Human CSIC - Waves predicted for the end of the waiting period
Source: www.ibaworldtour.com
posted by Mark Fordham on 24th July 2005
The Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge, held at Australia’s premiere bodyboarding wave, Shark Island, is the first major event on the 2005 International Bodyboarding Association (IBA) Men’s World Tour (MWT). The world’s top bodyboarders are on standby for the start of the Quarter finals round for a chance of winning the highest first prize cheque in the history of bodyboarding – $20,000 AUD.
The waiting period for Australia’s most famous bodyboarding event started on the 6th July and is scheduled to end this coming Sunday, the 31st of July. The huge 26 day long waiting period is to ensure perfect conditions for the minimum two days competition required to determine the 2005 champion.
With the worlds best bodyboarders residing in Sydney’s southern beach of Cronulla for the Quarter finals round to commence, all will be on call for a predicted swell to hit the east coast of N.S.W later this week.
The Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge has been in a holding pattern since Tuesday the 12th of July as the waves that were present for the opening first round of the contest abated and close to dead flat conditions have prevailed ever since.
“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 have been waiting for the latest swell forecast that will take us to the end of the waiting period and it seems to show some new swell activity arriving on the N.S.W coast by Thursday / Friday. If by any chance we are unable to hold the event out at Shark Island due to unfavorable conditions for the final day of competition 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.”
Organisers and officials will again meet first thing Tuesday morning (Tuesday July 26th) to assess the conditions and make a call for the continuation of the event.
The event has four hours of competition to complete and with $20,000 AUD up for first place it is assured that some great bodyboarding will be seen regardless of the location chosen to conclude the event.
Shark Island, Australia played host to some of the most spectacular showdowns of the season (if not ever) today when perfect 1.2 to 1.6 metre (4 to 6 foot) waves consistently pumped into the arena offering surfers maximum opportunity to perform.
After an incredible start to the event which saw waves consistently pumping throughout the four hour round, offering riders maximum opportunity to perform an array of moves the new elimination format that has been introduced to the event started to show the door to a few big names. Two time IBA World Men’s Champion - Port Macquarie’s Damian King was the first shock elimination from the event. Unable to secure a second solid scoring wave in his first round heat King was forced into a wild wave that ended up pounding him into the dangerous Shark Island reef with King requiring eight stitches to his right heal. Other first round casualties included European Champion, Portuguese Hugo Pinheiro, French man Cedric Dufuare, Hawaiian legend and nine times world champion Mike Stewart and for the second time in 6 years Australian Toby Player will miss a chance of being in the final top 8.
Player 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 third in 1999. “Yeah, waves were good out there but I couldn’t get the ones to get me through, seemed all the good ones were going to Nick Ormerod. That’s the way it goes, alls good, just have to wait till next year”, expressed a calmed and relaxed Player.
After the first round Ben Player, Nick Ormerod, Brae Pettiford, Cronulla locals Dave Ballard, Andrew Lester and Christian Riguccini, Sydney’s Northern Beaches ripper Dave Winchester along with 2002 IBA World Champion and three times defending Shark Island champion, Brazilian Guilherme Tamega lead the charge of potential finalist all winning their respected heats.
“I was stoked to make it through to the Quarter Final round”, explained a happy Tamega. “This year I am on a mission, I want my fourth Shark Island Challenge win and I want the world title back. I ready man; I am relaxed and mentally prepared, bring on the quarter finals”.
Other standouts were Hawaiian Jeff Hubbard, Queensland's Mitch Rawlins and Western Australian locals Ryan Hardy and Sean Virtue, Forsters Josh Kirkman, Sydney’s Alex Bunting along with Cronulla’s very own Doug and John Showell, all have a good chance of taking the honors of being crowned The 2005 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 26 day waiting period. With the high tides now in effect (Shark Island only breaks on high tide, two hours is needed two hour before and after the high tide to complete a round.) a strong 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 Thursday and onwards. Winds are expected to be W/SW 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 Tuesday when a more accurate forecast is available.
The last tidal window ends on the 31st of July
| July | Approx event start / finish period |
| Saturday | 23rd | 7.47am – 11.47am | 1.41m |
| Sunday | 24th | 8.38am – 12.38pm | 1.43m |
| Monday | 25th | 9.30am – 1.30pm | 1.45m |
| Tuesday | 26th | 10.22am – 2.22pm | 1.46m |
| Wednesday | 27th | 11.16am – 3.16pm | 1.47m |
| Thursday | 28th | 12.12pm – 4.12pm | 1.48m |
| Friday | 29th | 1.10pm – 5.10pm | 1.50m |
| Saturday | 30th | 2.09pm – 6.09pm | 1.52m |
| Sunday | 31st | 3.06pm – 7.06pm | 1.55m |
Please note that times above are approximate times for Shark Island starting times only. In the situation were waves are not suitable to finish the event at Shark Island an alternative venue will be sourced and the starting times above will be change depending on the conditions and location on the day.
With the Quarter finalists on standby remember you can still register your mobile phone number via our email
[email protected] to get a SMS alert if the contest is going to run.
Below are the heats for the Quarter final heats
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