Yesterday on the Gold Coast, Queensland came out the winners of the first-ever Surfing State of Origin.
The event held at Burleigh Heads, was a showcase for the best 16 clubs from New South Wales and Queensland, with eight boardrider clubs from each State.
The recent swell that has graced the Gold Coast over the past few weeks allowed the competitors to perform at their peak. The conditions at Burleigh Heads were excellent with 5-6ft of easterly swell and light westerly winds for the duration of the competition.
Flawless ten-point rides
With exceptional surfing on display, Kobi Clements (NSW) and Maddy Job (QLD) managed to both score a flawless ten-point ride in their heats. Maddy Job scored his ten-point ride in the final heat of the day.
It was a neck and neck grand final with a total of four heats, combining the points of each state division to determine the victor. Either State could have been the winner, until the final heat of the day, where Bede Durbidge and Maddy Job solidified Queensland’s victory.
‘It’s amazing! You don’t ever really get to surf with your state unless you’re a junior,’ said Durbidge. ‘Getting to surf with Maddy was a sick moment. He dropped an insane ten-point ride to finish off the heat and we won against New South Wales.’
Scarborough Boardriders
Despite New South Wales taking a loss, Scarborough Boardriders (NSW) ended up being the champion boardrider club on the day with a grand total of 69.67 heat points.
Spectators enjoyed watching some of the countries best surfers compete at Burleigh Heads. The event included an immersive pop-up beach bar and live music.
Given the events success, Surfing Queensland Chief Executive Officer, Adam Yates, expects the Surfing State of Origin to become a staple on the surfing calendar.
The core of Australian surfing
‘Boardrider clubs are at the core of Australian surfing and it was amazing to see this healthy rivalry on display for the first time in this unique competitive format,’ said Yates.
‘We had some of the country’s best surfers compete, which made it such an exciting event to watch. I am confident this will become a highly anticipated event on our annual calendar, and a massive congratulations to our Queensland surfers for winning the day!’
The top four boardrider clubs, as well as the QLD team, took home a slice of the total $5000 prize purse.
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