For more than three decades, the Surf Boardroom Surf League has brought WA’s boardrider clubs together in a fierce but friendly battle for bragging rights. Behind its enduring success is a commitment to grassroots surfing that has helped keep the competition alive long after similar events disappeared elsewhere in Australia.
When Margaret River Boardriders claimed victory at the 34th Surf Boardroom Surf League, presented by Rip Curl, at Scarborough Beach earlier this month, they added another chapter to one of WA’s longest-running club surfing competitions.
But the event’s history stretches back to a time when Surf League was a national concept, with competitions held across Australia.
According to Surf Boardroom founder Wayne Bowen, the business became involved in the WA competition in 1992, when Surf League was part of a much broader national movement.
As major sponsorship gradually disappeared and similar competitions folded interstate, Bowen and Rip Curl were determined to keep the tradition alive in WA.
“We thought it was a fantastic boardriders competition,” recalled Bowen. “So we, in conjunction with Rip Curl, had discussions and decided to keep it going in WA.”
The partnership helped establish the Surf Boardroom Surf League as a permanent fixture on WA’s surfing calendar, with Scarborough Beach remaining its home.
Pictured: Before making his mark on the international surfing scene, Margaret River’s Creed McTaggart was carving it up at Surf League in 2011. Photo: Davenport.
A RIVALRY RUNS DEEP
Long before Surf League became an established competition, fierce but friendly rivalries were already shaping Perth’s boardrider culture.
Bowen recalls the longstanding competition between Trigg Point and Scarborough Boardriders, along with the historic rivalry between North and South Scarborough.
“There was always a rivalry between Trigg Point Boardriders and Scarborough Boardriders,” he said. “A healthy rivalry, but it was a rivalry nonetheless, and I still think it exists today.”
That competitive spirit became a defining feature of Surf League, drawing together metropolitan clubs and regional powerhouses including Margaret River and Yallingup.
Bowen remembers Trigg Point stalwart Bill Oddy, owner of the iconic Cordingley Surfboards shop, regularly turning out to support his club, while Margaret River’s continued involvement helped fuel one of the event’s strongest rivalries.
Over the years, the competition has attracted some of WA’s most accomplished surfers, including Dave Macaulay, Taj Burrow, Jake Paterson, Jacob Willcox, Kael Walsh and Creed McTaggart to name just a few.
Despite the calibre of competitors, Bowen believes the event’s greatest strength has always been its ability to unite entire clubs.
“The whole club gets involved, from the juniors putting the flags up to the surfers on the beach cheering their team on,” he said. “There’s a real spirit about it, always has been.”
Pictured: From club competition to the world stage, Margaret River’s Jacob Willcox showcases his talent at Surf League in 2014. Photo: Woolacott.
THREE DECADES OF TRADITION
While the format has evolved over the years, Surf League has retained its distinctive team atmosphere, where every wave contributes to a club’s collective performance.
Scarborough has remained the competition’s home, with the banks around Manning Street, now known as Sunset Hill, providing a familiar setting for generations of competitors.
Even the event’s timing has its own piece of history. Originally held in late September, Surf League was eventually shifted into October after organisers found themselves competing with the AFL Grand Final.
“We couldn’t get the AFL to move, so we moved,” laughed Bowen.
For Bowen, the continued success of Surf League reflects the importance of supporting the clubs that form the foundation of competitive surfing.
“I think boardrider clubs are the grassroots surfing,” he said. “I think it’s essential for the health of the sport to keep supporting it.”
It’s a commitment he has maintained for more than 30 years.
“I said it many years ago to our team at The Surf Boardroom that this is one sponsored event that we would never give up.”
Pictured: Yallingup’s Kael Walsh throws buckets at Surf League in 2014, years before making waves on the international surfing scene. Photo: Woolacott.
THE NEXT GENERATION
With another Surf League completed, Bowen is already looking ahead, hoping to see the competition return to eight to ten clubs and encourage greater female participation in future editions.
He’s also proud to see younger generations embracing the same club spirit that has sustained the event for decades, including his son Matt, a member of Scarborough Boardriders.
And while the standard of surfing continues to rise, it’s the grassroots connection that matters most.
“The thing that I’m proudest of is just being a small part of nurturing grassroots surfing in WA,” said Bowen.
With the continued support of The Surf Boardroom, Rip Curl and the wider surfing community, that tradition looks set to continue for many years to come.
Main image: A fixture on WA’s surfing calendar, the Surf Boardroom Surf League brings boardrider clubs together at Scarborough Beach in 2015. Photo: Woolacott.
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