Cronulla Bodyboard Club has taken out this year’s Port Macquarie Teams Bodyboarding Challenge, beating the host club by just two points for the first time since June, 1998.
In tough conditions at the Port Breakwall, wave selection was everything and only a few points separated the teams at the end of the second round.
Bodyboarding is normally an individual sport and putting together a 10-man team has its difficulties.
With a drop knee and prone division combination, Cronulla only had a nine-man team and had to surf one member in both divisions.
The host club Port Macquarie was bolstered with the inclusion of a former world champion, Micheal Eppelstun and although confident couldn't match Cronulla’s Andrew Lester who was their only surfer to win every heat.
In a young man's sport, former Shark Island contest and Pipeline winner Lester and Alex Leon the APB World Bodyboarding Tour CEO were ironically members of the last team that brought the teams trophy home in 1998.
“It’s a good feeling to finally break the spell and bring the trophy back,” Leon said.
“Cronulla was the original home of bodyboarding but had been overtaken by Port Macquarie over the last few years so it's good to see we have some young guys that can aim up and put us back on the map.”
The team included captain Josh Seage, Alex Leon, Andrew Lester, Nick McNeil, Sam Strachan, Azza Glossop, Glen Sullivan, Max Baker and Shaun Peterson.