First look at Aus Boardriders Battle format changes
Surfers will need to become ironmen in a revolutionary new Australian Boardriders Battle grand final that will be won by the heroics of athletes on the land as much as the sea at Burleigh Heads.
World surfing champion Joel Parkinson and former tour surfer Jay Thompson have given an insight into what athletes can expect at the grand final, to be held from March 9-10, that will feature a new format and new rules.
The final has been held on an open beach in Newcastle, NSW, in recent years but the shift to Burleigh Heads brings with it a point break and a completely new dynamic.
Each of the five surfers competing in the 42 teams will need to run from the top of the Burleigh Hill, into the cove, jump off the rocks and surf before running up scaffold with marine grade flooring in front of the Burleigh Pavilion and up to the top of the hill again to tag their teammate in 70-minute heats.
“The longer run is going to be epic,” Parkinson, a Snapper Boardriders member, said.
“It’s going to really put people on notice, make sure they select the right wave because, you don’t get many opportunities in the water because you’re going to be doing a lot on the land.
“So, I think, to make it work, it’s going to be about efficiency on the land.
“It’ll definitely affect how people select their teams and, really, at Burleigh if you haven’t jumped off the rocks and done it before it’s quite hard especially if it’s high tide, it’s going to have a huge local advantage.
“It’ll make the drama – getting off the rocks and the whole campaign of getting around the point and getting each surfer in and out and on time, will be huge.”
Burleigh Boardriders surfer Thompson said the “ironman” event would be like no other.
“Burleigh is like an amphitheatre with the way it is set up,” Thompson said.
“You will have to run past a lot of people on the hill and by the time you get to the top surfers will be pretty gassed.
“On its day Burleigh is one of the best waves in the world. It is going to be an incredible event.
“The time of year it is on is also peak season for cyclone swells and favourable winds.”
Surfing Australia events specialist Rohan Fell revealed even more changes to the format.
“There will be six clubs competing at any one time this year and the whole weekend will be the teams format,” Fell said.
“The last few years the ABB has had individual surfing on the Saturday and team surfing on the Sunday.
“It will also knockout.
“It is a big shake up that will create a lot of great drama and really good surfing.
“Teams will want to make sure they have their best athletes in the water so they progress through the heats.”
The top carpark at Burleigh Hill will be closed for the event with two large catering areas set up for patrons to get a box seat for the action. be straight