Cronulla and Elouera qualify for National Titles

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Story by: John Veage

In a fitting result the two strongest Surfing Sutherland Shire Boardriders Clubs have qualified for the 2024 Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle final to be held at Burleigh Heads in March.
Cronulla Sharks and rivals Elouera both made the final in the last qualification contest at Kiama on Saturday, Cronulla just getting bragging rights finishing on the podium in third (24.74) with the Dunnies a close fourth (22.96).

Cronulla’s Club Champion Hayden Blair said it is great to be part of a solid and positive team.

“There were a few intense moments, but as a team we backed ourselves and we knew what it would take to get through,” he said.

“Looking forward to continuing this momentum all the way to the nationals finals.”

Scarborough Boardriders won the Kiama qualifier followed by Maroubra United, Cronulla Sharks and Elouera. Cronulla surfer Jordan Widenstrom said their first round victory set them up.

“We didn’t really put a complete heat together so we were lucky we didn’t have to surf the extra two rounds like Elouera.

“Anything can happen – our power surfer Jay Brown got us into the final.”

Elouera’s power surfer (they surf twice in a heat) Jarvis Earle was penalised for an interference in the first round which cost them a semi final berth and they had to do it the hard way but a world class surfer of his calibre can’t be discounted. An Elouera spokesman said it was a super fun day for the ABB Southern Qualifier.

“Team EBC and our support squad had a ball. We were stoked with our performance and to qualify for the National Finals in Burleigh Heads.”

The Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle is Australia’s biggest grassroots boardriders event and involves more than 70 of Australia’s best clubs.
Taking place across eight state qualifying rounds, clubs will come together at the national final to battle it out to become the series 11 Australian Champions with more than $115, 000 in total prize money up for grabs throughout the series.

Surfing Australia announced earlier that the Boardriders Battle Grand Final was moving from Newcastle to Burleigh Heads for the next three years, a world-famous point break on the Gold Coast.
Cronulla hosted the event for its first three years. Tourism Events Queensland and Major Events Gold Coast will host the Grand Final of the series on March 9-10, 2024.
The Elouera team consisted of Jarvis Earle, Joey Sear, Jared Hickel, April Davey, Jaya Wardana, Korbin Whyte and Mitch Warren.

The third placed Cronulla Sharks team of Jordan Widenstrom, Grace Gosby, Kash Brown, Hayden Blair and Jay Brown will be joined by Elouera at the Boardriders Battle final (inset) Elouera’s Jarvis Earle. Picture SNSW and McDonald.

Back to the future for Cronulla surfers

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Words and image by John Veage

Photo caption: Finalists Fletch Hayllar, Jordan Widenstrom, Charlie Chegwidden,- Matt Gall, Jay Brown and Zac McMartin with organiser Dan Larter.

Cronulla Sharks Boardriders club started 46 years ago when surfboards only had one or two fins and leg ropes were a new invention so it was back to the future last weekend when they ran their inaugural Cronulla Retro Competition.

There was only one rule, all surfers had to ride a pre-1985 surfboard.

In 1978 when they first put on a club singlet Australia’s Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew was the men’s world champion and Hawaii’s Lynn Boyer the women’s and the great Mark Richards was just about to go on his three world championship run riding his twin fin.

Unsurprisingly the twin fin featured heavily on the weekend with five of the six finalists choosing to ride one. Fletch Hayllar was the lone single fin surfer riding a M’Coy classic single.

With the help of sponsor RB99 who ran the BBQ and Hairyman Brewery Dan Larter event organiser said $1500 dollars was raised to put surfers through a Mental Health First Aid course.

Event Winner: Jay Brown – Photo: J Veage.

It was an open event but it was two Cronulla club champions who fought it out in the one meter waves at the North Cronulla Alley, with Jay Brown just edging out Jordan Widenstrom for the cash and getting first plaque on the perpetual trophy.

Kash is King

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Cronulla Boardriders Club junior champion Kash Brown has been crowned the U16 winner at finals day of the 2023 Rip Curl Search at Merewether Beach, Newcastle on Sunday.

Brown was the only Surfing Sutherland Shire finalist but his clubmates Grace Gosby and Sonny Leong both made the semi finals of the prestigious junior event in their age divisions.

In the U16 girls NSW champion Gosby had the top score of a 7 but fell short by .03 and only needed a 3.43 to actually win.

A busy Brown dominated his final scoring two 8 plus rides and comboing the entire finals field.

The Rip Curl GromSearch series began as a single day event in 1999 and has developed into a world-wide series providing groms with the opportunity to surf and test their skills against the best junior talent in their country.

National Final competitors will be selected from the 2023 GromSearch events, with the top three competitors from each location guaranteed automatic entry.