Thirty-two teams will contest this week’s Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Australian Championships at North Narrabeen with the host club striving for their sixth Men’s Australian Title since Surftag began in 2001.

North Narrabeen will have to finish on top of a quality field that includes last years Australian Champions DBAH Boardriders from Tweed Heads, Newcastle’s Merewether Boardriders, Seaford Boardriders from Adelaide and Sydney’s Bronte Boardriders. DBAH will be heading south with a strong team that includes big guns Brent Dorrington and Dean Morrison with North Narrabeen mustering an experienced squad that includes World Tour surfers Davey Cathels, Cooper Chapman and Nathan Hedge.

Bronte has finished second, third and fourth over the past three years at the Australian Championships as well as winning NSW Titles in 2012 and 2009. “It’s a week out and I’m already feeling the nerves,” Former World Tour surfer Tom Whitaker said. “There is nothing like competing for your club and for your team mates in Surftag. For such an individual sport Surftag gives you the very rare team sport feeling. The swell is looking good and I’m pumped for the Bronte Blue Ducks to again quack their way into the finals.”

Merewether is another club that has been knocking on the door for an Australian Title over the past few years finishing third at last years Australian Championships. “The guys at Narrabeen have a world class beach break at their door step and we can’t wait to compete against them on their home turf,” Merewether’s team captain Jesse Adam said. “We have put together one super solid group of guys and with a few finals births over the last couple of years and a bunch of NSW Titles to our name we feel like we are ready to take a National Title.”

Travelling further than any other team to be at North Narrabeen, Adelaide’s Seaford Boardriders will be led by 2014 WSL Rookie of the Year Dion Atkinson. Brothers Jarrad and Clayton Howse will join Atkinson in the Seaford team who are scheduled to compete in the first heat of the event on Friday morning. “I am looking forward to putting the rashie on for the Seaford Boardriders this week at Narrabeen. It’s always a fun event competing against the best teams from around Australia, can’t wait,” said Atkinson.

As well as an Australian Title on offer for the Men, four Women’s teams will battle it out for an Australian Title. The North Narrabeen Women’s team is also on the hunt for their sixth Australian Title after winning five Titles in the past six years. North Narrabeen will face Queenscliff, North Shelly and DBAH in the Women’s final.

NSW South Coast club Culburra will be competing in Surftag for the first time joining the following teams in the heat draw, Coffs Harbour, Merewether, Norah Head, North Shelly, Wamberal, Avoca, MacMasters, North Avalon, Newport, Mona Vale, North Narrabeen, Long Reef, Curl Curl, Queenscliff, North Steyne, Bondi, Bronte, Maroubra, Elouera, Cronulla, Scarborough, Woonona and Werri Beach.

Teams will be competing for a slice of the $20,000 prize pool with the Australian Champions pocketing $7,000.

The Surftag format involves teams of five surfers (one x over thirty year old per team) competing in relay-style. Each surfer must catch three waves and then return to the beach to ‘tag’ their teammate. But any winning team knows the key to trumping their opposition is to solidify on the second wave that scores double points, known as the ‘Powerwave’. Securing a big score on a Powerwave has seen teams jump from fourth position into first, meaning no heat is ever over until the final hooter.

Bonus points are awarded to teams who finish within the sixty-minute time frame and the top two highest scoring teams from each heat progress to the next round.

Isuzu D-MAX and Swellnet proudly support the 2015 Isuzu D-MAX Surftag Australian Championships.