It takes a lot of different characters to form a surfing club of any type and the Mullaloo Mob were no different from any other club. But in saying that we do not have members that are Doctors or Lawyers or a majority of young surfers just off the mini mals.

The Mullalulu’s ( Malibu Mick’s coined name for us) are more the family and possibly older and more rusted out group looking for a few new members with physio talents. No wonder we rate lowly in the interclub comps.

The club is now in its 4th year of existence and all thanks to the mind bending visions of our well travelled gnome Ed Hunt who’s known well from Angus Waters to Alexandra Headlands on the East Coast and from Gnarraloo to Yallingup on the West Coast or whoever is willing to give him a bed for the night or two or three.

Ed knew that there were a number of surfers doing the parent thing at the Mullaloo Surf Lifesaving Club and checked out the interest in forming a longboard club. The first meeting was at the Mullaloo Beach Tavern in January 2000 with 23 attending. Many of which are still active members of the club today. Ed was voted President due to being a brainchild (or something along those lines).

It was hard to get any female members at first and the boy’s needed a female for the interclub comps. Our first attempt at dressing up one of the boys in drag failed so we tried a different strategy. Our very public offer of free membership for female members drew scepticism at first but it worked with the club now boasting some fine female longboarders.

The Mullaloo crew hold their surfing for fun days and club competitions at Mullaloo Beach during winter when the swell is up and the banks are good and during the flat summer months at Lancelin 100 klms north of Perth where many of the members have beach houses. All of these areas north of Perth are called Mullunasia Country requiring valid passports or visas from other clubs members to surf there.

The main strength of the Mullaloo Club has been in the Junior Divisions with names like Jason Belcher, Jarryd (Havachat) Foster (now with Indian Ocean Club) and Michael McCormick who have all placed high in State Rounds winning the State U18 Junior Mens Division two years running. The new Supa Grom on the block is now young Liam Van Den Ham the new State U16 Longboard Champion for 2005.

In the under 18 Female division Jala Balbock has represented WA in the short board events as there was no longboard event nationally for junior females until 2006.

In 2001 the Mullaloo Club hosted the Kirki Invitational at Mullaloo Beach with the assistance of the MUA under the “Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas” campaign. At first other clubs were unsure about holding a comp at Mullaloo, but after two busted boards and one competitor needing assistance for broken ribs ended any doubts.

Since then the Mullaloo Club has hosted the Golden Breed ‘Long Grom’ all junior longboard event at Lancelin each year. Providing an all junior competition for novice and experienced divisions. This is the only comp of its type in WA and helps put the fun aspect up there.

Without assistance in funding from any group or the government (too many knock backs) the Mullaloo Clubs committees have over the years succeeded in providing for its members through fund raising activities. The club has a gear trailer full of equipment such as marquees, comp gear and BBQ’s. A monthly news letter keeps everyone informed and our club calendar is full of events from February through to December leaving the members and their families the whole of January to do their own thing.

For the last four years the Noosa Festival of Surfing has been prominent as the preferred destination of many Mullaloo members on the contest scene for the East Coast.

The mission statement for the Mullaloo Longboard club is;

“A Longboard Club dedicated to the promotion of riding longboards in the spirit of having fun first and foremost”.

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This year (2005) the Mullaloo Longboard Club awarded the Stuart Entwistle “Spirit of Surfing Award” to ………………………….

Origins of the Award.

Stuart or Twizzle as he was known on the Eastern Seaboard, was the ultimate surfing competitor, loving husband of Debbie and proud father of young son Jack. Twizz was made an Honory Life Member of the Mullaloo Longboard Club in 2001 after a large delegation of Mullaloo Members befriended what they called a real character at the 10th Aniversary of the Noosa Festival of Surfing in March that year. Unbeknown to the members from Mullaloo at the time that Stu was battling skin cancer, which eventually lead to his death the following year at 52 years of age. Stu was a member of the Manly Longboard Club and the 1988 World Longboard Champion. He was a junior in theNSW State Team that visited Yallingup to compete in the National Surfing Titles in WA in 1969. His memories of being billeted out with a farming family in Yallingup and surfing the South West of WA as being some of his greatest in a long surfing career that was in the shadow of many of the great surfing stars such as Nat Young and Midget Farrelly. Stu’s funeral was held at the Manly Church and attended by all of the International surfing fraternity.

The Members of the Mullaloo Longboard Club dedicated the “Spirit of Surfing Award” in Stuart’s memory to a junior member each year as an annual incentive award.

Stuart was thrilled that a surfing club 2500 miles from his home awarded him with such a special honour. So overwhelmed he celebrated the receiving of a special certificate announcing his Honory Life Membership, Mullaloo club T shirt and cap, that was posted to him with a scotch and a tear. Thank You, Mullaloo members for helping make his last days special. Remember think Sun Safe!

Members can read about Stuart in ALB’s Number 17 Edition pages 38 –41.

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The Yal Mal Classic has always been one of the best big wave comps on the WA longboard calender and a great way to finish the year. If you finished poorly during the year it was the Yal Mal that gave you the hope of one last-ditch effort. With this in the minds of most of the competitors it is always hotly contested in the largest surf possible. Unfortunately at times in the worst weather and this year was no exception. Most years it is possible to see competitors surfing in 3 meter swells or 10 foot rollers that make sure you get a good workout.

In the last few years the Yal Mal has been so popular that it is now run over 3 days (60 plus heats) with everyone trying hard to get through their first heat on the Friday. Club sponsor, Yallingup Beach Holiday Park is the host accommodation site right at the event so most of the competitors and support crew either pitch a tent, tow a caravan or book a luxury cabin for the weekend. Great not having to worry about driving anywhere.

The Indian Ocean Longboard Club host the event and make sure everyone is catered for with a great food tent, displays of craft and art and an old surfboard and old car show and shine including prizes for every event. Indian Oceans President, Libby Bulbeck, held it all together and kept the communications going between all areas to ensure a very successful event. It was a pity this year was like last year with the weather being more like winter than early summer. However the spirit of surfing was always going to be the winner on the day. About winners our club was represented by Rod, Brad, Pete, Ryan, Mike, George, Gazz, Bazz, Ray and Graham. This hardy bunch not only lived to tell another tail of huge seas and brave feats, but also brought back some trophies.

The results from the list were;

2nd Brad Belcher in O/40’s

4th Ray Carter in O/55’s

George winning fine art valued at $700.00.

Mike for a good presentation of his VW Type 3 with a Murf the Surf picture.

Gavin Holt entered just to get the show bag and why not as most of the show bags contained a Yal Mal T Shirt, Surfing DVD and either a leg rope or a Radiator Rash Vest. It takes a club Treasurer to value ad the quality of the show bags for a competition. Many of our members did well to get through their first heats and some event managed to get as far as semi finals – Great Stuff!

See you all next year at the Yal Mal Classic.

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