TONIC - Summer 2014/15 | Page 8

TONIC | NEWS ORIGINAL SOURCE AUSTRALIAN BOARDRIDERSCOUNTRY’S BIGGEST GRASSROOTS, BATTLE THE ORIGINAL SOURCE AUSTRALIAN BOARDRIDERS BATTLE IS THE BOARDRIDERS EVENT SERIES WITH $120,000 IN PRIZE MONEY. IT WILL INVOLVE MORE THAN 100 OF AUSTRALIA’S BEST BOARDRIDERS CLUBS IN EIGHT STATE QUALIFYING ROUNDS STARTING IN OCTOBER AND CULMINATE IN A TWO-DAY, NATIONAL FINAL FOR 20 CLUBS ON THE AUSTRALIA DAY LONG WEEKEND ON 24-25 JANUARY, 2015 AT CRONULLA IN SYDNEY. In a do or die teams semi final between Snapper Rocks Surfriders, Kirra Surfriders and Dbah Boardriders, it was Snapper Rocks who were faced with elimination in the final 5 minutes of the hour-long heat while sitting in third place. Snapper’s nominated power surfer, Reef Doig scored a 5.83 (Out of a possible 10) in the dying moments, only requiring a 3.5 single scoring wave to relegate Snapper Back in the lead and secure his club a position in the final. Snapper Rocks then went on to win the final from start to finish against Burleigh Boardriders, Coolum Boardriders and Kirra Surfriders respectively. “I’m so happy that we’ve taken out the Original Source Australian Boardriders Battle for a second consecutive year”, said Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club President, Jay Philips. “We’ve come into this event with no expectations so walking away with first place and a guaranteed spot in the nationals Original Source Australian Boardriders Battle is a dream for our club. This is our third consecutive club event victory in a row so the hat trick makes this event that much more special,” Jay continued. Mick Fanning, representing Kirra Surfriders was challenged by the inconsistent 1-2ft waves at Duranbah however still managed to score an excellent 8 point ride in the early stages of the team’s semi final round. The unpredictable conditions offered Fanning near impossible scoring potential when chasing a 6.33 (out of a possible 10) to relegate Kirra Surfriders into first place in the team’s final. 8 – SUMMER ISSUE Fanning will continue to focus his energy into his world title campaign where he is in contention for his fourth world title with the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour hinging on results from the final event of the year in Hawaii . Queensland have allocated the top four boardriders clubs to compete against the nation’s best at the Original Source Australian Boardriders Battle national final in Cronulla over the 2015 Australia Day long weekend (January 24-25). Queensland’s team will consist of Snapper Rocks Surfriders, Burleigh Boardriders, Coolum Boardriders and Kirra Surfriders. The series is officially sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), which allows Australian ASP World Championship Tour surfers (men and women) the opportunity to represent their local boardriders club at respective State qualifying events and the National Final. Each club team will include one junior (Under 18) surfer, four Open age surfers, and one over 35 surfer. Each team must include one female surfer. An exciting event format will see club teams battle it out in a Women’s division, five-person Teams’ division and a Skins competition. The National Final will include a lucrative, winner-take-all Skins format across 12 heats with a $1000 jackpot in each heat. YOUR REGULAR DOSE OF SURF NEWS.