The Paul Baxter Shield is scheduled for Saturday 26 July 2008.

For those that aren’t familiar with the event, the annual tag team surfing competition is in honour of colourful Maroubra local Paul ‘The Animal’ Baxter who died in 1984 in the seas off Ballina.

This event has been growing in stature every year and the focus is on having as much fun as possible to honour the late Paul Baxter.

Competing surfers are allocated into competitive teams and surfing is on retro twin-fin and single-fin surfboards in an effort to claim the converted Paul Baxter Shield. All members of the winning team have their names etched into local surfing history, placed on the perpetual trophy (a surfboard) on permanent display at the Sands Hotel Maroubra. Normal contest surfing is very much an individually focused discipline whereas surfing for a team involves different strategies and skills but more importantly is a heap of fun.

Although the comp is run by Southend Boardriders it is really an event for the whole community to get into and be a part of. We are encouraging surfers and spectators to come down on the day and be a part of the great atmosphere, have some food, listen to some funky music and watch some good surfing.

Entry is open to anyone aged 13 and over and is a bargain at only $10, which includes breakfast, drinks, great prizes, special guests, live entertainment and the chance to have your name etched in surfing history.

This contest is an open pre-paid surfing event with only limited amount of surfing spots available. Southend Boardriders club members have first priority to pay and register prior to the event by slapping down your ten bucks at the next comp (June 28). After this there will be a Paul Baxter Shield rego night open to the public and to members of other Board Riders clubs to fill any of the remaining spots (keep in mind that there is only a maximum of 80 competing surfers and we currently have well over 150 members at Southend - so get in early to guarantee your spot).

After surfing, eating, dancing and making ‘free love’, the Paul Baxter presentation will once again be held up at the Sands Hotel, with plenty of KB, Tooheys Red, cheese fondue and psychedelic tunes. There will be prizes galore for the best retro dressed, and various manouvers on the day. There is also the chance for one lucky punter to win a custom made surfboard!

For further information about the event stay tuned as we will keep updating information on the site and once again don’t forget to register at (or before) the June 28 comp in order to guarantee yourself a spot in one of the teams!