The board was shaped from a foam blank by Nat Young himself while working at Gordon Woods Surfboards, Sydney, and included a ½" single stringer & unusually thin rails for the period.
Although experimentation had already begun with slightly, and performance based, shorter Malibu designs, including the 1964 ‘Hot Dog’ and ‘noserider’ models, these designs were primarily aiming to increase the 'trim' potential of the already established Malibu riding styles and moves, whereas the ‘thin rail’ Malibu was aiming to increase or 'add to' the actual styles and moves being performed.

This particular board was affectionately named ‘Sam’ by Nat Young, and he secretly felt that it had 'magical' powers of it's own.
It had a rounded flat nose and a square tail. The deck was flat and the bottom rounded to allow for 'roll' in turning.
The ‘thin’ rails were shaped to a 50/50 sizing – allowing maximum ‘cutting’ edges. Although harder to paddle, the idea was that the board’s thinner rails would allow the board to cut into the wave when turning. Combined with the 'pig' style volume placement - this would allow sharper turning, or ‘carving’, without the drag of the more traditional thicker Malibu boards. - and also drive out of the turns (bottoms).