The FISHBOWL Surftag Australian Championships will return to Queenscliff Beach, Sydney, on Friday and Saturday. The famous beach hosted the first Surftag Championships back in 2001. Twenty Men’s and eight Women’s teams will contest this year’s championships with Queensland’s Snapper Rocks Surfriders heading south to defend the Men’s title.

Cooper Chapman - North Narrabeen (Photo Bernadette McAlinden)

Snapper Rocks will face tough competion from last year’s runners-up Elouera Boardriders along with current NSW Champions Maroubra United and 7 x Australian Champions North Narrabeen. Jordy Lawler and Cooper Chapman will lead the charge for North Narrabeen with Shane Campbell and Jared Hickel travelling over the bridge for Elouera.

Snapper’s five man team will include plenty of experience with Surftag veteran’s Jay Phillips and Shaun Gossman teaming up with young guns Reef Doig and Jackson Coffey. Snapper's fifth surfer is still to be confirmed with the powerhouse club having plenty of talent to choose from.

Jay Phillips - Snapper Rocks (Photo Bernadette McAlinden)

In the Women’s Division 4 x Australian Champions D’Bah Boardriders have been forced to withdraw from the event due to Amiya Doyle and Audrey Styman-Lane having overseas commitments. With D’Bah out, the opportunity to win an Australian Title has become a little easier for the eight teams competing. North Narrabeen go into the event as No.1 seeds after winning the NSW Championships earlier in the year at Wollongong. North Narrabeen will face arch rivals Queenscliff, North Shelly, Scarborough, Sandon Point, Cronulla, Werri Beach and Cabarita.

FISHBOWL Surftag Contest Director Steve Harrison said the event is wide open in both divisions, “It will be good to see Snapper Rocks competing at Queenscliff again where they won their first Surftag Australian Title way back in 2002”, Harrison said. “Both divisions are wide open with club depth really being tested as a lot of surfers are travelling overseas this time of year. It gives the next generation of surfers the opportunity to step up and represent their boardriding club at an Australian Championships."

"Anything can happen in tag team surfing so it will be interesting to see who is holding up the big trophy at the end of the day”.

The twenty teams competing in the Men’s Division include Ulladulla, Werri Beach, Scarborough, Sandon Point, Cronulla, Elouera, Queenscliff, Curl Curl, North Narrabeen, North Avalon, Avoca, North Shelly, Merewether, Snapper Rocks, Kirra, Maroubra, Seaford (SA) and Association of Veteran Surfers.

The 2019 FISHBOWL Surftag Australian Series is a proud supporter of Lifeline. Lifeline provides all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.

The 2019 FISHBOWL Surftag Australian Series is proudly supported by Surfside Motorcycle Garage, Royal Enfield, Hotel Steyne, and Swellnet.

2019 FISHBOWL Surftag Australian Series:

• NSW Qualifier - 9 & 10 March – Wollongong (Woonona – Stanwell Park)
• QLD Qualifier - 14 April –  Duranbah Beach, Tweed Heads
• Australian Championships – 10 & 11 May – Queenscliff Beach, Sydney.

(WA, SA & VIC Boardriding Clubs invited to compete)