Wednesday October 6th 2010 (Sydney, NSW) - AUSTRALIA'S premier boardriding clubs will go head to head this summer with Jim Beam announcing its 10th year of support behind the 2011 Jim Beam Surftag Australian Series.

The Jim Beam Surftag Australian Series provides a national competition for over 70 boardriding clubs, who will fight it out to determine Australia's No.1 club. The series is Australia's largest team surfing competition featuring a combined prize pool of over $130,000 and a $15,000 prize to the eventual champion club.

Encompassing five regional qualifying events in Cronulla, Newcastle, South West Western Australia, Torquay and the Gold Coast, clubs who progress under the allotted positions are eligible to compete in the Surftag Series decider to be held in Sydney in February 2011.

Taking the series to nine events nationally are three specialty tag events, the Industry Challenge, the Trade Off event and a Women's tag event, all three of which will be held in Sydney this October and November.

"For the eventual winner to hold year round bragging rights as the best club in the country is what drives this series year after year," said Global Surftag Director Steve Harrison. "It truly represents what club surfing is all about, working as a team, rolling out your best surfers and beating your rival clubs."

Surftag has been a firm fixture of Australian club surfing since 2001. In relay style, five representatives from each club catch three waves and then return to the beach to ‘tag' their team's next surfer. Heat duration is one hour with four teams contesting each heat.

Club team surfing is deeply entrenched within the sports elite with the likes of reigning world champion Mick Fanning (Kirra), Joel Parkinson (Snapper Rocks), Taj Burrow (Yallingup), Chris Davidson (North Narrabeen) and numerous past and present professionals representing their clubs in the series.

Sydney's Northern Beaches club powerhouse North Narrabeen have dominated the series in recent times, having claimed three of the past four national titles, (2007, 2008, 2010). Team captain and former world tour surfer Nathan Webster said success is all about team unity.

"North Narrabeen has great depth to the team and that's why we have been so successful," he said. "We have guys that can pull out huge scores when needed, but if they're lagging then we have guys who can drag us through with consistency.

"We're a proud club, when the guys go out to surf they are carrying that weight on their shoulders and it drives them to surf to their full potential, they are representing everyone in the club, not just the four other team members."

Snapper Rocks is the only other club to have won multiple titles (2002, 2006) while other clubs to have claimed the silverware include Werri Beach (2009), Umina (2005), North Steyne (2003) and Queenscliff (2001).

"Clubs take this Jim Beam series very seriously now, it's all about representing your beach, where you grew up, where you learned to surf and that whole grass roots aspect of surfing," said Webster.

Furthering its support to club surfing in Australia, in 2010 Jim Beam have also announced the addition of five new clubs to the 65 clubs they support with sponsorship nationally. Geraldton (WA), Coolum (QLD), North Shore (QLD), Frenchman's (NSW) and Seaview Rd (SA) will join the growing list of clubs who's Open Champions each receive $500.

"Jim Beam Surftag encapsulates the true spirit of surfing, surfers get to represent their home beach and get involved in some friendly competition against their club rivals," said Jim Beam Brand Manager Lisa Spencer. "This year is the tenth year we've supported grassroots surfing in Australia and are really proud of how far this Series has come and excited about our future involvement.

"The introduction of the women's event in 2008 saw the Series take that next step to truly become Australia's leading team surfing competition and we're looking forward to continuing our support as Surftag continues growing Australia's surfing culture and nurtures great local surfing talent."

The Jim Beam Surftag Australian series will officially get underway on the weekend of October 15/16 in Sydney with the Industry Challenge and Trade Off events.

The 2011 Jim Beam Surftag is proudly supported by FCS, Sanyo and O'Neill. Media partners for the series are Swellnet and Tracks surfing magazine.

2010/11 Jim Beam Surftag Dates And Locations

Oct 15 Industry Challenge (Curl Curl)

Oct 16 Trade Off (Curl Curl)

Nov 13 Women's Surftag (Dee Why)

Dec 11 NSW North Surftag (Newcastle)

Dec 18 Victoria Surftag (TBC)

Jan 8 West Australia Surftag (TBC)

Jan 15 Queensland Surftag (Duranbah)

Jan 29/30 NSW South Surftag (Cronulla)

Feb 3/4/5 Surftag Australian Final (Northern Beaches, Sydney)