads Malibu Club President Barry Jagoe told News Of The Area.

“Visitors are also invited to rub shoulders with some of the nation’s longboarding greats at Club Scotts on the evening of Saturday 27 July and enjoy the music provided by the Nambucca Valley’s own Loose Cannons.”

Each year the Logger Heads Malibu Club runs a charity raffle, donating proceeds to organisations such as the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and local groups doing great things in the district.

By Mick BIRTLES