| Shark Island Challenge Contest Maybe Finish By Weeks End! |
The Island off its head right there! It’s Off its head mate!
The Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge held at Australia’s premiere bodyboarding wave, Shark Island, is the first major event on the 2007 International Bodyboarding Association (IBA) Men’s World Tour (MWT). The world’s top bodyboarders are on
standby for the start of the Quarter final round for a chance of winning the most prestigious prize of all - a Shark Island Challenge title.
The waiting period for Australia’s most famous bodyboarding event started on the 15th June and is scheduled on the 15th of July. If by the end of this waiting period there has not been any contestable waves then a 10 day extension will come into play
to finish of the event. The huge waiting period is to ensure perfect conditions for the minimum two days competition required to determine the 2007 champion.
With the worlds best bodyboarders residing in Sydney’s southern beach of Cronulla for the Quarter final round to commence, all will be on call for a predicted swell to hit the east coast of NSW later this week.
The Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge has been in a holding pattern since Tuesday the 23rd of June. Even though the East coast of NSW has been battered by enormous waves over the past few weeks the swell has either been to big and the
wrong direction or as was present last week the right swell though the wrong tide. The Shark Island event needs two hours before the high tide and two hours after to complete the final day. A total of just 4 hours is needed.
So close - Huge afternoon mid-low tide Shark Island - photo Darryl Menzies "We’ve had a couple of close days when we could have held the next round though the conditions in one way or the other seemed to some how work against us," said CSIC
Contest Director, Mark Fordham
"We will be hoping that the latest swell predicted for this coming weekend will produce some waves in the 4-5ft range. If by any chance we are unable to hold the event out at Shark Island due to unfavorable conditions we will trip over into the
10 day extension which starts on the 15th of July and a suitable location will be sourced to finish the event. It’s in the hands of Mother Nature - hopefully we will be blessed with some contestable conditions."
After an exciting start to the event which saw 4-5ft waves throughout the four hour round, offering riders the opportunity to perform an array of moves the elimination format that had been introduced to the event a few years ago started to show the
door to a few big names. Australian Mitch Rawlins was the first shock elimination from the event. Other first round casualties included Cronulla local Andrew Lester, Reunion Islands Amaury Laverhne and Laury Grenier, Portugal’s Gustao Entrudo and
Australian young guns Adam Luehman and Glen Thurston.
The biggest shock was local Andrew Lester. Lester regarded as one of the most constant riders on the IBA Men’s World Tour (MWT) has always done well in the Shark Island event, placing as high as second in 2002. "Yeah, the waves were pretty average for my heat. I just couldn’t get the ones to get me through", explained a frustrated Lester.
After the first round locals Dave Ballard, John Showell, Port Macquarie’s Damian King, Pierre Costes, Hawaiians Mike Stewart and Jeff Hubbard, Sydney’s Northern Beaches ripper Dave Winchester and Ben Player lead the charge of potential finalist all winning their respected heats.
"Yeah man, I was pretty happy to make it through to the Quarter final round", explained a positive Ballard. "After last years shocker of getting knocked in the first round I really want to give this year’s event a good go."
Other standouts were South African Mark McCarthy, Queensland’s Nick Ormerod and Michael Novy, Hawaiian Dave Hubbard, Port Macquarie’s Sam Bennett, Brad Jackson, Dallas Singer and Toby Player all have a good chance of taking the honors of being crowned The 2007 Human Shark Island Challenge Champion.
With the first round of the Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge completed, organisers are hopefully looking at staging the Quarter final round in the last tidal window of this huge 30 day waiting period. With the high tides now in effect a low pressure system is expected to push some S/SE ground swell up the coast of NSW later in the week. Organisers are looking at waves as early as Saturday and onwards. Winds are expected to be W/NW at this stage, though hopefully they will tend more West. The swell at this stage is forecasted to rise from the S/SE being in the 4-5ft range. Organisers will be looking at making a more definite call by Thursday when a more accurate forecast is available.
The Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge - The world’s best bodyboarders along with Cronulla’s top locals will once again be fighting for one of the most covenant titles in the world of bodyboarding.
Will the locals take control of there beloved break.
The Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge (June 15th - July 15th)
This event will take competitors to Australia’s most premier bodyboarding location,
Shark Island, known for its big barrels and heavy wipe outs.
