[Video story included] North Shelly Boardriders were the proud prize winners at the Australian Boardriders Battle Grand Final in Newcastle on the weekend of February 5 and 6.
In what has become world-renowned as the biggest and best club surfing series on the planet, the North Shelly crew was overjoyed to take first prize after five years competing for the title.
The Hyundai-sponsored event at Newcastle Beach showed the North Shelly crew on their finest form with a true team effort coming together in the hour-long final.
Anchored by power surfer Joel Vaughan, time management was a huge factor.
Vaughan nailed a five-point ride and got in the gates to put pressure on the other three clubs with a few minutes to spare.
Long-serving North Shelly legend and Masters competitor Russ Molony was over the moon with the long-awaited win.
“When you are out surfing in the water you feel calm and pretty good, but when you are on the beach it’s so nerve-wracking so we just try to stay calm and feed off each other’s energy.
“This is huge for our club, thanks so much to all our loyal supporters for making the trip up to Newcastle,” said Molony.
North Shelly Boardriders were also one of 15 NSW boardrider clubs presented with state-of-the-art trauma first aid kits on February 5, as part of a collaborative project between Surfing NSW and the NSW Government.
The presentation coincided with the North Shelly team win at Australian Boardriders Battle final.
The custom kits, which were designed for use in the event of an immediate, life-threatening trauma incident were designed in collaboration with Surfing NSW staff, and included equipment to deal with immediate trauma, bleeding control, hypothermia, fracture management and minor wounds.
“Surfers are often the first to respond to surf-zone incidents at unpatrolled or regional beaches and in many of these cases, every second counts,” Surfers Rescue 24/7 Coordinator at Surfing NSW Matt Lawson said.
“Providing these specialised trauma kits and training across 190 locations in NSW will save lives.
“If immediate first aid is required as a result of a shark attack, fin chop, or propeller injury we can help to reduce serious injury or preserve life while paramedics are on the way,” said Lawson.
Nicola Riches