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City of Port Augusta Surf Boat Grand Prix Series |
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Written by Dick Olesinski ASRL SA Chairman & ASRL National Vice President
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In 2007/2008, Surf Life Saving SA celebrates the 12th year of support of the Australian Surf Rower’s League SA’s (ASRL SA) CITY OF PORT AUGUSTA SURF BOAT GRAND PRIX SERIES. The series is conducted throughout metropolitan Adelaide and far south coast surf beaches from October to February each season.
The Grand Prix Series is launched at the successful Outback Surf Boat Carnival held in Port Augusta in early November each year. The carnival venue is situated approx 3 hours drive north of Adelaide at the top of SA’s Spencer Gulf, gateway to the state’s outback region.
With over 300 competitors and supporters taking part, the event has become an icon celebration for the community each year with numerous sporting clubs and businesses forming crews to take part in novelty rowing events.
Local rowing clubs, particularly from the regional city of Port Pirie, have been long standing supporters of the event and are keen to demonstrate their river rowing skills in a surfboat.
Clubs from around the state contest the CITY OF PORT AUGUSTA SURF BOAT GRAND PRIX SERIES including the Open Men’s and Women’s, Reserves, Under 23 Men’s and Women’s as well as Under 19 events.
Prizes include:
- a set of CITY OF PORT AUGUSTA surf boat oars for the overall series winner, and
- CITY OF PORT AUGUSTA surf boat sweep oars for the overall runner up and six divisional winners.
The outback city gains local and interstate promotion with Series stickers positioned on all boats with clubs being involved in the ASRL Australian Surfboat Open, SA State representative crew involvement, together with participation in the Australian Titles held at Scarborough WA.
Other events planned by the ASRL SA to test local crews include the COOPERS Surfboat Wave Cracking Competition which sees crews demonstrating their surf skills in a competitive environment similar to surf board riding contests.
To complement crew participation in the CITY OF PORT AUGUSTA GRAND PRIX SERIES, the COOPERS Short Course Series provides a great opportunity for crews to hone their starts and buoy turns prior to the season’s Championship events. The Series culminates at the popular Brighton Ocean Long Swim event held in early February.
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