The Byron Bay Boardriders club finished 2024 with their annual presentation awards afternoon in front of a crowd of over 200 people at the Suffolk Park Hotel last weekend.
‘It was a fantastic afternoon in front of a packed-out crowd at the Suffolk Park,’ club President, Neil Cameron said.
‘There was a lot of awards to get through’.
Young Leihani Zoric wins women’s open
Awards were given out for both the junior and seniors, with Duke Wrencher picking up the coveted Open Men’s, while at just 12 years old, Leihani Zoric was crowned the Open Women’s winner.
‘Leihani had a great wave in tough conditions in the Australian Boardriders’ final earlier in the year at Burleigh Heads, with one to 1.5 metre surf,’ Neil said.
‘She is just back from Hawaii, and on track for bigger things,’ he said.
‘The club tries to hold at least seven events during the year, for both the seniors and juniors. Each group has its own event to cope with the rise in participants’.
The club has been building membership steadily over the last 10 years and now has over 250 members.
‘Its really taken off. Over 60 per cent of members are U/16,’ he said.
Just as importantly, the ‘old guard’ including surfers like Danny Wills and Kieren Perrow stay active within the club.
Everything for the year was set up when members were on hand in Bondi, Sydney earlier this year to receive the Australian Surfers Association Simon Anderson Award for the best club in Australia.
Soli’s big year
Club member, Soli Bailey, has also had a big year and has been nominated for this year’s Australian Surfing’s Heavy Water Award, among others, along with Ned Hart and Laura Enever.
‘He has had a huge year and has just been surfing five-metre waves in Fiji. He has gone to another level stepping into bigger waves and taking it on,’ Neil said.
Two weeks ago, Coffs Harbour won the Australian Boardriders Battle Northern NSW regional qualifier, while Byron Bay came in fourth.
The local club has; however, already qualified for the finals which will be held on March 8–9, 2025 at Burleigh Heads, Qld.
Coffs Harbour, Kingscliff, LeBa, Byron Bay, Woolgoolga and Port Macquarie Boardriders have all now qualified for the national final.
Before that, the club has its eyes on the World Club Challenge that will be held at Snapper Rocks, Qld, over January 17 to 19.
‘It’s going to be another big year, we are really looking forward to it,’ he said.
The LeBA boardriders have been nominated for this year’s Australian Surfers ‘club of the year’ award while Byron Bay’s Mark ‘Mono’ Stewart has been nominated in the Adaptive Surfer category.
The awards will be announced on December 7.
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