To be a contender in The Australian Boardriders Battle you need the light-footedness of a ballerina to skip over The Burleigh Rocks, an elite surfing act, the self-sacrifice of a dedicated team player and the time management of a footballer in extra time. The combination of variables mixed with the tribal passion for club surfing in Australia make The ABB arguably modern surfing’s most compelling event to watch. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Throw in support crews that scream like Premier League soccer fans, the spectacular Burleigh headland as a backdrop, four-foot of swell and a groomed slug of sand, and you have the makings of a magic event. That was the scene at Burleigh last weekend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ABB also owes much of its appeal to the fact it\u2019s the kind of open-slather contest where lip-slugging concreters, like North Shelley\u2019s Shane Holmes, come up against soft-handed career pros who have never done a day\u2019s work in their lives; and often it\u2019s the non-pros who thrive in the pressure-cooker teams setting. Clubs definitely want their top surfers to perform but a big ego, time-thief can be your worst enemy in this event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n