Club News for 2007

 

March News Letter as a pdf download

Magoo Carity clasic is on the 12th and 13th of April. Click here for the entry form

February 2008 competition as a pdf download

November 2007
Hawaiian theme Christmas party and Presentation will be at the Ice Bergs this year, free for members and their partners and or family. BLC will be looking after the food and band with drinks available from a standard bar set up. 7pm Saturday 24th of November.
There will also be a "BLC Photo Comp" for current club members. Your best 3 photo's of a club member surfing, group shot or portrait on a club day - (no short board shots). On the night bring your shots - bigger the better.

The AGM will be held on the 28th of November at 7pm, at the Swiss Grand. All members are encouraged to attend. The major decisions regarding the club for the start of the 2008 point score will be finalised on the night!

A range of ideas were discussed in detail, including an over 50s or over 55s division, 10 foot division and several other suggestions the committee gratefully received from members throughout the year.
In the end, after much consideration the following ideas will be trialed: November and December format will consist of 6 heats and 6 finals, the six surfers placed 1st in their heat surf together in the firsts final, surfers placing 2nd in their heat go into the seconds final etc.
This format is limited to 1 round of 6 heats and 1 round of 6 finals only, first in best dressed!
Between the two rounds we will have an 8ft heat for fun - bring all your boards measuring between 8 and 9 foot.

 

October 2007
Thanks to everyone for their support in making the Chloe Byron Memorial comp such a great day. The generosity and enthusiasm was outstanding. Not including all the organizations who got involved, on the day BLC raised $3080 and the auction $5000.
Jo has already sent off the cheques to the Homicide Victims Support Group. "Tia, Jared and Dave send a giant ALOHA HUI to everyone who attended and those there in spirit! Particularly the committee!"

July 2007
Membership renewals due 1 July 2007

Get well wishes go out to Dennis Lindsay

Glad to hear 'Miracle-man" Dave Byron is out of hospital.

Presentation Night / Christmas Party : Hawaiian Theme To be held Saturday 24 November at the Bondi Icebergs Club Financial members (incl. Wives/partners/children) - no entry charge Non-members - $20 entry charge. Party platters with nibblies will be provided and a live band. Buy own drinks

June 2007
Dave would like to thank everyone who sent their best wishes and food.

Congratulations to Claire Norman - Claire won the Women's Division at the Snowy McAlister Winter Classic in June.

 

March 2007 comp review. By Kevin Hornhardt.
It was a warm overcast day with blue bottles being an initial concern. The mild infestation had members cancelling their heats and even vice President Stan the Man (stopping short of declaring a state of emergency) trimmed the contest down to one round; although this was more probably due to a skinny turn up. However, the stingers seemed to fade away in a matter of a couple of hours but not before the evil little b*&^@#s branded a few early contestants who were brave enough to guinea pig it for the rest of us. Thank you Weeds, Al Brown and other victims. Still blue/grey waves with vague mushy sections and a shifting take off area due to an outgoing tide and a rip had guys constantly in paddle mode. Your best bet was probably the shorey but there's something that draws you to the sets even if they're too full or just collapse into a pile.

During the one and only round, the receding tide offered no improvement as the old sand bar began to rear it's head and the waves changed rapidly from too much water to critically too little. Charlie seemed to navigate himself well around the situation, albeit his performance wasn't on par with the previous month which earned him a place in the final. Both Grant Wignall and Narelle copped a wipeout worthy of the highly coveted Wipeout of the Day Award. Apparently, the Wigman found himself in a position that looked suspiciously like he was about to drop-in on Zman. Like a good sport he hesitated but was caught up high and realised all too soon how brutally committed he was to a very unsuccessful take off. He grabbed a rail, lost control and briefly considered the average annual rainfall of the Amazon Basin before free falling into a pile of instant amusement for bored judges. Narelle's wipeout was somewhat similar without any enigmatic thoughts.

Here are some highlights from the final: Dave Norman managed to slip in the odd sweet five across the face of a few middling left handers and looked in control throughout the heat. Ian Phillips dropped ever-so-stylishly (but not simultaneously) into a couple of right hand barrels. One he made, the other buried him. Big wave surfer, Craig Leggett caught a closeout and came down in a shower of white confetti with nowhere to go. With the exception of one right hander that chanced him a few good turns, his wave selection was dodgy and he wasn't in his usual form. Wigman, a seasoned finalist, seemed distracted due to the low sales of his new book "The Art of Dropping In". In the meantime, I was amongst it all with my water camera when I suddenly turned to see Lt Al Brown a couple of metres away and coming at me fast on a 9'4" frigate. I dived like a desperate U-boat and braced myself for the sickening thud that would precede an unwanted distinguishing feature. Nothing. Either Al had pulled off some snappy footwork or I was deeper than I thought. A close shave, sure, but it provided a great opportunity to use a WWII naval situation as a metaphor to describe a very ordinary incident.

Before signing off, I'm sure we'd all agree that a good newsletter note of appreciation has been a long time coming to those members (committee and non committee) who put so much effort into the running of the club. First of all, the unmentioned people who do stuff without others noticing. Joanne for one millions things, Stan for his sponsor chasing and general organising. Stompsey and Daniel Foreman for heat arrangements and score keeping. Mike Pryce for tallying and tent duties. Narelle, always there to lend a hand with most things. Col Sutherland for rounding up judges. Then there's the combined culinary skills of Dave Byron, Chris Stonefield and Peter Prineas who are always quick with a smile and a sausage in the BBQ tent. Many thanks.

February 2007 comp review. by Kevin Hornhardt
The swell had been dropping steadily over the three days leading up to Sunday's comp. Pessimists were predicting a parody of last month or even flat conditions with all the misery that comes with it while the optimists had their money on reasonable sized waves due to a big tide brought on by a full moon. The optimists got it right. However, the general consensus from the Rail of Knowledge was that it wasn't the moon's influence at all but most likely Saturn or even a planet completely outside our solar system; although no credible evidence was submitted to back the claim. Still, we all agreed the waves were slightly better than last month while agreeing to disagree over whether or not planets have anything to do with wave size even though deep down inside there is much we don't know.

But what we do know, was that it was a big turnout that included newcomer, Dean Dunstan (aka Dr Ted) and so many familiar faces returning after months of absence: Greg Furmage, Milan Debelak (good to see you back), Craig Leggett, Mick and Kim Lipping. An impressive turn up of girls too. All of them contestants. Who are they? Where did they come from? Can we now boast the biggest female membership of any longboard club or is this just transient? During both rounds, competitors copped a full-blown example of a typical Bondi summer Sunday. All sorts of human flotsam and jetsam: swimmers; waders; learners and some gormless clubbie on an argie-bargie surfski, sending kids scattering and duck diving as he ploughed his way shoreward. Robert G, who apparently doesn't exist (but whose name was written on the board) was involved in a minor collision. Claire Norman was plagued by drop-in's. Oliver Mougenot found his own world with some nice little growlers further in and Dean Dunstan was both menacing and impressive with some tricky fin-first takeoffs. Richard Stomps, in the meantime, racked up a fair amount of waves while Mike Pryce still managed to keep his hair dry.

Before the finals, it was time to fire up the BLC's new barbie. The fine food dished out with such imagination by master chief, Dave Byron, was no doubt due to the inspiration brought on by this snappy new cooker. More superior than our previous hotplate on legs, it had a grill, utensil racks and a few other features. Unfortunately, the accessories did not include a new apron. When the deciding heat kicked off, the six finalists opted to battle it out on a break further south. The occasional dip of a rail, kept Charlie safely in the pocket where he had some lengthy rides. Henry Brycki worked the waves with some nice standard longboard manoeuvres while Steve Czintos, after a shaky start, soon got into a rhythm that earned him a well-deserved third place. Greg Furmage is good to watch, with his quintessential old-school style and foot work so cool, you'd swear he had Brubeck playing in his head. Grant Wignall, who's more at home on a shorty, wasn't going to let three foot of extra board stifle the crank factor as he carved some nice cutties after accumulating speed across the face of virtual closeouts. Surprise of the day, was Deano. Fumbling his first take off, he regained his composure to snag one of the better ones out back and pulled off a soft re-entry. Then, gambling with time, he waited outside to score another impressive ride that was enough to land him the trophy. Not bad for a guy that had just joined the Club three hours beforehand.

Following the presentations, Claire Norman took the opportunity to express her appreciation for the club's support. Claire is a long-standing BLC member, one of our best surfers and has made her mark nationally: 9th place in the Hot Tuna Classic at Mornington Peninsular; fifth place at the Roxy Pro at Phillip Island and with more contests coming up in March and April, she's looking at qualifying for the Women's World Longboard Titles held in Biaritz, France this July. The BLC has donated a few bucks to cover her entry fees along with a big wish for a Norman Conquest. GO CLAIRE!

January 2007 Comp review. by Kevin Hornhardt
The third Sunday of January was our first contest of 2007. It was the beginning of a new point score and a new year that ushered in an almost fresh committee with Daniel Foreman as the new Commander-in-Chief. Congratulations Daniel! The air temperature was a savage 41degrees but some kind of weird phenomenon had the water temperature incredibly cold. In fact, it was icy enough to shrink the pride of the best hung guy in the club to dimensions well below the illustration on Dave Byron's BBQ apron. There was a simple scientific reason for this (low water temperature that is) but the cynical angle is that a massive slab of ice the size of Tasmania broke away from the Antarctic Shelf and drifted north. By the time it reached the east coast of Australia, the now ice cube sized evidence of global warming was intercepted and destroyed by a bunch of corporate thugs from the fossil fuel lobby who quickly engineered some spin about quirky current activity. Either way, it was cold.

To compliment the big chill, a feeble excuse for a swell pushed in an occasional trickle of sets consisting of puny, disappointing waves with no life threatening possibilities. In short, there was a whole lot of nothing going on. The line up (only 30 metres off shore) was a sad place to be. The waves were too full, infrequent and the long wait had guys discussing the Mongol invasion of Europe and pondering how deep the ocean would be if all the sea sponges were removed. But if you were really inpatient, the shore break had some serious grunt. This two foot sand-filled suck machine dumped heavily on the shore but the two or three seconds it held up was enough to tempt a few ardent riders into the thrill zone. As a result, Maurie Benn was slammed head first onto dry land. Surfing's hell.

Michael Pryce, after a long break, hit the surf and managed to keep his hair dry throughout his entire heat. Not that difficult considering his hair sits well above water level, there was no offshore spray and the power of the incoming white water did not necessitate any duck diving or pushing through. He's probably caught more planes than waves over the last few years so it was good to see him swap his boarding pass for a surfboard. Bottom line: sad surfing day, nothing much to write about but all riders in true BLC spirit seemed to make the best of poor offerings.

Before winding up, just a mention and a farewell to Milan Debelak who recently moved to the Northside. I'm sure we all remember him as a good surfer and the owner of a Porsche and an old Valiant. But he was also a gentleman and not short on style as shown in his almost starring role in the definitive documentary "On the Nose". Those lucky enough to have viewed this cult classic, will never forget that scene of Milan cruising into the parking lot in a Chevy Impala convertible to the soulful sounds of Booker T and the MG's classic "Green Onions"; without question, the film's highlight. But now he's gone...

Well, Milan, if you are reading this, we just want you to know that you're not really off the hook. Did you really think you could quit the Club that easily? Big mistake. The BLC is like the Mob: Just when you think you're out, we pull you back in. Oh, you might be enjoying you're new life up there with those relatively uncrowded breaks, pretty blue waves and sand the colour of mangoes bathed in the light of a warm sunset, but we know where you live. That's right. Believe it. Even when Tony O'Brien (our ex President) fled to Lithuania, had a sex change and changed his name to Alice, we still found him. And even though he's too embarrassed to show up to comps, we still have the squeeze on him for his membership fees. There's no way out.... Wait a sec! What's that you say? Milan is still showing up to contents and didn't quit the Club at all! Well, what were all those farewell beers and tears at the Rat house all about?

 

7/04/2007
At last one of our beloved sponsors 'Dripping Wet' has opened a store at Bondi Beach. Go hassle John for a Bondi Longboard Club discount. You'll find him located below the Swiss Grand.

31/03/2007
The 2007 Magoo Charity Classic
Saturday 28th April & Sunday 29th April 2007 from 7.00am Soldiers Beach, Norah Head NSW All profits will be donated to Central Coast Cancer Care Services & Research Contest in honour of Barry McGuigan (MAGOO ) and his many years of contribution to Longboard Surfing ENQUIRIES: John Fraser on 0414 289 516 (after 6pm please)

Click here to download a PDF of the Entry Form

22/03/2007
Hi guys.... below is a link to a surfpedia site Dan Webber, is working on.... check it out... Bonza's interview is already posted....something that can provide real and historical surf stories and information from surfers all over the world!

http://surfing.wikia.com/wiki/Interview_with_Robert_Conneely

21/03/2007
Liquid destination is offering Longboarding clubs in Australia cheap deals to surf the Maldives June, July and August this year. As you already know the maldives is the number one destination for longboarding and Liquid destination is heading south to surf remote regions where we will be lucky to see other boats. 10 night package on boat Retail prices are $4395 per person Offer to clubs $3795 includes flights and meals!! If you charter the whole boat 12 surfers (sleeps up to 16) the cost comes down to $3595 per person. This is an extremely good offer to surf remote regions in the maldives. Other operators in this price range surf crowded areas up north. And the only operator in this region starts his trips at $7500 per person!

Contact Louis Harris on 0407157077 or check out our website www.liquiddestination.com

27/02/2007
The question asked by Kirke Godfrey was, "Is this Dave Byron?" If the answer is yes it means that Dave's swimmers have been picked up by satellite.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?ie=UTF8&om=1&z=22&ll=-33.89386,151.276526&spn=0.000209,0.000259&t=k

07/02/2007
There is a farewell for Milan this Friday 9th Feb 2007 at North Bondi RSL Club starting 7pm. Some of you may have notice a lack of Milan over the summer, After many years at Bondi he is moving to a different surf break.

07/02/2007
A big thank you to all those who attended Sound Waves Benefit Night at BB's on Jan 16 and made it such a great success. BB's was packed, the music was outstanding and we raised the amazing amount of $4000.- for Surfaid International. Once again thanks to all of you for taking part in this unforgettable night.
Every one of you has truly made a difference to people who need it.