THE Snapper Surfriders club has finally been inducted into the Surfing Australia Hall of Fame, at an award ceremony in Sydney during the Australian Open competition.

Former president and proud member of Snapper boardriders Rabbit Bartholomew accepted the Simon Anderson Best Club of the Year Award on behalf of his club, which is currently competing at D-Bah for the annual Volcom Kirra Teams event, hosted by arch rivals the Kirra Surfriders.

Snapper has won the Kirra Teams nine times and last month won the Queensland round of the Jim Beam Surf Tag.

It will line up for the national teams title next week at North Wall Ballina.

Snapper Rocks Surfriders began in 1964 as a breakaway club from the Kirra Surfriders, who were Queensland's first boardriding club, having celebrated their 50th recently.

Legend has it that when 1960s Tweed Heads surfboard manufacturer Graeme Merrin was unsuccessful in running for the inaugural presidency of Kirra, he opted to start a whole new club, which was the start of the Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club.

Since its inception Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club has been one of the most successful boardriding clubs in the world, producing 10 world champions.

Last year was no different, with the club maintaining is high standard of results, including: Kirra Teams Challenge Champions; Kirra Juniors Teams Challenge Champions; Straddie Assault Runner-Up; and Surfing Queensland Coast-of-Origin Shortboard Club Champion.

There is not one club in Australia that has dominated teams competition as consistently as Snapper.

This overdue award will be great news for the club's talented members and all their club's achievements.

Snappers' club champion and number two in the world Joel Parkinson has been moving through the earlier rounds of the Australian Open at Manly Beach.

He is through to the third round of 12 surfers, where he takes on Brazil's Alex Ribeiro.

Kirra Surfriders' favourite son Mick Fanning, who was a finalist at the Burleigh Breaka Pro, has opted not to compete at Manly and will be surfing for his Kirra club tomorrow at 9am at D-Bah.

Fanning was sensational for Kirra in the regional rounds of the Jim Beam, to ensure his club would qualify for next week's Jim Beam National Teams finals.

He will now use his second option this weekend to compete for the club, having put his club into the finals of next week's nationals at North Wall Ballina.

ASP rules dictate that the top 34 sanctioned World Tour surfers are allowed to compete only twice for their clubs in a year, once at a regional level and once at national level.

In other words, Fanning will be ineligible for next week's nationals but will put all his energy and focus into the upcoming Quiksilver Pro, kicking off at either Snapper or D-Bah on Saturday the 25th, waves permitting.