Burleigh to cash in on rise of O’Brien
LIAM O’Brien was crowned the best male performer at last year’s Australian Boardriders Battle Series National Final and now he wants to take Burleigh to the top.
The Burleigh Heads Boardriders Club will be among the clubs competing in the event at Newcastle’s Main Beach across today and tomorrow.
O’Brien was on the cusp of qualifying for the WSL men’s
WILDCARD CLUBS
Merewether (NSW) North Shelley (NSW) Avoca (NSW) Byron (NSW) Ulladulla (NSW)
QUALIFIED CLUBS
Noosa (QLD) Point Lookout (QLD)
World Tour in 2019 and is ready to kickstart his 2020 qualifying campaign in the best way possible: a club win in Newcastle.
“The pressure you experience in the team environment is another level again
North Shore (QLD) Burleigh Heads (QLD) Queenscliff (NSW) Curl Curl United (NSW) Nth Narrabeen (NSW) Le Ba (NSW) Coffs Harbour (NSW) Kingscliff (NSW) Elouera (NSW)
on individual O’Brien said.
“Burleigh is a proud club and will be aiming for the win, which makes it the perfect event to kick off the year with. For me personally, this event is the perfect start to
surfing,”
Bondi (NSW) Culburra (NSW) Margaret River (WA) Seaford (SA) South Arm (TAS) Torquay (VIC) Phillip Island (VIC)
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the competitive season.” O’Brien won the Rabbit Bartholomew Medal for top male surfer at the 2019 edition of the event, while Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club were the top performing Gold Coast squad last year, finishing fourth in the final. Now in its seventh season, the Australian Boardriders Battle is the country’s biggest grassroots boardriders event, involving more than 60 of Australia’s best boardrider clubs and $110,000 in prizemoney.
The series is officially sanctioned by the World Surf League, which allows Australian WSL Championship Tour surfers (men and women) the opportunity to represent their local boardriders clubs at respective state qualifying events and the national final.
Adding to the high stakes at the state qualifying events will be two speciality awards.