The gang at Snapper Surfriders Club might just have to consider an extension to their trophy case after adding the 2011 Rhythm Kirra Teams Challenge to their coffers at the weekend.
They have now won the title an amazing nine times since it began back in 1985, four more than nearest rivals, Kirra.
And, like their win late last year in the region’s other main teams sport event, the Straddie Assault, the Kirra competition went right down to the wire, with Clint Kimmins emulating Shaun Gossman’s last round effort at Stradbroke to give his team victory.
Competing in excellent one metre surf at Duranbah Beach, Kimmins was the Snapper surfer with all the pressure, surfing last for the star-studded team which included world class surfers Joel Parkinson, Dean Morrison and Shaun Gossman, along with talented team members Blake Ainsworth, Mitch Crews, Jay Phillips and Ice Periera-Ryan.
A loss in his heat would have given victory to either Merewether or local rivals Kirra. It was a see-sawing duel between Kimmins and Palm Beach surfer Jeff Norris, with neither surfer getting clear winning waves and the lead changing constantly, before Kimmins eventually claimed victory by just 0.23 of a point.
“That was the toughest heat I’ve surfed,” Kimmins said after the event.
“Surfing for the team, I knew the situation and I just tried to concentrate on surfing my best but the pressure was there – knowing Parko and Deano and the whole rest of the team had done their job to get us to a winning position – it was tough but it feels great now, we’re number one club!”
Club president Shane Bevan said it was great to get another win on the board after a six-year drought.
“We always do well and are consistently placed second or third, but we haven’t won since 2005,” he said.
Bevan said the club had a lot of good young surfers coming through, thanks to the work of Peter and Lorraine Bryant, with 50–60 juniors turning up for the club competitions.
“We could probably put two teams in if we wanted and we’d still finish about mid-table with both of them.”
As with the Straddie Assault, the Snapper boys came from behind, starting the event with second placings to Blake Ainsworth, Mitch Crews and Jay Phillips before Ice Periera-Ryan broke through for the club’s first victory of the weekend and set them on the course for victory.
In the end, Snapper finished ahead of main rivals Kirra, followed by Mereweather. However, the Tweed Coast clubs weren’t disgraced, with huge performances that saw Cabarita finish fourth just ahead of Kingscliff, while D/Bah came in ninth.
And although they didn’t win, Kirra still picked up some kudos, with former world champion Mick Fanning posting the event’s highest heat tally of 18.73, including a pair of outstanding nine point rides.
