Classic Malibu Updates

Classic Malibu Updates: Winter, Mad Wax, Goin Fishin' and More

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 30 March, 2009 : - - Into the Winter we go: It might not be time to crack out the neoprene just yet, but as of the first of last month Summer is officially over. With depleting crowds and Winter swells it’s time for us to revel in the waves and make the most of Huey’s offerings. Here are a few bits and pieces of news and info to help you along…

Angling –
Fish are the board of the moment right now, coming in a whole range of sizes and styles. Ultra-versatile and heaps of fun, we introduce you to our range.

Mad Wax –
It’s one of the simplest components of our pastime… and one of the most underrated.

Feminine Touch -
Bondi-based surfer, Claire Norman, is a credit to the brand of Classic Malibu. Representing in the women’s divisions across Australasia, Claire’s profile on the up and up.

Goin’ Fishin’
We gave you a brief look at our new twin-quad design back in November, but with the fish now very much the board of the moment, we thought it was about time to go in depth, focussing on the numerous variations and refinements that can be made to the original early ‘70s template.

A Californian kneeboarder called Steve Lis is attributed with creating the first fish, with its twin keel fins, deep swallow tail, full outline and flat rocker. Skip Frye brought the template into the world of stand-up soon afterwards and for a couple of decades the shape was all but overlooked.

Now, drawing knowledge from more progressive boards, the fish is coming back and fast being embraced as a fun, versatile, unique design. So read on and find out more about the board before going fishing in the dark…

The Original:
Held closely to the classic Skip Frye template, the classic-style fish with keel fins is a beautiful board for point waves. The fuller volume of board, despite being diminutive in length, is a wave-catching machine, able to get into waves earlier and trim across flatter sections. The keel fins produce superb down-the-line hold and allow turns to be far more drawn out than with a conventional thruster.

This can, however, prove a hindrance. Keel fins don’t like being forced through turns. A snapped turn or more critical manoeuvre can often result in a severe loss of speed. So it’s all about treading lightly and an old-school flow.

The Twin-Quad:
We mentioned it in November’s newsletter, but as we’re talking fish, we’ll mention it again. The twin-quad is a versatile set-up, giving you the option of either two or four fins.  Obviously, this is going to alter the feel of the board somewhat, but it almost creates two entirely diverse boards in one. The twin-fin set-up offers that down-the-line fluidity as mentioned above, whilst the quad gives you a distinct performance edge, enabling more radical manoeuvrability and creating a board better suited to faster waves, specifically beach breaks, in which the twin-fin would flounder.

The Quad:
Quads are all about release. With the same amount of face in the fin, the drive is comparable to its keel-finned counterpart, but, when your line opens up and you begin to set your line again, the quads will flex back into position, water will start channeling back between them and you will gain acceleration out of the turn.

This all adds up to making a board that holds well through turns but doesn’t kill speed in the same way that the keels can. Though available on all types of boards, we usually pair the quad up with a slightly racier template, more drawn out nose-to-tail than the traditional board and with a single or double flyer to allow the tail to sink slightly and increase drive.

Causing Friction:
What would we do without those gooey white blocks that melt in your glove box, wreck your carpet and always seem illusive whenever urgently needed? Surf wax has been in manufacture for almost 45 years but not many people know a whole bunch about it short of that it’s essential if you want to stay on your board. Here’s a little history, a couple of facts and some useful info:

-  Mike Doyle, Rusty Miller and their company, Surf Research are credited for creating the first commercial surf wax back in 1967, a purple coconut-scented wax called Waxmate.

- Prior to this, surfers used to melt candle wax onto their boards and mix in a healthy dose of sand – great for traction, shocking for rashes!
 
- Most wax is essentially a blend of paraffin wax, petroleum jelly and an adhesive agent, but exact recipes are kept under lock and key.

- You can make your own organic wax cheaply and easily by melting some bees’ wax, heating some coconut oil and blending (at a ratio of 3:1).

- Mr Zog actually exists – Californian, Fredrick C. Herzog founded Sex Wax in ’72 and was promptly slapped with threats, some of the general public not appreciating his product’s innuendos and trying to ban it from some California counties.

- Ampol, Esso, BP and Shell all had their own brands of wax, but it wasn’t until 1988 that a dedicated wax company really cornered the Aussie market. That brand: Mrs Palmer’s.

- There is now a vast array of waxes from all over the world. It comes in different colours, infinite aromas and organic varieties made exclusively from frangipani nectar and yak boogies… only joking, but soy and bees’ wax based products are now widely available.

- Rather than just smearing on your next cake haphazardly, do the right thing and apply a base coat first. This will help your wax last longer and stay on your board rather than your car seats. Some brands specifically create a base coat, otherwise, a tropical wax will do the job, followed by a warm water wax for summer months.

- Here’s a guide to wax applications:
Temp/One Coat/Base Coat/Top Coat
Under 15c  /  Cold  /  Warm  /  Cold
15c – 20c    / Cool   /  Warm  /  Cold
20c – 25c    / Warm / Tropical / Cool
25c +       / Tropical / Tropical / Warm

Next Month: DIY Dings: How you can save a buck and patch up your boards yourself.

Claire : photo Ocean & Earth

Claire Norman - From Bondi To Bali -
There’s nothing like a little feminine charm and grace to appease a firey testosterone-fuelled line-up. Trouble is, Classic Malibu team rider Claire Norman would put most male line-ups to shame with her level of surfing – a truly humbling experience for any red-blooded bloke!

Though born a Novacastrian, Claire has grown up surfing the waves of Bondi as her home break, which can be a bit trying at times. Excessive crowds and stringent life-guarding around her home beaches have caused Claire to opt for a foamie on most paddle-outs, fibreglass boards being banned from many of her local breaks. But don’t think for a second that she doesn’t rip.

Claire began paddling into the shories at Bondi with her old man at a young age, taking on the beachbreak with zeal. Joining the local clubs, she mixed up her surfcraft taking to both long and shortboards, but it was always toward the plus-sizes that she was swayed.

Competing mostly locally, Claire excelled in the contest arena and began looking further a field for challenges. The search took her across the Tasman where she competed on the New Zealand circuit with great success. Despite not being allowed to enter some of the Nationals, which were also awarded circuit points, our Claire put in such a good performance as to take the tour victory, overcoming some exceptional local talent.

Luckily, her employers are flexible and more than supportive of her pursuit of success. Claire has, for several years now, taught others to surf with Let’s Go Surfing surf school at her home beach, affording her the ability to be in the ocean even when she’s working.

A swathe of overseas trips to Indonesia and beyond have seen Claire hit the media on more than one occasion, helping raise the profile of the humble Bondi girl and really make a name for herself.

A shaky start on this year’s LQS saw Claire miss out at the Noosa Festival, but the comeback kid worked wonders at the follow-up event, the Malfunction, held at Kingscliff on the far North coast of New South Wales, with a solid performance resulting in a semi finals placing.

2009 could well be the year of years for Claire’s pro career. We’ll certainly be keeping a close eye on her movements and cheering her all the way.

Next Month: Man of the moment, Justin Healey, a highly versatile surfer from Caloundra, has recently more than proved himself with a win in this year’s Noosa Festival of Surfing Open division and claiming an honourable third place in the old mal. We introduce the man on the up.

www.classicmalibu.com

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Tommy Leitch /Classic Malibu
info@classicmalibu.com

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