Peninsula Surfriders Club dominates to win the Hyundai ABB Victorian qualifier

In a dominating performance, Peninsula Surfriders Club took the win at the Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle regional qualifier for 2024. Victorian boardrider clubs flocked to Smiths Beach on Phillip Island, where 2-3 foot onshore waves set the stage for a big day of competition.

Semifinal 1 saw 13th Beach and Torquay start off evenly matched, with both teams’ first surfers scoring high 6-point rides. Then, Torquay’s second surfer, Xavier Huxtable, broke the tie with a 7.27 point ride for two big backhand hooks.

However, with 10 minutes remaining, Torquay still had two surfers left, causing some panic as the team frantically tried to signal their current surfer in. Meanwhile, Peninsula, with 5 out of their 6 waves scored, were comfortably in front. Heading up the team was captain Lachy McDonald who executed a powerful forehand slash, giving his team the motivation to finish off strong.

13th Beach’s final surfer, Jack Basset, only needed a 0.33 ride to secure second place. With two minutes to go, Basset found a left and connected three solid turns, scoring a crucial 4.57 ride to push 13th Beach into second place. Torquay were unable to find a wave in the dying moments, leaving 13th Beach and Peninsula to head into the final. 

In Semifinal 2, Phillip Island delivered the goods through consistently strong surfing, with Carl Wright posting a 7.67 ride on his first wave, setting the tone for the rest of the team to follow. After a consistent run of sixes, the team had already achieved the highest total of the day by their fifth surfer. As the semi-final concluded, Phillip Island finished with the highest heat total of the day, 39.34. Jan Juc also provided a consistent team effort with quality surfing to take second place and progress to the all important final heat where the national qualifying positions were up for grabs.

Unfortunately South Coast BRC, having displayed strong surfing to win their preceding quarterfinal heat, were not able to match their earlier performance and were unable to progress.

Heading into the final, the stakes were high with the top three teams qualifying for a coveted spot in the Hyundai ABB Grand Final, to be held at Burleigh Heads early next year. 

Peninsula started off strong with Pedro Lani finding multiple sections to score a 5.17, followed by Lucas Hickson, who executed a tidy two-turn combo to score a 4.57. However, Phillip Island soon found their rhythm again, with Codie Jeffery picking up a bomb wave and unleashing three huge backhand snaps, temporarily propelling them into first place with his 7.17 ride. This ride, along with many others across the day, earned Jeffrey the Oakley Prizm Performance award. 

Unfortunately, after being on the wrong side of positioning for waves a few times in a row, Phillip Island couldn’t maintain their lead and the door opened for the other teams to forge ahead.

Throughout the final it was clear 13th Beach were playing a game of consistency with each surfer playing their part to add to the team’s score. Their power surfer, Jack Basset, led by example finding the right wave that allowed for a couple of back hand hits and a mid range score. This form was carried all the way to the end of the heat as he found another wave that ran off the bank and allowed for multiple backhand turns. 

Going for their first Hyundai ABB Grand Final appearance, Jan Juc Boardriders were in a tight battle with Phillip Island for third place and a qualifying spot. Their junior surfer Dom Kellet used his youthful energy to make up time, picking up an inside double up and completing a lip line floater. With good heat time management and consistent scores, Jan Juc secured third place.

As the final progressed, Peninsula’s female surfer, Sara Hickson, delivered three massive backhand snaps, earning the highest score of the day—a remarkable 8.33—putting Peninsula back into first place. Hickson not only propelled her team forward but she earned the Boost Mobile Wave of the Day. Peninsula’s remaining surfers consistently outscored their competitors with Sara’s brother, Lucas Hickson, bringing it home by catching a quick wave to finish on time and avoid a five-point deduction. This secured a solid win for the thrilled Peninsula SRC at stop number three of the Hyundai ABB, with 13th Beach also excited to come in second.

“We’re stoked! It’s tricky because there’s obviously some great clubs and it was sad to see Torquay drop out early, they’re the benchmark in many respects. The Island didn’t have a great final, but we’ve been really consistent for a long time,” Peninsula team captain Lachy McDonald said.

“We’ll definitely keep training heading to the national final as that has been working out well for us with the consistency we’ve delivered. We can’t wait to get up to Burleigh’s fun waves! Hopefully it’s not as big and stormy as last year, which was actually kind of a little bit difficult to deal with, so hopefully it’s just easy and fun.”

Boost Mobile Wave of the Day winner Sara Hickson was also thrilled with the win. “I was pretty nervous paddling into that wave but I was able to pull it together and managed to get a couple good turns in,” she said.

“The club’s energy is so good, winning with PSC is just amazing. Such good support, I love it.”

Hyundai ABB Victorian Qualifier Results:
1st – Peninsula SRC, 27.47
2nd – 13th Beach BRC, 22.56
3rd – Jan Juc BRC, 22.07
4th – Phillip Island BRC, 21.44

Full results can be found online at www.liveheats.com/surfingvictoria

2024/25 Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle Series 12:
Event 1 – ABB WA – 14th Sept – Trigg Beach, WA
Event 2 – ABB NSW North – 28th Sept – Coffs Harbour, NSW
Event 3 – ABB VIC – 6th Oct – Phillip Island, VIC 
Event 4 – ABB QLD -12th Oct – Sunshine Coast, QLD
Event 5 – ABB South Aus – 19th Oct – Fleurieu Peninsula, SA
Event 6 – ABB Tas – 26th Oct – Clifton Beach, TAS
Event 7 – ABB NSW South – 2nd Nov – Wollongong, NSW
Event 8 – ABB NSW Central – 9th Nov – North Narrabeen, NSW
Grand Final – 8th – 9th Mar – Burleigh Heads, QLD (entry by qualification)

About Australian Boardrider Clubs:
There are more than 230 boardrider clubs across the country, where members gather regularly, often monthly, to organise grassroots competitions at world-class waves such as Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast. 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.

Surfing Australia last year expanded the Grand Final format to include 42 boardrider clubs (previously 24) from across Australia, with more than $115, 000 in total prize money up for grabs throughout the series.

The Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle Series is proudly supported by naming partner Hyundai and support partners Jim Beam, ACCIONA, Ruffie Rustic Foods, BC™ Protein Snacks, Kennards Hire, Oakley, Dometic, Boost Mobile, Blackroll and Surfers for Climate.  

The Hyundai ABB Gold Coast Grand Final is supported by Experience Gold Coast and the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.

For more information, please visit australianboardridersbattle.com.