This years 2nd Annual Malibu Invitational kicked off Friday Night with a bang at Duke's Malibu with the same focal point as last year, Raise Money 4 Lyon.  We set up a killer silent auction again this year and it went off to say the least!  Thank You to Danny Fuller, Billabong, Anthony Bevilacqua, Michael Bailey, DaKine, Matt Sprouse, and everyone else who donated to our auction.  While the auction was doing its thing Duke's displayed an appetizer and dinner reception to die for as well as provided a beautiful breathe taking sunset to set the mood.  Coors Light sponsored the event along with Chateau Ste Michelle Wine Estates which made for plenty of beer and wine to go around and another sponsor that really got the party started was Patron with their Ice Sculpture Tequila Slide.  I guess we know how to throw a party, and surprisingly everyone made their next day heat times although some were more wounded then others.
 
    Saturday morning was the start of our weekend surf contest and our Man of the Weekend Lyon Herron surfed the opening wave to start the 1st Heat of the day.  For those of you who don't know why we throw this event every year let me fill you in real fast.  Lyon Herron is a local kid who has been fighting a rare kind of cancer called Gardner's Syndrome since he was 4 years old.  This contest was born by our consortium of great friends sticking up for one of our own in hopes to raise Lyon as much money as we can to make it just a little easier on him and his family.  It just so happens that our great group of friends collectively has the resources to pull something like this off with style and grace and all in all for the greatest cause I could ever think of.
 
The Malibu Invitational consisted of 3 divisions like last year which were the Pro's Invitational, "Malibu Legends" Invitational, and Grom's Invitational.  The Pro's were competing for a $4,000 purse and the likes of Benji Weatherly, Brad Gerlach, Danny Fuller, Kyle Knox, Quinn McCrystal, Dillon Perillo, Anthony Petruso, Brendan Hearne, Josh Curran, Adam Virs, and many others came out to try and earn an extra coin for their bank account.  The Malibu Legends however had a bigger purse to compete for:  Bragging Rights!  Legends like Allen Sarlo, Donny Wilson, Tom Daniels, Solo Scott, Dale Rhodes, John Baker, Steven Lippman, Carlos Del Olmo, Joey Jenkins, Mike Chipko, and many more had their game faces on for the King Of The Point Title.  The groms just wanted to surf, which they did, and still got to go home with some good prizes from Sector 9, Oneill, and Vestal Watches.
 
This event, like our 1st annual, had 3 parts to our one single story:  Lyon, Surfing, and Community.  Throwing these three parts together in one chosen weekend for one great outcome is amongst the utmost rewarding things that any of us have ever done in our young lives.  I want to take this time, on behalf of Lyon and myself, to thank our consortium of great friends that made this event run strong for 2 years straight....  Pascal Stansfield and Patrick Jensen, Skylar Peak and John Hildebrand, Josh Morgan and Brian Rogers, Jordan Tappis and Jason Rouse, Chris Duffy and Blake Richards, Darrel Rae and Barbie Herron Rae, Jimmy Gamboa and Ryan Conder, and Seumas Santoro and Steven Lippman.  Without all of our sense of community, urgency to help a friend in need, and the willingness to sweat a little this event wouldn't be the prestigious beast it has become today.  Thank You All!!!
The 2nd Annual Malibu Invitational
Competing Groms:
Jake Kelley, Luke Schroeder, Will Dove, Adam Davison, Ashton Malkin, Riley Garrison, Curren Caples, Hugh Brown, Kelly Zaun, Colton Sarlo, Cooper McDonald, Jimbo Borland, Dane McCrystal, Oliver Bren, Patrick Wetton, Barron Hilton, Kerns Chirchil, Skylar Lawson, Ben Holmes, Frankie Harrer, Taylor Curran, Andrew Jacobsen, Shane Borland, Thelen McKenna-Worrell, and Biggie Murray.
 
Competing Malibu Legends:
Mike Lamm, Donny Wilson, Mitch Taylor, Christian Andersen, Allen Sarlo, Carlos Del Olmo, Jay Riddle, Andy Lyon, Lee Westfall, Mark Richards, Joey Jenkins, Dale Rhodes, Mike Marcellino, Dave White, Ricky Schaffer, Scott Daly, Steven Lippman, David Carter, John Baker, John Lalane, Tony Zapatta, Jamie Brisick, Tom Daniels, Sebastian Franklin, Ian Warner, Mike Chipko, Danny Klein, Solo Scott, Evan Caples, Kirk Murray, Bud Donatoni, Steve Dunn, and Bill Parr.
 
Competing Pro's:
Reef McIntosh (Quiksilver), Kyle Knox (O'neill), Yves Bright (O'Quinn), Chad Wells (Quiksilver), Alex Knost (RVCA), Colin Giles (Matix), Michael Schwimer, Quinn McCrystal (Quiksilver), Noah Erickson, Dan Fowler, Pascal Stansfield (Freedom Artists), Frank Tesoro (FastClips), Nate Tyler (Volcom), Jordan Tappis (Freedom Artists), Chris Darrah, Josh Curran, Louis Tesoro (FastClips), Noi Kaulukukui (O'neill), Anthony Petruso (Matix), Tuffer Marsolek, Brad Gerlach, Russell Smith (RVCA), Ratboy Collins (O'neill), Chance Lawson, Jesse Faen (Insight), Brendan Hearne (Freedom Artists), Strider Wasilewski (Quiksilver), Adam Virs, Spencer Regan, Shane Carroll, Alex Gray (Volcom), Chris Brown, Pat Towersey (RVCA), Killian Garland (Volcom), Danny Estes, Ted Navarro, Michael Bailey (O'Quinn), Dillon Perillo (Hurley), Hank Mills, Danny Fuller (Quiksilver), Ryan Simmons (Lost), MIke G (Volcom), Corey Arrambide, Greg Strugach, Benji Weatherly, Warren Metcalfe, Evan Mendelson, Pete Mussio, Jon Robertson, Ford Archibold (RVCA), Chad Compton, Donald Day, Justin Swartz, Jason Haoghy, Kalani Robb (Hurley), and Eric Sorensen.
 
Winning Team:  O'neill
Special Thanks:
Skylar Peak and John Hildebrand of Sicky Dicky Productions.
Pascal Stansfield and Patrick Jensen of Freedom Artists.
Josh Morgan of Duke's Malibu.
Seumas Santoro of Podium Distribution.
Jason Rouse of Malibu Magazine
Jordan Tappis of Bros List.
Steven Lippman of Steven Lippman Print + Film.
Chris Duffy and Blake Richards of Val Surf.
Oceana.
Brian Rogers of Chateau Ste-Michelle Wine Estates.
Carlos from Ola's Mexican Grill.
Tony T's Winner's Pizza.
Carlos Del Olmo and Donnie Wilson
Ryan Simmons
Oden
Remy of Sicky Dicky Productions.
Colin Giles
Jimmy Gamboa and Ryan Conder.
DJ Jacques.
Annie Ellis, Barbie Herron Rae, and Darrel Rae.
Patron.
Coors Light.
Carla Rowland
Matt Malone
Reilley Lippman
Rich Lawson
Kalani Robb
Jesse Billauer
Bobby Lockhart
Danny Fuller
Matt Sprouse
Kirk Murray
Matt Rapf and Andy Lyon of Pritchett-Rapf Realty
Famous Wax
Jeff Tully and Ian Hill of Fuel TV
Mike Matey and Marcus Sanders of Surfline
Pat Towersey of RVCA
Brandy Faber of Podium Distribution
Lynn Atkinson of Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.
Brandy from The City Of Malibu
Roger Russell of Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguards.
Jeff Ransenberg of Ransenberg Financial and Insurance Services
Brian Dunlap of Podium Distribution.
Brad Dougherty, Jack Morrissey, and Mike G of Volcom
Jeff Booth of Billabong.
Jay Lightburne, Tom Holbrook, Chad Wells, Strider Wasilewski, and Chris Darrah of Quiksilver.
Snowy, Lee Westfall, and Matt Bovard of O'neill.
Chad Crites and Steve Meidroth of Lost .
Scott Klamecki and Marty Kish of Vestal Watches.
Mark Weber, Manny Amador, and Matt Singley of Hurley.
Todd Griffiths of Spy Optics.
Rob Molt and EG of Sector 9 Skateboaards.
Jason Callaway of Girl Skateboards.
Mike Bagnuolo and Doug Coger of DC Shoes.
Jeff Baldwin of Transworld SURF.
And my rock Monica Richards.
 
Special Special Thanks:
Brian Rogers of Chateau Ste-Micheller Winery
Jos Morgan of Duke's Malibu
All Of The Surfers Who Participated---You Made It Happen!!!
 
Groms:
1.  Kelly Zaun
2.  Dane McCrystal
3.  Skylar Lawson
4.  Colton Sarlo
 
Malibu Legends:
1.  Donny Wilson
2.  Tom Daniels
3.  Solo Scott
4.  Allen Sarlo
 
Pro's
1.  Adam Virs
2.  Brenden Hearne
3.  Kyle Knox
4.  Anthony Petruso
 
Thanks to everyone in our great community for coming together as one to make this event a success, Brandon Richards.
Benefiting Lyon Herron - Blending Generations of Surfing To Save A Life.
Historic First Point, Malibu. / September 27th & 28th 2008
Presented by Freedom Artists, Val Surf, Sicky Dicky, BrosList.com, Dukes Malibu, Malibu Magazine, Oceana, and Chateau Ste Michelle Wine Estates.
Sponsored by DVS, Matix, Volcom, RVCA, Quiksilver, Hurley, Lost, DC, Vestal, O'neill, Tony T's Winner's Pizza, Ola's Mexican Grill, Fuel TV, Surfline, Ransenberg Financial & Insurance Services, ZJ's, Santa Monica Surf Shop, Becker, Momentum, and Revolution.