Woolgoolga Boardriders Club recently came away victorious at the Inaugural Saltwater Wine Mid North Coast Boardriders Battle held at Bonny Hills on September 2nd, 2023. We spoke to Team Manager Luke Connor about what the win meant for their club.
Arriving in the morning we were blessed with 2 to 3ft offshore conditions which made for an epic day of surfing. It was a really relaxing and chilled vibe on the beach, with all teams enjoying the welcoming atmosphere created by the Port Macquarie Boardriders and Saltwater wine crew who co-hosted the event.
“The tag team format was a great idea,” shared Luke.
“It allows every club to showcase their best U18, Open Men, Open Women and 0/35 surfer”.
The Woolgoolga BRC team consisted of Levi Woods, Shaun Ward, Justin Turk, Kristie Drough and Luke Anderson.
Team manager Luke proudly shared his support for the team, highlighting their consistency from heat-to-heat and the standout performances by each individual team member each round.
“The SF was a close fought encounter with all teams in the running to advance, until our power surfer Shaun Ward dropped an 8+ ride on his last wave which put us into the lead and a spot in the final.”
As for the final, it all came down to the last surfer. With Port Macquarie, Boomerang and Sawtell Boardriders not giving an inch, it was everything Luke said he and his team were expecting. But it was power surfer Shaun who dropped a solid last wave solidifying the teams run to victory and clinching the Inaugural Saltwater Wine Cup.
Woolgoolga would like to say a massive thank you to Port Macquarie Boardriders, Saltwater Wine and Tacking Point Tavern for hosting the event. As well as give a big shout out to the support crew that showed up to encourage and cheer them on.
“The team and whole club were stoked to say the least, with plenty of club members jumping straight on the phone to congratulate us on the Win after watching it on liveheats. This was definitely a boost for the whole Woolgoolga Boardriders community and hopefully something to inspire the next generation. You couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces at the presentation and congratulations to all teams involved for a great day. We will definitely be back next year to defend the title yeww!”
Congratulations to all athletes involved!
For full results – see here
