Bate Bay spectators miss out

Originally scheduled to take place over three weekends at three beaches, including an early-round at North Cronulla/Wanda, the 2021 Nutri-Grain Series will now be reduced to two weekends, both set to be held at Cudgen Headland Surf Life Saving Club in Northern New South Wales.

The events will be held on February 12,13 and 14 at Kingscliff Beach and again the following weekend, February 26,27,28 where the series champions will be crowned.

The Bate Bay surf clubs have two competitors in the elite series the established Jay Furness and Wanda's newcomer, Carla Papac, one of three new women from Sydney to qualify for the Nutri-Grain ironwoman series.

The iconic series has 40 of Australia's fittest surf sports athletes battling it out over six rounds of traditional iron racing across two action-packed weekends. They will be pushed to their limits in courses that test endurance, speed and skill in the ocean.

Surf Life Saving Australia CEO Adam Weir said that while plans have changed, the key driver was to ensure a Nutri-Grain IronMan and IronWoman Series could be delivered this summer.

"Although we've had to adapt what the Nutri-Grain Series is going to look like this year, we're just glad that we've been able to make this possible," Weir said.

"The Nutri-Grain IronMan and IronWoman Series, and the new Nutri-Grain NextGen Series, both form an important part of the surf sports calendar, and moving the event to Northern NSW gives all selected athletes the chance to compete.

"We haven't been able to deliver a national surf sports event since the Nutri-Grain Series wrapped up last year. While we won't compromise on delivering the series in a COVID safe way, we are determined to pull out all the stops to ensure this summer features our top IronMen and IronWomen.

"Part of being able to deliver the series means we have had to restrict numbers on the event and due to this, the Nutri-Grain Series will be a spectator free event. We have also had to sadly cancel the U17 Nutri-Grain NextGen events in order to limit the number of people as part of the COVID safe event plan.

"In saying this, we do appreciate the dynamic nature of the COVID-19 response and will continue to actively monitor the situation and work with all stakeholders to ensure that we proceed in a COVID Safe environment and adhere to the advice of health officials," he said.

All rounds will be live on free to air TV from 12pm - 2pm.

Rounds 1-4 broadcast on 9GO and rounds 5-6 live on Channel 9.