Australian Boardriders Battle: Byron Bay wins maiden title in dramatic final wave shootout

The final of Australia’s premier team surfing event went down to the wire with one of the most dramatic finishes in history. Catch up on all the action and see who took out the title.

Byron Bay Boardriders Club has overcome two former winners to take out the Australian Boardriders Battle during a thrilling final at Newcastle Beach on Sunday.

Dakoda Walters was the hero for Byron, riding the winning wave with just over one minute remaining to create a slice of history by securing the club’s maiden ABB victory over powerhouse clubs Snapper Rocks, Merewether and Avoca.

In one of the tightest finishes on record, Byron Bay took out the title with a score of 31.83, just 0.62 points ahead of second-placed Snapper Rocks on 31.31 and 1.70 points ahead of Merewether on 30.13.

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Central Coast club Avoca finished fourth on 22.73, having been given a five-point deduction for their last surfer not reaching the beach before the end of the heat.

“The team is so stoked. We’ve been here so many times and just really haven’t performed anywhere near where we should be as a team and as a community from Byron,” Byron Bay surfer Soli Bailey said after the final.

“To actually come down here and do this is epic. We’ve all definitely wanted it and dreamed about it for a long time.”

The Byron Bay Boardriders Club team of Manon Pouget, Danny Wills, Duke Wrencher, Dakoda Walters and Soli Bailey celebrate after winning the 2023 Australian Boardriders Battle. Photo: @ethdogsmith / Surfing Australia

In a fitting finale to the see-sawing contest that saw the lead change multiple times, Walters entered the water as Byron Bay’s power surfer with about five minutes remaining in the final, with the club sitting second behind local side Merewether and just ahead of the Gold Coast’s Snapper Rocks Boardriders.

However with just 0.84 points between the top three teams, the contest came down to a dramatic final wave shootout.

Merewether’s Morgan Cibilic was the first to catch a wave in the crumbly conditions, managing a couple of small turns on a lumpy wave. Although not a hugely convincing ride, he was the first back to the beach and ensured that Merewether would avoid a five-point penalty for failing to return to the shore before the final buzzer.

At the same time, Snapper’s Sheldon Simkus latched onto a wave close to shore to increase the pressure.

With the clock ticking down, Walters took off on a bumpy right-hander with about one and a half minutes remaining, finishing off with two nice turns to give Byron a great chance of taking out the final.

You could cut the tension with a knife as the teams gathered on the beach to wait for the scores to drop.

After Cibilic’s 2.38 and Simkus’ 4.30 were finalised, Byron Bay were in need of a score of 4.17 to claim victory.

The North Coast club waited nervously as the judges deliberated, before breaking out into passionate celebration after Walters’ final wave score of 4.78 was read out over the loudspeaker.

“I’ll say this: I don’t know what it takes to have a heart attack, but I probably would have been pretty close,” said Byron Bay president Neil Cameron. “I thought, ‘Oh my god, we’re done here, we’re finished, grab the towels.’ But then it was: ‘Oh wait, we’re back in!’”

Dakoda Walters was the hero of the final, scoring 9.35 with his first wave and then bringing home the win as Byron Bay’s power surfer. Photo: @ethdogsmith / Surfing Australia

He added: “The guys standing on the beach were saying, ‘Oh, I don’t think we’ve got it.’ Then one of the official guys said to (Danny) Willsy: ‘How bad do you want this?’ And then to Soli: ‘What would this really mean to you?’ And we’re thinking: ‘This guy’s just setting us up for a bit of a fall.’ Anyway word came in what we got it. ‘What?!’ We were just screaming, it was unbelievable.”

It capped off a remarkable final for Walters, who gave his team the best possible start with a first wave score of 9.35.

This was then backed up by a strong 8.30 from Bailey to give Byron a commanding lead early in the final.

However the inconsistent conditions allowed the other teams back into the contest, with excellent rides from Snapper’s Sierra Kerr and Avoca’s Caleb Tancred adding to the drama.

In fact, it looked like Merewether’s Philippa Anderson was going to pull off a hometown miracle, scoring a remarkable 8.88 late in the heat to send the Newcastle club from last to first with just a couple of minutes remaining.

However it was to be Byron Bay’s day, with Walters proving the difference when it mattered most.

“Dakoda’s been in the club for about two years, and when you bring someone into a team you want them to be a certain type of person, not someone who’s going to disrupt the team,” said Cameron.

“But Dakoda just ticked all the boxes: he’s so respectful, so well mannered, he doesn’t get stressed – he just goes out there and gets the job done.”

The win was huge for Byron Bay veteran Danny Wills. Photo: @ethdogsmith / Surfing Australia

As for Byron, in addition to the $20,000 in prize money for the club, Cameron says the win has reverberated around the community.

“From all the feedback I’m getting from people in Byron Bay, the coverage was incredible. Everyone loved it, they couldn’t leave the TV,” he said.

“I think Byron Bay’s a bit different to some other places. Up here, it’s a major thing. There’s a lot of talk. You know, they want us to take the trophy into the coffee shop, people saying, ‘Well done guys, I watched it on TV’. It’s a bit thing in Byron.”

And with that level of passion and support, Cameron says there are bound to be celebrations once the team arrives back in town.

“We’ll arrange for something at the local pub and have a bit of a get-together for the community and have a bit of a quiet celebration.”