March 29 - April 4, 2015: Issue 208
2015 Surftag Australian Championships
Shane Carrol NASA - North Avalon Surfriders Association - Photo by and courtesy Throwing Buckets Magazine
2015 Surftag Australian Championships
27 – 29 March, North Narrabeen, Sydney
ISUZU D-MAX SURFTAG AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
24.03.2015: by Global Surftag
North Narrabeen Boardriders looking for Double Six
Thirty-two teams will contest this week’s Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Australian Championships at North Narrabeen with the host club striving for their sixth Men’s Australian Title since Surftag began in 2001.
North Narrabeen will have to finish on top of a quality field that includes last years Australian Champions DBAH Boardriders from Tweed Heads, Newcastle’s Merewether Boardriders, Seaford Boardriders from Adelaide and Sydney’s Bronte Boardriders. DBAH will be heading south with a strong team that includes big guns Brent Dorrington and Dean Morrison with North Narrabeen mustering an experienced squad that includes World Tour surfers Davey Cathels, Cooper Chapman and Nathan Hedge.
Bronte has finished second, third and fourth over the past three years at the Australian Championships as well as winning NSW Titles in 2012 and 2009. “It’s a week out and I’m already feeling the nerves,” Former World Tour surfer Tom Whitaker said. “There is nothing like competing for your club and for your team mates in Surftag. For such an individual sport Surftag gives you the very rare team sport feeling. The swell is looking good and I’m pumped for the Bronte Blue Ducks to again quack their way into the finals.”
Merewether is another club that has been knocking on the door for an Australian Title over the past few years finishing third at last years Australian Championships. “The guys at Narrabeen have a world class beach break at their door step and we can’t wait to compete against them on their home turf,” Merewether’s team captain Jesse Adam said. “We have put together one super solid group of guys and with a few finals births over the last couple of years and a bunch of NSW Titles to our name we feel like we are ready to take a National Title.”
Travelling further than any other team to be at North Narrabeen, Adelaide’s Seaford Boardriders will be led by 2014 WSL Rookie of the Year Dion Atkinson. Brothers Jarrad and Clayton Howse will join Atkinson in the Seaford team who are scheduled to compete in the first heat of the event on Friday morning. “I am looking forward to putting the rashie on for the Seaford Boardriders this week at Narrabeen. It’s always a fun event competing against the best teams from around Australia, can’t wait,” said Atkinson.
As well as an Australian Title on offer for the Men, four Women’s teams will battle it out for an Australian Title. The North Narrabeen Women’s team is also on the hunt for their sixth Australian Title after winning five Titles in the past six years. North Narrabeen will face Queenscliff, North Shelly and DBAH in the Women’s final.
NSW South Coast club Culburra will be competing in Surftag for the first time joining the following teams in the heat draw, Coffs Harbour, Merewether, Norah Head, North Shelly, Wamberal, Avoca, MacMasters, North Avalon, Newport, Mona Vale, North Narrabeen, Long Reef, Curl Curl, Queenscliff, North Steyne, Bondi, Bronte, Maroubra, Elouera, Cronulla, Scarborough, Woonona and Werri Beach.
Teams will be competing for a slice of the $20,000 prize pool with the Australian Champions pocketing $7,000.
The Surftag format involves teams of five surfers (one x over thirty year old per team) competing in relay-style. Each surfer must catch three waves and then return to the beach to ‘tag’ their teammate. But any winning team knows the key to trumping their opposition is to solidify on the second wave that scores double points, known as the ‘Powerwave’. Securing a big score on a Powerwave has seen teams jump from fourth position into first, meaning no heat is ever over until the final hooter.
Bonus points are awarded to teams who finish within the sixty-minute time frame and the top two highest scoring teams from each heat progress to the next round.
Isuzu D-MAX and Swellnet proudly support the 2015 Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Australian Championships.
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Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Round 1, Heat 1.: 1st - Culburra, 2nd - Seaford, 3rd - Werri Beach, 4th - North Shelly "B"
Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Round 1 Heat 2: 1st - North Avalon, 2nd - Cronulla, 3rd - Mona Vale, 4th - Woonona
Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Round 1 Heat 3: 1st - Coffs Harbour, 2nd - North Steyne, 3rd - Wamberal Express, 4th - Newport Plus
Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Round 1 Heat 4: 1st - Bondi, 2nd, North Narrabeen "C", 3rd - MacMasters, 4th - QBC "C"
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Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Round 2 Heat 1.: 1st - Culburra, 2nd - DBAH, 3rd - Bronte "B", 4th - QBC "B"
Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Round 2 Heat 2: 1st - North Avalon, 2nd - Avoca, 3rd - Curl Curl, 4th - Seaford
Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Round 2 Heat 3: 1st - North Narrabeen "A", 2nd - Long Reef, 3rd - Cronulla, 4th - Maroubra.
Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Round 2 Heat 4: 1st - Coffs Harbour, 2nd - Bronte, 3rd - North Shelly.
Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Round 2 Heat 5: 1st - Bondi, 2nd - QBC, 3rd - Elouera, 4th - North Steyne
Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Round 2 Heat 6: 1st - North Narrabeen "B", 2nd - Scarborough, 3rd - Merewether, 4th - North Narrabeen "C"
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Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Women's Final: 1st - DBAH, 2nd - North Narrabeen, 3rd - North Shelly, 4th – QBC
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Northern Beaches Teams
Curl Curl Boardriders: Parker Graham, Harley Ross, Leigh McMahan, Matt Bemrose, Steve Ahrens
Long Reef Boardriders: Steve Clements, Robbie France, Zahn Foxton, Nick James, Harm Kassulke
Mona Vale: Kieran White, Toby Martin, Simon Bergin, Adam Russell, Mark Sheppard
Newport Plus: Chad Schomberg, Harry Musgrove, Chester Newling, Luca Elder, Jimmy Whiteford
North Avalon: Darcey Crump, Chris Salisbury, Shane Carrol, Jason Sailisbury and Harry Girdler
North Narrabeen 'A': Davie Cathels, Cooper Chapman, Nathan Webster, Jordie Lawler, Matt Capel
North Narrabeen 'B': Dave Vlug, Jackson Carey, Christo Hall, Chris Enever, Ben Short
North Narrabeen 'C': Matt Hardy, Jamai Evans, Bodi Smith, Mark Banno, Rielly Cadman
North Steyne Boardriders: Richie Lovett, Dustin Atkinson, Jamie Krups, Tristen Mcaffery, Ollie Ingham
Queenscliff Boardriders Club 'A': Nick Butler, Jarrad Sullivan, Austin Ware, Nick Riley, Samson Coulter
Queenscliff Boardriders Club 'B': Ryan Alagich, Ben Hamilton, Ben Penny, Dan Ksarren, Tom Lane
Queenscliff Boardriders Club 'C': Alex Hayes, Gerard McCallum, Bryce Martiskin, Jesse Francis, Marvo
North Narrabeen Women's: Elle Black, Belinda Hardwick, Jess Van Der Meer, Tessade Josselin, Shelly Carrier
Queenscliff Boardriders Club Women's: Alysse Cooper, Chloe McGheachie, Nath Toga, Kate Reed, Sammy Walker
See more at: www.globalsurftag.com
Follow Sunday’s Finals on their Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/DMAXSurftag
Images Courtesy Throwing Buckets Magazine - Newcastle's premier boardriders & lifestyle magazine Available to buy in iTunes and Pocketmags.com. Website: throwingbuckets.com.au Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ThrowingBucketsonline
Matt Hardy - North Narrabeen Boardriders Club - photo by and courtesy of Throwing Buckets Magazine.
Richie Lovett - North Steyne Boardriders - photo courtesy Throwing Buckets Magazine