Boardriders set for battle

The Margaret River Boardriders Club is gearing up for the Australian Boardriders Battle national final this weekend following a wildcard entry to the premier club event.

Australia’s best surfing clubs select a team of six competitors, with Margaret River represented by World Championship Tour debutante Bronte Macaulay, her father Dave Macaulay, rising star Jacob Willcox, junior surfer Ben Spence, champions Jerome Forrest and Jed Mattinson, and team captain Andrew Sheridan.

The winning club will take home a $20,000 prize and an overseas trip for six surfers.

Sheridan said conditions at the weekend looked good, with a swell coming in on Sunday and favourable winds at Newcastle Beach.

He said the wildcard entrants would face tough competition but all were performing well.

“It’s going to be a super hard event — it’s just the top 20 clubs in Australia,” he said.

“We’re going to have a tough time but I think with the team we’ve got, we’ve got a really good chance to do really well.”

Sheridan said the local Merewether Surfboard Club would be strong contenders this year, alongside the North Narrabeen and Snapper Rocks boardriders clubs.

Margaret River came fifth in last year’s national final, with Macaulay injuring her ankle and fighting to third place in her heat.

Sheridan said 2017 would be Macaulay’s year, and the club had watched her become a world-class surfer.

“It’s been a long time coming — the potential’s always been there,” he said.

Sheridan said 20-year-old Willcox was “probably one of the best surfers in Australia at the moment” and “geared up for a big year”.

Residents can watch the action on Fox Sports 5 from 5am WA time, or stream the event online at australianboardridersbattle.com.