ROARING BEACH/TASMANIA (December 16th/2019): With a team rich in talent, South Arm Boardriders Club took their third nudie Australian Boardriders Battle state qualifying victory under President Eddie’s leadership, getting over the top of a gallant Park Beach Boardriders Club yesterday in great waves at Roaring Beach, Nubeena.
South Arm showed its depth, particularly in the Open Men’s and Masters divisions where Kelly Nordstrom and red hot Luke Bugg displayed the skills and game plan necessary to compete strongly at the national final in Newcastle come February 2020. Their consistent, powerful vertical surfing was too much for the enthusiastic attack of young Riley Stubbs and Tim Brodribb.
Park Beach Boardriders Women’s State Open Champion Luca Brodribb displayed her liking for the Roaring Beach rights and took on South Arm’s experienced Lizzy Stokely in an entertaining heat. The girls went wave for wave, surfing with speed, power and flow. In the end, Lizzy’s experience shone through with a 38.5 point total.
In the Junior heat Park Beach Boardriders young Cowen Duncan faced off against Junior State Team star Toby Lawrence in an entertaining heat that showed the skills and potential of both boys. Toby’s skills won out in the 20-minute heat with a 27.8 to 19.8 victory.
The Teams Challenge was dominated by the South Arm machine, finishing with a few minutes to spare in the 50-minute final. That aside, another highlight was the aggressive surfing of Luke Bugg who found another gear and cranked out some huge manoeuvres with the highest scores of the day from the judging panel. On the other side, it was young Park Beach groms Harry Holmer Cross and Cowen Duncan enjoying the opportunity to gain some experience in the state-level competition, putting the club in a good position moving forward.
The Tasmanian state qualifying round was the last of the 2019/20 before the National Final in Newcastle mid-February.
FINAL POINT SCORE:
South Arm Boardriders Club- 50 points
Park Beach Boardriders Club- 35 points
AIR ASIA AIR OF THE DAY AWARD: Kelly Nordstrom
PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY AWARD: Luke Bugg