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The Story Behind
The Coolum Wedge
The Coolum 79ers are the local whomping tribe out of Coolum Beach, Sunshine Coast — a ragtag crew of stoke-addicted salties who've been getting pitted at Coolum for 40-plus years. We're talking teens right through to octogenarians, all still chasing that same rush of sliding into a good one with nothing but a pair of fins and pure guts.
They are the beating heart behind the Coolum Wedge Bodysurf Festival — a proper gathering of the bodysurfing fraternity from all over Oz and beyond. It's grown from a local paddle-out into a fully international event cumulating in them hosting the International Bodysurfing Association’s Bodysurfing World Tour Championship in 2025.
There are a number of theories as to where the name came from, but the old-timers will tell you that it’s because in the early days they always swam at seven or at nine. That has now evolved into the more civilized times of 8am and 9am. Even the 8am time is relaxed in the winter months to 8.30am. The Sunshine Coast Council paid homage to the group when they numbered the beach access points along the coast. It took some creative numbering (multiple accesses have A’s and B’s attached to their number) but the access point at the SLSC club – the one the 79’ers use – is numbered 79. There is no truth in the rumour that the club was so named after the average age of its members.
Rain, hail or glassy dawn patrol — this crew's out every morning, ducking through the shorey to get out back, stroking in and taking the drop, and trying to lock into the barrel before the lip shuts down on them. Post-session it's the usual ritual: standing around drying off, re-living every tube and every wipeout, talking pure trash and pure gold in equal measure. Then it’s upstairs at the clubhouse or across the road for morning coffee and the daily trivia quiz to show the sagacious wisdom they have accumulated in their long years.
Home Surf
Located specifically at Tickle Park, Coolum Beach
Frequently Asked Questions
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