Bronte Boardrider Caleb Reid Wins Jim Beam Boardriders Cup

By Surfing Australia on February 4, 2011 in Sport

Photo: Surfing Ausrtalia

Bronte Boardriders surfer Caleb Reid took home the biggest victory of his career winning the prestigious Jim Beam Boardriders Cup in clean 1m (3 feet) surf at Avalon on Sydney’s northern beaches yesterday.

Reid defeated a quality field in the final with former World Tour surfer Nathan Webster (Nth Narrabeen) placing 2nd, and Gold Coast surfers Jay Phillips (Snapper Rocks) and Alex Chacon (Kirra) placing 3rd and 4th respectively.

The Jim Beam Boardriders Cup is a gathering of 36 individual club champions from Australia’s top boardriding clubs who compete against each other at this event to decide an individual Australian Club Champion – The Jim Beam Boardriders Cup is a prestigious individual title that reaches right into the heart of grass roots club surfing throughout Australia.

“Such a great title to win” said Reid after the final.

“I felt like I was surfing for myself and for my club and that’s a special thing – the local Boardriders club is where it all starts for all surfers and I’m proud to win this title for the Bronte boys.”

Tactics played a big factor in Reid’s win today. He chose to surf well south of the other three finalists and that decision saw him gifted with two good long peeling  rides early in the final which scored him a 6.17 and a 6.93 and that final of 13.1 won him the event.

“As I was paddling out I sort of just decided to head south of the rest and surf that bank – it was the best decision I made all day!” added Reid.

Second placed Nathan Webster went perilously close to taking the final when he picked off a good wave with five minutes remaining, executing a very powerful and precise bottom to top turn but then grabbed a rail and uncharacteristically fell on a ride that looked set to score better than the 6.3 he was requiring.

“Well done to Caleb, he took a chance on that southern bank and that won him the final – I’m here to represent North Narrabeen in the Team’s final and that all starts tomorrow so I’m looking forward to that- today was a good warm up” said Webster.

Today will see surfers line up for the opening rounds of the Jim Beam Surftag Finals with Australia’s top 24 clubs who have qualified through regional events throughout Australia coming together to decide the champion Boardriding Club of Australia!

It’s a passionate and fiercely contested event that crowns Australia’s top club and rates the clubs in Australia from 1st through to 24th.

Avalon Beach will be the location for today’s opening rounds and tomorrow’s finals.