It’s been a pretty sub-par summer as far as waves are concerned on the East Coast of Australia. Some would argue that, other than the odd day here and there, we’ve not seen a solid run of swell for over six months. When there has been waves, they’ve usually been paired with numerous bull shark sightings which have kept surfers from Sydney up to the Goldy out of the water.
However, over the last seven days that has all changed. The points on the Gold Coast have been on the cook and everyone has been hungry to get in on the action. While it’s not been all time by any means, there’s been plenty of three foot runners to keep hundreds busy doing laps of the point at Snapper.
The usual suspects have all been putting on a clinic, including the likes of Mick Fanning, Steph Gilmore, Joel Parkinson, Sheldon Simkus and more. A bunch of Challenger Series crew have also been putting in the reps as they prepare for the last event of the season which kicks off in Newcastle next week. The likes of Callum Robson, Morgan Cibilic and Winter Vincent, all of which train out of the High Performance Centre on the Goldy, have been seen running mock heats at Snapper and round the corner at D-Bah.
Before the CS kicks off in Newy, a bunch of the Challenger crew will be joining their local boardriders clubs for the Australian Boardriders Battle which returns to Burleigh this weekend. The comp has become a staple in the national calendar and always provides entertainment. Between half-pissed spectators on the hill and last-minute, heart-racing sprints before the horn, Burleigh’s natural amphitheatre has everything needed for high-stakes surfing pandemonium.
What makes the ABB so special is its unique format. Each club fields five surfers, made up of an Open Men, Open Women, Junior, Masters and a Power Surfer. Each heat lasts 70 minutes, with each surfer’s top score counting towards their teams overall. Every member must complete the course by running up the Burleigh Hill and across the finish line before the end of the heat in order for their score to count. Think of it as surfing’s answer to a biathlon.
It looks like conditions may align for the clubs to score this weekend at the ABB. Tropical Cyclone Urmil has formed out in the Pacific and is set to send swell to Australia’s East Coast towards the back end of this week and into the next.
While we wait for more waves on the way, check out some of our favourite shots from the past seven days on the Goldy courtesy of Simon ‘Swilly’ Williams.
