The world’s biggest club surfing event, the Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle (ABB) Grand Final, makes its debut at Burleigh Heads, Queensland tomorrow.
Surfers from across the country have begun arriving on the Gold Coast keen to familiarise themselves with the new course.
Ex-pro surfer, Joel Parkinson, said: “The Burleigh boys are going to have a huge advantage, and some of the Gold Coast teams too, who would’ve surfed it quite a bit. But some of the other teams that don’t spend their life jumping off these rocks are going to really have some troubles.”
Conditions are expected to pick up for the event, which starts at 8am with Round 1, Heat 1, in two to three foot waves at the famous-point break.
West Australian surfing legend, Taj Burrow, will be competing with his local club, Yallingup Boardriders.
“Running up that hill is gonna be rough for sure, but I think the rock scramble with the time ticking is worse.”
But he said Yallingup’s team was solid and had a chance at winning the contest.
“I think it’s fun to pull together a team and compete that way, it’s a rare thing after competing my whole life as an individual. Team spirit is a totally different dynamic and I’m really looking forward to it.”
After eight state qualifying rounds, involving more than 80 clubs, only 42 teams have earned their spot in the prestigious Grand Final.
Contest Director, Glen Elliott, said: “We’ll see some of the world’s best surfing talent with juniors coming up against ex-pro’s like Layne Beachley, Taj Burrow, Jay Davies, Joel Parkinson, Josh Kerr, Danny Wills, Kieran Perrow and Bede Durbidge. This is the unique aspect of this event. Imagine surfing a heat with former world champions and your surfing heroes.
“We’ve got the biggest field ever in the history of the Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle Grand Final taking on the new battle ground of Burleigh point and with a bump in swell forecast this is guaranteed to be the most exciting event yet for spectators.”
Heat times have been extended to 70 minutes to accommodate the longer course and rock jump. While on the shores, there is a festival-like atmosphere that includes food trucks, the Jim Beam public bar, DJ sessions and more. There’s also Woolworths SurfGroms lessons and the always hotly contested Hyundai Electric Airshow.
The event will be broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports 507, Kayo Sports and the mySURFtv YouTube channel, with commentary from Vaughan Blakey, Sean Doherty, Stace Galbraith, Jesse Starling and Reggae Ellis.
You can follow scores and results as they happen via LiveHeats.
The Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle Grand Final is proudly supported by naming partner Hyundai and major partners ACCIONA, Jim Beam, Le Tan, BC™ Bars and Oakley.
The Hyundai ABB Grand Final is supported by Experience Gold Coast and Destination Gold Coast and the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland, and features on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.
Our other event sponsors include Burleigh Pavilion, QMS Media, Murf Bikes, Surfboard Empire, the Gold Coast Bulletin, Tempus One and Merlo Coffee.
About Australian boardrider clubs:
There are more than 250 boardrider clubs across the country, where members gather regularly, often monthly, to organise grassroots competitions at world-class waves such as Burleigh Heads. The boardrider club phenomenon in Australia has made a significant contribution to the nation’s competitive success on the global stage, fostering close-knit communities that support young surfers on their journeys to becoming the next world champions.
Event website HERE.
Participation
My Profile
Login to your profile or Sign up to our new Surfing Portal.
Memberships
Head to your Surfing Portal to purchase or renew memberships
Events & Courses
Head to your Surfing Portal to enter events and courses.
