Sunshine Coast surf legend Hayden Kenny OAM has commissioned a rare piece of surfing history that one fortunate collector will soon own—a one-off 1962-Malibu replica surfboard crafted with modern materials but faithful to original templates.
Kenny, Australia’s first ironman champion and now an 89-year-old great-grandfather, began his surfboard journey in 1959, shaping his first board in a cow shed on his grandfather’s Maryborough farm. That humble beginning led to the establishment of Hayden Surfboards at Alexandra Headland, an iconic brand he operated until 1979.
“It’s a vintage classic that’s made right here on the Sunshine Coast,” Kenny said of the commissioned board. “It’s made to surf, but it could also be kept nice and shiny and displayed on a wall like my 1975 Gorden Woods Malibu replica.”
The special surfboard will be auctioned at the annual Sunshine Coast LifeFlight Gala on March 29 at Novotel Sunshine Coast Convention Centre, an organisation with deep connections to Kenny. He was instrumental in establishing the Sunshine Coast Helicopter Rescue Service in 1979, which later merged with LifeFlight in 2013.
“To be involved with that from pretty much day one is one of the things that I’ve been most proud of,” Kenny stated. “The work these rescue crews do for the Sunshine Coast community is incredible.”
Kenny served as one of the first full-time helicopter crew members and dedicated 25 years to rescue operations.
Kenny emphasised the uniqueness of the board: “There won’t ever be another one like it. And to be in the chance to win it, you just need to buy yourself a ticket to the LifeFlight gala.”
The Palm Springs-themed gala promises an evening of “glitz, glam and giving back” featuring special auction items, patient stories, and fine dining. The exclusive opportunity to acquire this piece of surfing history is limited to gala attendees participating in the live auction.
Published 20-March-2025