Margaret River Boardriders Club claimed a long-awaited victory at Trigg Beach at the weekend in the opening round of the Australian Boardriders Battle.
Described by judges as a nail-biting final that went down to the wire, the champions from Margaret River narrowly bested home favourites Trigg Point by 0.07 of a point.
Led by Jerome Forrest, Ben Spence, Okie Fraser, Kaleisha Launders, and Brodie Mulik, Margaret River edged out Trigg Point in the dying moments thanks to a clutch 6.57 from Spence with just 10 seconds left on the clock.
Margaret River’s combined total of 33.11 was enough to secure the win, with Trigg Point finishing on 32.16 and Scarborough third on 27.38.
Forrest said his team’s consistency in the final made all the difference.
“Everyone surfed really well and today paid off,” he said.
“It’s such a tricky event where it often comes down to the last surfer, but we all managed to post above-average scores and that was enough to get us across the line.
“That final was nerve-wracking though. When the clock is at 30 seconds and you’re wondering if a wave will even come, then to come out on top was epic,” Forrest said.
“The suspense is why we do this sport. We’ve got a really solid team this year, and we’ll carry this momentum to Burleigh. We’re all really excited.”
The opening round contest was held in tricky 1–2ft onshore waves under mostly sunny skies following the battle’s accustomed tag-team format.
As the champion WA club, Margaret River will go to the grand final at Burleigh Heads in Queensland at year’s end.
Yallingup Boardriders’ squad of Zac Ogram, Maverick Wilson, Kade Martin, Emma Catlin, and Cruz Uros finished fourth.
