There's a long way to go, but defending champions Port Macquarie have set the pace early at the bodyboarding Teams Challenge at Town Beach.
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Chase O'Leary and Jones Russell helped the hosts win the first two heats they had riders competing in when the action got underway on June 10.
O'Leary left it late and only caught his second wave in the closing stages before he climbed into top spot. Russell's nine-point ride helped replicate his teammate's win two heats later.
O'Leary had the added pressure of having his points doubled as the team's power rider. All 10 teams can nominate one power rider.
"It was a bit of a nerve-wracking heat; the waves went a bit slow, but I still managed to pull through with a win," O'Leary said.
"It was pretty stressful because I didn't get my second wave until five minutes to go and being the power surfer too... there's more pressure."
O'Leary admitted there was an element of good luck and good management that he had to call on in the closing stages.
"There was waves out there and then the change of tides happened and there was this big lull," he said.
"But I was in too deep not to wait for a set wave so I kept waiting and one [wave] came in the last little bit. I didn't surf my best and there was a lot of waiting and I hate those heats."
Russell then took to the water and "got a nice barrel" which the judges subsequently rewarded with a score of 9.33.
"I didn't see the barrel coming; I took off and did a roll and then stalled and it reeled down the line and I was lucky I think," he said.
He acknowledged the annual Teams Challenge event is one which the bodyboarding fraternity enjoy and it came with a lot of prestige.
"It's pretty much the biggest event all of us go in these days," he said.
"It used to be the world tour, but since that doesn't come to Australia now, this is the biggest event. It's our favourite for sure and it's a team spirit kind of thing.
"Every other comp is just you so the fact you've got 10 other riders in your group is a lot more fun."
Day one continues until 4pm on June 10 before the second day starts from 7am on June 11. The winners will be announced at a presentation night at Settlers Inn following day two of action.
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