Australia’s best Boardriding Clubs will face off at North Narrabeen Beach, Sydney this weekend in the Sailor Jerry Surftag Australian Championships. Twenty-four Men’s teams and Ten Women’s teams will be striving for an Australian Title as well as a slice of the $42,000 prize money on offer.

The Men’s Champions will pocket $10,000 with the Women’s Champions receiving $5,000, which is the richest prize purse in surfing history for a Women’s team event. D’Bah Boardriders will go into the event as the No.1 seeds in the Women’s Division and will be looking to secure their third straight Australian Title.

D’Bah’s Freya Prumm scored her first perfect ten-point ride at the QLD Sailor Jerry Surftag Qualifier last month and is excited to be apart of a team going for it’s third straight victory. “I feel like we will be the team to beat and it’s a pleasure to be apart of such a great event supporting Grass Roots and Women’s surfing”, said Prumm. “With the richest prize purse for a female teams event on offer the competition is guaranteed to be fierce, let’s hope for cranking waves.”

Freya Prumm (Bernadette McAlinden)

In the Men’s Division North Avalon Surfing Association (NASA) will go into the event with plenty of confidence after taking out the Newcastle Sailor Jerry Surftag Qualifier ahead of North Steyne, Merewether and North Narrabeen. NASA will line up at North Narrabeen with the same team that won at Newcastle with young guns Letty Mortensen and Fraser Dovell teaming up with the experienced Shane Carroll, Chris Salisbury and Dane Beevor.

Twenty-year-old Mortensen has been busy competing overseas since NASA’s big win at Newcastle with the explosive natural footers WSL Qualifying Series ranking climbing to 131. “I am really excited to be representing NASA at the Australian Championships,” Mortensen said. “Having won the qualifier a few months ago hopefully we can carry the momentum into this weekend and post some big scores. We’ve always had such a solid team and we all have a heap of support for each other, there’s no doubt we can win this. But there is certainly some amazing surfers trying to stop us so every team will have their work cut out.”

Letty Mortenson (Bernadette McAlinden)

Elouera Boardriders will go into the event as one of the favourites in the Men’s Division after confirming their team on Monday. Shane Campbell, Joe Sear, Harrison Martin, Paul Holbrook and Jared Hickel will face Kingscliff and Ulladulla Boardriders in Round 1 on Saturday with the top two teams progressing to Sunday’s Quarter Finals.

Powerful goofy footer Jared Hickel is quietly confident the Elouera team can take the Title for the first time, “I think we have a good chance of taking out the National Final over at North Narrabeen,” Hickel said. “The boys and I have been surfing and training hard the last couple of weeks and are pumped up to get amongst it.”

North Narrabeen Boardriders Men’s team will be going for a Hat Trick of Australian Titles with the powerhouse club naming a stacked team that includes Cooper Chapman, Nathan Hedge, Nathan Webster, David Vlug and Kai Warner.

Round 1 of the Men’s Division will kick off at 7.45am on Saturday with the Women’s heats starting at 1.45pm. Both Men’s and Women’s Finals will be held on Sunday from 1.00pm. Follow live scores at www.globalsurftag.com

Men’s Teams competing include, NASA, North Steyne, Merewether, North Narrabeen, Elouera, Werri Beach, Bondi, Scarborough, Snapper Rocks, D’BAH, Kingscliff, North End, Noosa, Avoca, Queenscliff, North Shelly, Umina, Cronulla, Sandon Point, Bronte, Wamberal and Ulladulla

Women’s Teams competing include, D’BAH, North End, Alley, Merewether, North Narrabeen, North Shelly, Christian Surfers Cronulla, Bondi Girls, Cronulla Girls and Queenscliff.

2017 Sailor Jerry Surftag Australian Series:

• 4/5 March – Cronulla (Area - Bondi to Ulladulla)
• 25/26 March – Newcastle (Area – North Steyne to Port Macquarie)
• 1/2 April – Gold Coast (Area – Coffs Harbour to Noosa)
• 13/14 May – Australian Championships – North Narrabeen, Sydney

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