ONCE again, all of the elements required for a great surfing competition lined up last weekend and the competitors, officials and spectators who came to Scotts Heads for the 37th LoggerHeads Malibu Classic were treated to a great three-day event.

The Scotts Head-based LoggerHeads Malibu Club hosted the classic, which boasted 15 categories, all hotly contested by some of the nation’s best longboard surfers.

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A small but eminently surfable point break into the bay got the competition off to a good start on Friday.

On Sunday, the last day of competition, a predicted spike in the swell resulted in surfers often able to catch waves from the point, well into the bay.

Each day of the classic began with surfers hitting the water at 7:20am with the heats and respective finals rolling through until 3:30pm.

At times waves breaking both off the point and in the bay gave competitors options where to surf.

This was supported by a spotter on the headland to confirm with judges which surfer had caught any given wave.

Visiting surfers were highly complimentary of the organisation of the 37th LoggerHeads Malibu Classic and all vowed to be back next July for the 38th installment of the popular event.

Local surfers held their own across the weekend with some taking out placings in their categories.

Our own Lilly Lawson surfed superbly to win in the Surf N Raks Junior Ladies and local man Troy Martin was outstanding against a tough field to win in the Reflections Holiday Park Over 50s Mens.

Local junior Luan Cunningham achieved a respectable 3rd in the Surf N Raks Junior Mens with his brother, Sol, making the same final.

Also impressive on the day were Lyn Adlawan, winning the Catalyst Surfboards Over 40s Ladies with another well known local surfer, Manda Godfrey coming in 3rd place.

Scotts Head man Garry Farrell finished a respectable 3rd in the Barry Bennett Surfboards Over 65s Mens and Mark ‘Merc’ Mercer, 3rd in the Munro Surfboards Over 60s Mens.

As the event attracts a large number of competitors and their families to Scotts Head it provides a boost to the local economy outside of the normal peak tourist season times.

The Nambucca Youthie was called into action with their food van providing hot food and beverages to attendees at the classic while raising funds to assist in their programs aimed at helping youth across the Nambucca Valley.

Charity raffles linked to the event each year go to support local not-for-profit organisations.

President of the the LoggerHeads Malibu Club and the man largely responsible for getting the Classic off the ground, Barry Jagoe, told News Of The Area, “the three-day event was all about the camaraderie of the surfers and their partners attending, great surfing and most of all having some fun in the true spirit of surfing, and the LoggerHeads Malibu Classic 2023 certainly demonstrated that.”

By Mick BIRTLES