Usher Cup, World Club Challenge 2024 is throwing up a number of challenges for contest Director Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew. A number of new Australian Boardriders clubs have qualified and there is an increase in internationals, forcing organisers to extend the contest and start with a qualifying event filled with main draw hopefuls.
“We have got 31 clubs committed to that, we’ve got to fit them all in with all the internationals clubs, all the top 10 from last year, ABB, you know regional champions, it’s quiet a mix and so we have spilled over the sides, so we are going to have to have a qualifier at D’Bah and that’s for all the clubs that ended up in the bottom half of the draw last year.”
Held at Duranbah the day before the start of the Usher Cup main draw, Rabbit expects competition to be fierce as boardriders clubs from around the country compete for the final four spots in the Usher Cup main draw.
“It’s going to be great; I am really looking forward to it, it’s going to be a little bit cut-throat on the qualifying, but that’s what qualifiers are, we are trying to squeeze back into the main event and then get enough points to stay there the following year.” “It’s still going to be very competitive, the top four from the qualifier move into the main event.”
Sixteen clubs have nominated for the Wednesday qualifier which will get underway with a high pressure opening four team heat in the challenging D’Bah surf.
“It’s just going to be, the first round will be four heats with four clubs in each match and then we will have semi-finals and we don’t have a final because the four finalists get into the main event.”
The Usher Cup, World Club Challenge will then be held at Snapper Rocks from the 18th to the 21st of January with boardriders clubs from around the world vying for individual, International & Usher Cup honours.