D-Bah Wins The Kirra Teams Challenge At D-Bah

The Kirra Teams Challenge is the world’s largest interclub surfing teams event, and each year over 36 of Australia’s most elite boardriding clubs from all around Australia travel to the golden sands of Kirra (normally) to lay claim to the prestigious title and bragging rights of being named ‘Australia’s Best Boardriding Club’.

The event first started in the late ‘60s as an open event called the ‘Kirra Pro Am’ but in 1985 the format was changed to a teams event. Since that time it has lured the best amateur and professional talent in the nation who throw everything into doing their home team proud.

Last year local powerhouse team Snapper Boardriders claimed their 9th Kirra Teams Challenge win in the 27 year history of the event. Here's what went down at Duranbah, just around the corner from Kirra, yesterday.

At the start of the final day the winners cheque have been almost anyone’s, as the heats rolled out the race narrowed and before long D-Bah Boardriders were all but unbeatable. Fairing well throughout the three days of competition, victory was sealed for D-Bah by Coolangatta surfer Nick Vasicek, in clean 2-4ft waves.

In thrilling circumstances, the D-Bah team accrued a tournament winning 29-points total to beat North End Boardriders. D-bah scoring six wins, along with second and third placings across 8 Rounds of competition. Needing a win in the final round to take the lead, Vasicek unleashed a combination of strong backhand moves to overpower Josh Fuller (Cabarita), Jesse Adam (Merewether) and Karl Atkins (North Avalon). The powerful surfer netting a 6.5 and a 7.17 to finish with a heat winning 13.67 two-wave total (out of a possible 20). “I was really nervous going into my heat, said Vasicek“ “but I just stuck to my game plan, chose the best waves and ended up getting them. I probably could have got a higher scores but I was a bit nervous and a bit wobbly. I guess I pulled through. It’s been a pretty wild weekend, the D-bah boys are a great bunch of blokes. We all really enjoy each others company we have so much fun it’s just a great club to be a part of.”

D'Bah Boardriders celebrating their win

In true Volcom Kirra Teams fashion it wasn’t just about the individual, as John Robin one of the events organisers explained. “It’s one of the few situations where you can have teams competing in the surf. It’s a great dynamic that allows people to support their club, not just the individual. We anticipate a real growth in this part of the sport in the next few seasons. Grass roots surfing is so important to the sport and the surfing community and it’s really starting to get some positive recognition, which is fantastic.”

Dean Morrison professional surfer and team rider Volcom said despite not taking home the win with his team Snapper it was still a great event. “I love it! Surfing with the boys and cheering each other on, it’s great. It’s a great way to run the sport and opens up a whole new level of strategy and teamwork. I look forward to this event every year.”

Matt Wilkinson was enjoying being part of a wolf pack for the Teams Challenge.

Vasicek led his team of Samba Mann, Jack Scollard, Jake Ross Peek, John Cummings, Brent Dorrington, Jack Freestone and Damon Harvey to the $6,000 winner’s cheque and a Surfing Australia High Performance Centre coaching package for six people. North End and Avoca both finished with six wins, along with second and fourth placings. In a tiebreak situation, North End claiming second with a combined total of 95.1 points, just 0.1 ahead of Avoca’s 95.09 total.The tournament’s Spirit Award went to Bondi Boardriders. The Volcom Kirra Teams Challenge supports Hannah’s Chance Foundation.

Volcom Kirra Teams Challenge Results

1st D-Bah
2nd North End
3rd Avoca
4th Cabarita
5th North Shelley

For more photos go to Volcom Stone's Facebook gallery.