Philippa Anderson rates flying the flag for Merewether Surfboard Club in the Australian Boardriders Battle final next month as the perfect start to her competition schedule this year.
The Merewether natural-footer will compete in the regional rounds of the world qualifying series with an eye on progression again to the women's Challenger Series later in the year.
The top-six surfers from the Challenger Series quality for the following year's Championship Tour.
Anderson has been chasing a CT spot for several years and has come painstakingly close on a number of occasions.
Last year she qualified for the Challenger Series then finished ranked 26th.
"I felt really good and had a good start then it just went downhill from there," Anderson said.
"I just had a complete shocker in three out of the four events and didn't do as well as what I hoped. I came home after that and switched off. I pretty much just worked for a month straight."
The 30-year-old, who runs Philippa Anderson Surf School, opens this year's qualification campaign at the Great Lakes Pro at Boomerang beach on February 22.
But first she will be one of the more experienced surfers for Merewether in the national boardriders teams event at Newcastle beach on February 5 and 6.
"The teams event are the best thing, probably besides winning a world title," Anderson said. "We have a lot of supporters who come down to the event and it's always an epic day, so I'm stoked it's in Newcastle and I'll be surfing in it."
Anderson played a pivotal role when Merewether secured a famous boardriders battle victory in 2019. The club were runners-up in 2018 and third in 2014 and 2016.
Five competitors - one over-35 master, one female, one junior and two opens - make up each club's team. Merewether's CT trio Ryan Callinan, Jackson Baker and Morgan Cibilic have been key to past successes but are unable to surf in this year's event.
"The squad that we have had previously is obviously not there but what the boardriders is about is putting some fresh faces in to give them a taste," Anderson said. "It's such a great experience.
"Surfing is such an individual sport but when you come together for a team event like this there's always around 50 people on the beach. When you talk with the coach about the game plan before you go out, everyone puts their two cents in and it's just amazing. It really shows what Merewether is about.
"We've always had so much support at these events and it was sick when we won that year."
