To be a contender in The Australian Boardriders Battle you need the light-footedness of a ballerina to skip over The Burleigh Rocks, an elite surfing act, the self-sacrifice of a dedicated team player and the time management of a footballer in extra time. The combination of variables mixed with the tribal passion for club surfing in Australia make The ABB arguably modern surfing’s most compelling event to watch.
Throw in support crews that scream like Premier League soccer fans, the spectacular Burleigh headland as a backdrop, four-foot of swell and a groomed slug of sand, and you have the makings of a magic event. That was the scene at Burleigh last weekend.
The ABB also owes much of its appeal to the fact it’s the kind of open-slather contest where lip-slugging concreters, like North Shelley’s Shane Holmes, come up against soft-handed career pros who have never done a day’s work in their lives; and often it’s the non-pros who thrive in the pressure-cooker teams setting. Clubs definitely want their top surfers to perform but a big ego, time-thief can be your worst enemy in this event.
Unlike most other surf contests, it’s also a mixed affair where a woman like Lennox Head’s (Le-Ba) Nyxie Ryan can smash a three-turn combo in the semi for a 9.08, only to see her male teammates let her down and the team just miss out on a final’s berth – bummer for Le-Ba!
Byron Bay’s Soli Bailey made his thoughts about the ABB well-known after his post-heat sprint up the ramp in the semi-finals. Between heavy breaths, Soli huffed, “There’s no better event for me in Australia or in the world.” Soli has been all the way to the CT and back again and is well-qualified to comment on what might be the best event in surfing.
In the end, six east coast clubs (North Shelly, Byron Bay, North Shore, Kawana, Sandon Point) lined up for the final beneath brooding Burleigh skies, but not even the rain could dampen the enthusiasm of the crowds and the clubs.
Although most teams opened strongly it ultimately evolved into a two-club race between North Shelly and Byron Bay.
A 7.70 from former Pipe Master, Kieren Perrow, put Byron right in the mix and as the power-surfers, Dakoda Walters (Byron) and Hughie Vaughan (North Shelley) entered the water, with only a few minutes on the clock, both teams were almost level. Despite hitting the lineup after Hughie, Dakoda swooped on a zippering wall and laid down four crisp, immaculately choreographed turns. The pressure was then all on Hughie to produce a clutch performance for North Shelly – as power surfer he would only have the option to catch one wave. Spin-king Hughie laid it all on the line and hurled his wiry frame through a hefty air reverse. As the siren went no final surfer from any club was back in the box, which meant they would all receive the same five-point penalty. With no time bonus up for grabs it literally came down to the final exchange between Dakoda and Hughie. After the judges locked in an 8.08 for Dakoda, they spent an eternity deliberating over Hughie’s ride, which needed to come in at 8.04 or better for North Shelly to claim their second ABB title. When the score dropped at 8.08 (the same score as Dakoda), it meant victory by a mere .04 for North Shelly. As North Shelly supporters erupted, Hughie immediately tossed his lighweight frame into the mosh-pit and rode his last wave of the day on the raised hands of his teammates.
It was the sort of finish that will divide opinion amongst pundits and punters alike – was Hughie’s last-ditch air rev worth as much as Dakoda’s four, critical on-rail turns? Attention grabbing, contemporary surfing vs a high-quality, classic approach. Debates aside, it was a total thriller that made for great viewing whether you were at the event-site or at home on the couch.
Jammed between an Australian Grand Prix and a Matilda’s match against South Korea on the same day, the ABB more than held its own as a sporting fixture. The success of the team’s event is certainly underpinned by the passion for club surfing in Australia, but it’s hard to understand why the WSL or even the Olympics haven’t embraced the format. Watching surfers represent their respective nations in a teams format would surely add another exciting dimension to both competitions without infringing on the battles for individual world titles or gold – maybe one day we’ll see it happen.
Check out some of our favourite shots from the event below. Courtesy of Swilly.
