GRASSROOTS SURFING HITS THE GOLD COAST AS 34 TEAMS FROM 4 STATES COMPETE IN THE RIP CURL KIRRA TEAMS CHALLENGE WITH QUEENSLAND CLUBS DOMINATING DAY 1
The grassroots of surfing has always been at the boardriding club level, Australia’s boardriding clubs have helped to produce many an Australian World Champion surfer, and 34 clubs from 4 states have converged on the Gold Coast to see who will be number one at the 2005 Rip Curl Kirra Teams Challenge.
This is the 21st year of the event, and this year the clubs are fighting it out for $16,000.00 in prizemoney, the winning club walking away with $6,000.00.
Organizers decided to hold the event at Duranbah Beach. Competitors in day one of a three day event that is the Rip Curl Kirra Teams Challenge tore the metre plus high performance peaks, apart.
The juniors started the action today, and 2004 champions Snapper Rocks Surfriders started their title defense in fine form the Harrington twins, Shaun & Dean racking up two wins for their club, North Narrabeen, and Point lookout (North Stradbroke Island), and host club Kirra Surfriders the only other clubs to notch 2 wins from two on the opening day.
The Queenslanders were dominant, Rory Symes & Curtis Ewing were the standouts for Point Lookout, Davey Cathels & Sam Maddox for North Narrabeen, and Adam Neilsen and Matt Lee for Kirra all collecting heat wins.
With 2 more full days of competition before the number 1 club in Australia is decided by 3pm Sunday, it is only early days yet, and most clubs top surfers, including former WCT surfers Beau Emerton & Todd Prestage and tones of current WQS competitors there will be action-a-plenty to come.