Ring a ding ding, board raffle is king

THE annual Bell’s board raffle has been a staple fundraiser for the Torquay Boardriders Club for many, many years.

When the surfing legends come to the town, you can count on TBC to have a fantastic prize up for grabs.

As a club, TBC have been extremely fortunate over the years to have had great support from the pros and local Torquay surfing industry. Parko, Wilko, Fanning – we’ve given away surfboards from them all.

This year was no different. In fact, to coincide with Mick Fanning’s retirement from the tour, TBC had not one but two premium prizes.

First prize was a Fanning board signed by the champ himself. Second prize a board from 2017 Rookie of the Year winner Connor O’Leary with the autographs of most of the surfers on tour.

Over the Easter holiday and Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach 2018 competition window, TBC spent 70-plus hours selling over 8,000 tickets to a generous and excited crowd who all wanted to win themselves a piece of surfing history.

As Fanning progressed through the heats, the desire from the spectators to win his board increased.

After the historic final between Fanning and Italo Ferriera was complete, the lucky winners of TBC’s 2018 Bell’s board raffle were drawn by the newly crowned Bell’s 2018 champion Ferriera.

Tess Douglas of Melbourne claimed the first prize Mick Fanning surfboard, and was so shocked at her win she thought she was being pranked by a friend! One of those lucky people – Douglas had one single ticket in the draw!

Second prize went to a former Geelong resident in town for the Easter period, Scott Moro. He is super excited to ship his Connor O’Leary board back to Ohio, USA where it will find pride of place on his wall.

TBC would like to send its sincere thanks to its ongoing club sponsors Rip Curl, Quiksilver, Billabong, Strapper, Globe, Modom, Peachs, Surf Coast Times, XTM, Mann Legal, Reef & Dough Bros for all their support.

Also, many thanks to Surfing Victoria and the WSL, their kindness to the TBC over this competition was incredible.

To everyone in the wider community who supported this major fundraiser, they say THANK YOU. These funds will allow them to continue to hone their junior development and participate in national team title events.

Congratulations to all the winners, especially Italo Ferreira and Stephanie Gilmore, along with the runners up: Mick Fanning and Tatiana Weston Webb. See you at next year’s Rip Curl Pro!