2011 Jim Beam Surftag Champions - North Narrabeen
The Jim Beam Surftag Australian Series is a tag team surfing competition contested by boardriding clubs and run under the popular Surftag format with each club represented by five surfers. In relay style each surfer catches three waves and then returns to the beach to tag their team's next surfer. Heat duration is one hour with four teams contesting each heat, bonus points are on offer for each team's fifth surfer returning to the tag area on the beach. The top two teams from each heat progress to the next round and to add to the excitement every surfer's second wave is worth double points (Powerwave).
The Jim Beam Surftag Australian Series provides a national competition for boardriding clubs to compete against each other and to determine Australia's No.1 Club. The Jim Beam Surftag is Australia's largest team surfing competition and offers a prize pool of over $130,000 in cash and prizes.
The series in 2011 expanded to 9 events with the introduction of the Jim Beam Surftag Trade Off, a specialty event for surfers with full time jobs. Sixteen teams lined up from all different Trades/Industries that included Plumbers, Teachers, Firemen, Tilers, Personal Trainers, Electricians and Stock Brokers.
In thumping 2m waves the Bondi Lifeguard team of Luke Daniels, Max Ayshford, Ryan Clark and Duncan Floss out surfed all competing trades to claim victory.
Led by team captain Clarke (Whippet), the Bondi boys dominated the final, leading from the opening siren to easily defeat fellow finalists Tilers, Plumbers and Transportation.
“It’s actually pretty hard out there, it picked up a lot throughout the day,” said Clarke. “When you’ve only got 45 minutes and four people to get through it can be tough but everyone surfed really well, it was a good day.”
“We have got a couple of young guys on the roster at Bondi and they surf all the time so it was good to bring that element into the team.”
The 9 Jim Beam Surftag events are, Surftag Industry Challenge, Surftag Trade Off, Women's Surftag, QLD Surftag, VIC Surftag, WA Surftag, NSW South Surftag, NSW North Surftag and the Australian Surftag Championships.
Past winner's of the Jim Beam Surftag Australian Series are 2001 – Queenscliff, 2002 – Snapper Rocks, 2003 – North Steyne, 2004/05 – Umina, 2006 – Snapper Rocks, 2007 - North Narrabeen, 2008 – North Narrabeen, 2009 - Werri Beach, 2010 - North Narrabeen, 2011 - North Narrabeen.
Over the past 10 years some interesting results have been recorded, North Narrabeen are firmly established as the most successful club in Jim Beam Surftag history having claimed four Australian Titles in the last five years, Margaret River won four WA Surftag Titles in a row to then finish runners up to Yallingup in 2007, 2008 and 2009, MR won the title back in 2010 with Yallingup taking the title off them again in 2011, Snapper Rocks and Kirra have both won four of the ten QLD Surftag Titles with LEBA winning two. Ulladulla and Queenscliff developed a healthy rivalry in 2011 with Queenscliff winning the NSW South Qualifier over Ulladulla by less than 2 points with Ulladulla returning the favour claiming the NSW Surftag Title by less than 2 points over Queenscliff. Torquay have dominated in Victoria winning four VIC Surftag Titles with Phillip Island winning two.
2009 saw the introduction of the FCS Manufacturers Cup which is a tag team event for all the surfboard shapers in Australia. State qualifying events are held in NSW, WA, QLD and VIC with WA team Murriginals taking the cash in 2009 and Emery Surfboards winning back to back Titles in 2010 and 2011.
The 2012 Jim Beam Surftag Australian Series will continue to be Australia's richest and largest team surfing competition with over 100 teams entering the series. Stay tuned for dates and venues.