D-Bah Boardriders are once again the undisputed kings of Australian club surfing after winning back-to-back Volcom Kirra Teams Challenge titles over the weekend. First held in the 1960s as the Kirra Pro Am, the format was changed in 1985 to a teams format to become Australia’s most prestigious boardriding title.
It was three days of varying and testing conditions, with the Sunday providing the best waves, with solid clean peaks at Duranbah, where the local lads showed why they were champions, winning every heat they competed in on the Saturday and Sunday to end up with six wins from a total of eight surfers.
Friday it was great waves at Rainbow Bay until the tide dropped out, leaving surfers to move out and surf a huge slabbing Snapper Rocks in the windy and rainy conditions. It was difficult stuff, but it was great to see all the surfers take it on, including the Gold Coast girls, Brodie Doyle and Alyssa Lock. On the Sunday the organisers moved the event to Duranbah, where I witnessed some of the biggest and wild Duranbah I have ever seen. There was also another danger besides the massive surf, huge chunks of driftwood in the water as well. With the howling north-easterly wind blowing into the waves it was, as Snapper stalwart Jay Phillips described it, “Victory at sea”. Some amazing surfing and at the end of the second day, Snapper, Dbah, and Le-Ba (Lennox/Ballina), Coolum and host club Kirra looked like the teams to beat.
Come Sunday, it was smooth and glassy peaks at Duranbah and high performance surfing was on show. The standard of surfing was incredible, and each heat was getting more and more crucial as the day wore on. Brent Dorrington showed some “Midget Magic” to outscore Kirra’s Corey Zeims in an exciting battle, but all in all, the result came down to the final heats.
In an exciting countdown, D-Bah (29) finished ahead of Snapper Rocks Surfriders (29) and Le-Ba Boardriders (28). D-Bah edged out Snapper on countback after securing six wins from its eight surfers to Snapper’s five. Points are awarded in each heat on a 4-3-2-1 basis, with 4 for a win and 1 for a fourth.
The D-Bah Boardriders consisted of Asher Wales, Jack Scollard, Samba Mann, Nick Vasicek, Brent Dorrington, John Cummings, Damon Harvey and Jack Freestone.
With the lead swapping throughout the day, Le-Ba’s Stu Kennedy put his club in front with a commanding win with seven rounds remaining.
The pressure was then on D-Bah’s final surfer, ASP World Junior Champion Jack Freestone to win his heat to ensure D-Bah retained the title. Had he finished second, Snapper’s final surfer Mitch Crews could have snatched the title for his club in the following heat.
Former ASP World Tour competitor Nathan Hedge, surfing for North Narrabeen, tried his best to stop Freestone, but the D-Bah surfer kept his nose in front after taking the lead early in the heat. Hedge couldn’t find the 7.74 needed for victory and Freestone emerged triumphant from the surf and was chaired up the beach by his jubilant clubmates.
Crews was victorious in the next heat to ensure Snapper secured second place. Freestone said the hopes of all his mates added to the pressure during his heat.
“If it’s an ASP event or a boardrider’s event I am still nervous, but I was excited to get out there,” Freestone said.
“It’s awesome to get the win. I’ve got all my mates up there and we’re one big family. To bring it home for them feels pretty amazing.”
Final results:
D-Bah Boardriders 29 (six wins), Snapper Surfriders 29 (five wins), Le-Ba Boardriders 28 (five wins), Kirra Surfriders 26 ((4 wins)
There were good performances from other Tweed Coast Clubs as well, with Cabarita finishing a creditable 9th place, another great performance, with Kingscliff finishing mid-field in 17th. With 36 clubs from all over Australia, it was a great event and one which should continue forever, with the 30th year of the event next year.
