THE FESTIVAL OF AB SURFBOARD AUCTION VIEWING PARTY

Get the first exclusive viewing of the SAND Al Byrne International Surfboard Auction items at Surf World Gold Coast this Friday night, 25th October 2013 at 6:30 pm.

The Festival of AB, in honour of the great surfer/shaper Al Byrne, enters its second stage with the first glimpse of the historic boards that will go under the hammer to raise money for the Byrne family.

The Al Byrne exhibition at Surf World Gold Coast will be launched Friday with four highly sought after boards on exhibit for the first time. Surf World is located opposite the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Tomewin Street, Currumbin. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Admission is $10 and drinks and BBQ dinner will be available on the night.

As well, the producers of the award-winning, sports action documentary ‘Last Paradise,’ have produced a special 20 minute AB tribute film, featuring never before seen footage which will premiere on the night.

Al Byrne was renowned throughout the surfing world for his finely crafted, “deep six,” channel bottom surfboards and his skill and poise in the world’s most challenging waves. AB passed away after a motorcycle accident in Bali in August chasing waves right until the end.

Gold Coast community group SAND will be hosting the evening and has led the fundraising effort to support the Byrne family through this difficult time. A hastily organized fundraising night at the Currumbin Creek Tavern in September raised more than $20,000.

The next stage of the fund-raising effort by SAND is an international auction of some of the most prized and sought after examples of Al Byrne’s beautiful channel bottom boards. Two-time world champion Tom Carroll has donated a personal, custom AB 6’1” channel bottom. Big wave rider Dave Scard has donated the 7’10” gun on which he rode one of the biggest swells ever at Uluwatu in Bali in 2007. And AB’s first tow board, shaped in the mid-90s to surf the huge waves of Jaws on Maui with his good friend Darrick Doerner, is also up for sale - a truly historic board in the development of big wave tow surfing.

The highlight of the exhibition is the last board AB ever shaped, a sleek 6’1” with an amazing airbrush by surf artist Christian Chapman, and glassed and finished by AB’s long-time collaborator Dale Wilson. This is a one of a kind board that will be highly sought after by collectors around the world.

These items and more will later feature in an international surfboard auction luncheon, to be held on November 15 at 11am the Elephant Rock Café, Currumbin, tickets $50. The auction will also be streamed live on the internet so that anyone anywhere in the world can place a bid.

AB was New Zealand’s greatest ever surfer, collecting four national titles, before transplanting to Queensland’s Gold Coast in the ‘70s, where he quickly earned a reputation for his tube-riding skill and fine craftsmanship.

His competitive career peaked at the 1981 Pipeline Masters, where he finished runner-up to Simon Anderson, a final many still contend Byrne should have won. It was an historic clash - Anderson riding his revolutionary three-finned thruster and Byrne on his refined single fin channel bottom.

But Byrne was always more comfortable chasing quality waves around the world than in the competitive arena. He formed deep bonds and earned the utmost respect in the huge waves of Hawaii. Even at the age of 60, and after heart surgery, he celebrated his birthday by towing into 20 foot waves at Phantoms, an outer reef big wave spot.

Al leaves behind his beloved wife Jayne and three sons, Michael, Jamie and Matt.

The AB Exhibition Launch this Friday Night at Surf World Gold Coast will be the first exclusive viewing of Allan Byrne's boards and other examples of craftsmanship and memorabilia from a legendary surfing life.

The Al Byrne Board Auction site can be viewed here:

http://www.albyrneboardauction.com/

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The Viewing Party:
Board expo at Surf World Friday 25th October, 6.30pm. Tickets $10

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The Auction Luncheon:
Two course lunch, raffles + live auction Currumbin Elephant Rock Cafe Friday 15th November, 11am. Tickets $50
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The Online Auction:

Register to bid for the live auction webcast at www.albyrneboardauction.com International auction webcast streaming commences Friday 15th November, 1pm AEST

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For updates on events, visit the SAND Facebook page

www.facebook.com/SANDGoldCoast

A trailer for ‘Last Paradise’ can be seen here:

With the Festival of AB just days away, donations have been flying in from kind souls from across the globe. The evening will boast mega door prizes and raffles to ensure every winner thinks all their Christmases have come at once. Artist Steve Brandon dropped in an amazing wooden framed wavescape painting while local indigenous artist Geneine Morrow donated an ocean inspired canvas (pictured left). Corona have donated a cruiser bike. Every surfer's favourite restaurants donated vouchers, and most of the big surf brands have pitched in.


LUCKY DOOR PRIZES:


MAJOR PRIZE: 12 Nights Mentawai Boat Trip with “Doris” Tony Eltherington in 2014 - Value $3,500.00

Trip Inclusions:
12 nights and 13 days onboard the Raja Elang
Airport Transfer to and from Boat
harbour fees and taxes
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner prepared by onboard chef, All snacks, Bintangs (30-40 cartons) and soft drinks
Full use of fishing and snorkelling gear
Epic memories that will last you a lifetime.
* Some date restrictions will apply due to minimum numbers
* This prize does not include flights, stopover hotels, travel insurance or spending money
http://www.tonyeltheringtonsurfcharters.com/

RUNNERS UP PACK 1: Corona pack – Single speed café cruiser bike, carton of coronas and a hat + Magic Apple $30 voucher

RUNNERS UP PACK 2: Shapers AB fin range pack, Barz Optics polarised sunnies (1 x mens, 1 x womens, 1x kids) + Palm Beach Surf Club  $50 voucher + Jungle Mexican Cantina $20 voucher

RAFFLE PRIZES:

1. Original AB hand shaped Byrning Spears surfboard-- one of the last to leave his factory-- worth over $2,000 + Jungle Mexican Cantina $50 voucher
2. Ripcurl F-Bomb 3/2 Steamer and a MF tide watch total value $850 + Palm Beach Surf Club $50 voucher + Jungle Mexican Cantina $20 voucher
3. Ripcurl  F-light luggage pack and  Trestles Pro Tide Watch value $650 + Palm Beach Surf Club $50 voucher + Magic Apple $30 voucher
4. Volcom Boardstore $200 voucher + Luna Rossa Italian Restaurant voucher $60 + 1 x 3 months health club membership at Palm Beach Pool valued at $200
5. Steve Brandon painting + Corona Hat + 1 x 3 months health club membership at Palm Beach Pool valued at $200 + Montezumas $50 voucher
6. Geneine Morrow painting + Montezumas $50 voucher + Corona Hat
7. Quiksilver Wallet & Sunglasses + Magic Apple $30 voucher + Jungle Mexican Cantina $20 voucher
8. Quiksilver Bag & watch + Magic Apple $30 voucher + Palm Beach Surf Club $50 voucher
9. Barz Optics polarised sunnies (1 x mens, 1 x womens, 1 x kids) + Montezumas  $50 voucher + Jungle Mexican Cantina $20 voucher
10. Shapers AB fin range pack + Palm Beach Surf Club $50 voucher + Jungle Mexican Cantina $50 voucher
11. Surf pack prize + Jungle Mexican Cantina $20 voucher
12. $500 Coolangatta Dental voucher + $100 Elephant Rock Café Voucher
Plus more to be announced!  If you're not there you'll be kicking yourself. Thanks to all the amazing people who have donated. Aloha!

It was a day of love, laughter and a few tears, with hundreds turning out for Gold Coast surf/shaper Allan Byrne's Memorial Paddleout. Not a dry channel bottom for miles...

This video of AB's paddleout was created by our friends at Soul Arch Media. The board that features at the start of the clip-- AB's last board-- will be auctioned off at a SAND event yet to be announced.
In the meantime those wanting to contribute to the Byrne family can attend SAND's massive fundraiser on Sept 14th at Currumbin Creek Tavern. Full event details here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/204844263024494/

SAND have been busy putting together a fundraiser to support the family of late shaper/surfer Allan Byrne who passed away after a motor cycle accident in Bali, leaving behind thousands of friends and admirers and one heck of a hospital bill. We're excited to announce Aussie music legends Tumbleweed and Melbourne surf rockers Money For Rope have heeded the call and will take time out of their busy touring schedules to play at The Festival Of AB to help raise funds to cover costs incurred bringing AB home to rest. Money For Rope will be playing at Big Sound in Brisbane the week prior to the fundraiser, while Tumbleweed have a gig at the Zoo the evening before, so the team at SAND were extremely stoked to hear both bands were willing to prolong their stay in QLD in order to perform -- legends! Thanks to Asho from Footstomp and Wally at Cheersquad for helping introduce all parties + making it come together. Should be one rocking gig-- be sure to grab your tickets before they all sell out! Details over here at the event page or follow SAND on Facebook for event updates and ticket information.

A sunrise masked by ominous dark clouds made way for sunshine and perfectly small and glassy rolling waves for the third annual SAND/ Camp Quality Surf Day held on Sunday 25th March at Rainbow Bay. Held in conjunction with Walking On Water Surf School, the annual event is a way for the surf community to come together and give kids suffering from cancer and their families some much needed down time, catching waves and playing in the ocean.

This time around the event was dubbed the "Bots Big Beach Day Out" in honour of the late local surfer, Industry Surf founder and former SAND President, Paul Botica. Paul had passed away from heart complications following a long and valiant battle with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma just a month prior to the surf day. Paul had helped set the date for the event earlier in the year, so the team at SAND were determined to carry through and run the day in his memory. 

To help take the wonderful Camp Quality kids out for a day in the waves and assist a group of close to thirty children to learn to surf, SAND enlisted dozens of local surfers to the cause.  These included celebrated surf author Tim Baker, Channel 7 personality Liz Cantor, Radio Metro surf reporter and commentator Tappa Teece, Gold Coast Surf’s Cassandra Nevin and photographer Kieron Douglass to name but few. 

SAND founding member and former ASP World Champion Wayne Rabbit Bartholomew welcomed Camp Quality participants, their families and volunteers to Rainbow Bay, and after a few minutes of helpful advice from the Walking On Water team they hit the waves. Most of the children were able to get to their feet within their first few tries, bringing rounds of hoots and applause from their helpers and families assembled on the shoreline. 

On closing, Rabbit Bartholomew claimed the day as a resounding success.  “We had another wonderful day of surfing at Rainbow Bay. The waves were perfect, the rides were exhilarating, the children surfed really well and the smiles were broad and beaming. All the crew from SAND and Walk on Water had a wonderful time, and I'd rate it our most successful surf day so far.”
A special thanks goes out all the volunteers and helpers who made the day happen!