Snapper Rocks celebrate their win
The heat is on in Be The Influence Australian
Boardriders Battle
oardriders clubs rivalries are on the boil as the days
count down to the biggest weekend in grassroots
Australian surfing – the inaugural final of the Be
the Influence Australian Boardriders Battle at
Cronulla on the Australia Day long weekend.
The national series, which started in South Australia
in October, is pitting Australia’s best boardriders clubs
against each other in seven State qualifying rounds
before culminating in a National Final between 16 clubs
in Cronulla on 25-26 January.
A massive two-day festival is planned for the National
Final, which will include live broadcast, big screen
broadcast on the beach, major event infrastructure and
two live music concerts.
The series is officially sanctioned by the Association of
Surfing Professionals (ASP), which allows Australian ASP
4 | Surfing Australia News
World Championship Tour surfers (men and women) the
opportunity to represent their local boardriders club at
respective State qualifying events and the National Final.
Already, the State qualifying rounds have attracted
a cavalcade of elite ASP firepower. The Queensland
qualifying round was top heavy with World Champions
including Joel Parkinson and Stephanie Gilmore for
Snapper Rocks Surfriders and Mick Fanning for Kirra
Surfriders. Taj Burrow threw on the contest rashie for
Yallingup during the Western Australia qualifying round.
The qualifying rounds have also seen a host of former
ASP competitors and current ASP Star competitors on
show.
“On tour, if I lose a heat I get disappointed in myself, but
the thought of losing a heat for my club is way worse,”
Parkinson said.