Malibu Classic Accommodation · Crescent Head
Stay seven minutes
from the contest.
The longest-running longboard contest in Australia comes to the Crescent Head point each year. A house above the wave is the place to base the crew.
Check contest-weekend datesThe event
Australia's classic longboard contest, on home turf.
The Malibu Classic is one of the longest-running longboard contests in the country, held on the Crescent Head point — the National Surfing Reserve wave it was practically made for. It's a fixture of the surf calendar: graceful longboarding, a friendly crowd, and the whole town turning out to watch the point do its thing. If you're competing, supporting, or just want to be there for the weekend, you'll want a base within walking distance.
Contest-weekend base
Why stay at The Deck for the Classic.
Walk to the heat
Seven minutes downhill to the point. Watch your heat from the headland, walk back for lunch, and you're never hunting for a park on the busiest weekend of the year.
Room for the crew
Three bedrooms, sleeps six — two queens and a room with two singles. Boards rinsed on the outdoor shower, wetsuits on the rail, longboards safe in the garage.
The view over it all
The deck looks out toward the point and the bay. Coffee in hand, you can read the swell before you even leave the house.
A fire for after
The Classic falls in the cooler months. Wood fireplace, firewood supplied, Nespresso for the dawn check. Dogs welcome on the deck and downstairs.
Plan ahead
Book early — the contest weekend fills first.
Walkable accommodation at Crescent Head is limited at the best of times, and the Malibu Classic is the busiest weekend on the local calendar — beds within walking distance of the point go early. If your plans hinge on the contest dates, lock in your stay well ahead. The calendar on our booking page is live and synced, so what you see is what's available.
Not sure of this year's dates yet? Read up on the point, or plan a quieter winter surf trip around it.
Contest weekend
How the weekend works.
Whether you're competing or watching, the logistics are the same: the point is the venue, the headland is the grandstand, and everything else is within a ten-minute walk.
Watching
The headland above the point gives you the whole wave from take-off to the inside. Ten minutes on foot, no ticket, and the best angle in town. Bring a jacket — it's exposed up there in the cooler months.
Competing
Heats run on the point below the headland. Staying within walking distance means you can go back for a coffee between heats rather than sitting in the car park, and your boards live in the garage rather than on the roof.
Parking
The one weekend a year it's genuinely tight. Walking beats driving — park on arrival and leave it there until you go home.
Eating
Barnett's for the morning pie, Cheetah Five or Sea Sea for coffee, the Tavern or the Country Club bistro for dinner. All of it walkable, all of it busy on contest weekend — go early.
Before you book
Malibu Classic questions.
When is the Malibu Classic held?
It runs in the cooler months, when the point is at its most reliable. The exact dates are set and announced by the organisers each year, so check the official announcement before you lock in travel — and book your accommodation as soon as they land.
Where is the contest held?
On the Crescent Head point, the National Surfing Reserve wave directly below the headland. The Deck is a seven-minute walk up the hill from it.
Where do you watch from?
The headland above the point is the natural grandstand — you look straight down the line of the wave. It's a ten-minute walk from the house and no ticket is required.
Do I need to enter to come?
Not at all. Plenty of people come for the weekend to watch, and the town turns out for it. If you do want to compete, entry is handled by the organisers.
How early should I book accommodation?
Early. Walkable accommodation at Crescent Head is limited year-round, and contest weekend is the busiest on the local calendar — beds near the point go first. If your trip depends on the dates, book as soon as they're announced.
Is there parking near the point?
There is, but it's the one weekend of the year when it's genuinely tight. Staying within walking distance is the simplest way around the problem — you can walk down for your heat and back for lunch without moving the car all weekend.
Direct booking
From $250 a night. Direct from the hosts.
Live calendar. No double bookings. Hosts answer in under an hour.
Check availability