Torquay secure best ever finish at Australian Boardriders Battle

THE Torquay Boardriders Club has finished equal fifth in the Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle (ABB) this past weekend in Newcastle, the club’s best ever finish in the event.

The event featured 24 of Australia’s best Boardrider clubs from around Australia, all doing battle over two days for glory and more than $99,000 in cash and prizes with plenty of late drama for the Surf Coast side.

Saturday, the first of the two-day event, exhibited individual competition first, with cumulative results from each club setting the seeds for Sunday’s tag team component.

Both days had less than ideal conditions, with rogue six-to-eight-foot messy conditions on the outside, with most of the competition being run on an awkward inside right rip bowl.

Xavier Huxtable led Torquay off in the Open Men’s division, winning his heat with one of the highest scores of the division.

Teammate Bella Wilson competed in the Open Women’s, finishing third in a tight heat.

Meanwhile in the Over 35 bracket, Jack Perry held onto second for much of the heat, before slipping back to fourth in the final exchange.

The day was closed out by Willis Droomer in the juniors, who dominated in his heat from start to finish.

Torquay finished Saturday in 10th position overall, picking up $500 from Huxtable’s and Willis’ heat wins.

Sunday’s competition was all tag team surfing, the headline act, with overall winners taking home $20,000.

Torquay won their opening heat with the highest team total of the round.

With the ever-reliable Huxtable leading the charge as the team’s power surfer, Torquay went on to win their quarter final heat as well.

The semi-final was a super tight affair, with Torquay taking on a stacked line-up of teams.

Past event champions Snapper Rocks snuck out to a small lead, with Torquay fighting North Shelley for the second advancing position.

It came down to the final exchange between power surfers, with 0.07 separating the two clubs. Ultimately, it wasn’t to be, as Huxtable failed to complete his final in what was described as “true go hard or go home fashion surfing”.

Club coach Jack Perry was proud of the team’s performance saying, “We always come here with the goal of winning the Australia Boardriders Battle”.

“This year we were one step closer with fifth, our best result in this event. These are the best clubs in the country, and we are right there with the top teams.

“I’m so proud of the team, not just those selected to surf on the day, but the whole squad.”

Torquay picked up a total of $4,000 prize money and has a long list of athletes heading off to compete at the Phillip Island Pro regional qualifying series event this week.