Inaugural Cave Rock Gladiator Pit – Only for the Brave

Source: www.sabaonline.co.za

posted by Olivia Jones on 10th April 2006

Cave Rock Gladiator Pit presented by Movement Bodyboarding Magazine and 662mob
Speciality South African Bodyboarding Association (SABA) Tour Event
Cave Rock on the Bluff, Kwa Zulu Natal - South Africa
April 19 to 26, 2006


The inaugural Cave Rock Gladiator Pit presented by Movement Bodyboarding Magazine and 662mob is only for the brave. Open to only 32 of the globe’s most competent big wave bodyboarders, the contest utilises a window period from April 19 to 26 at the world famous reef break Cave Rock on the Bluff. The Cave Rock Gladiator Pit requires only one day of hollow waves in 2-metre plus swell and carries the biggest prize purse out of any South African Bodyboarding Association (SABA) event – a whopping R20,000.

"The thing that is getting me and everyone else excited about the contest at Cave Rock is that, with the right swell and wind conditions, Cave Rock is one of the best waves for bodyboarding on the planet. It is intense, powerful, intimidating at size, and offers the brave an opportunity to unleash every radical, high performance manoeuvre you can think of. It's also a great spectator venue and perfect for photographers and videographers because the waves break relatively close to shore and the elevated beach road that runs right along the beach offers a natural sort of arena for viewing the action close-up. In these ways it really does compare with the surfing capital of the world, Hawaii's north shore," commented former US Champion bodyboarding legend and current SABA Chairman Alistair Taylor who has organised the event.

The contest briefing takes place at the Wave House in Gateway on April 18 at 6.00pm where the event format and heats will be discussed. The competitors will vote on the format that they consider to be the most fair as it will affect the way the R20, 000 prize purse will be broken down.

With some early winter swells already rolling into Cave Rock the 32 entrants have been putting in as much water time as possible to train for the heavy surf expected. For many years Cave Rock has separated the mice from the men; the treacherous reef break has not only claimed lives, it has been widely regarded as the natural proving ground to show which riders will be fit to take on the monstrous swells in Hawaii.

Following the Cave Rock Gladiator Pit the next event on the SABA calendar is the 5A rated Wimpy Rossi Pro-Am in Margate from April 28 to 30.

Cave Rock Gladiator Pit Contestant Profiles:

1. Alistair Taylor - 7 times SA champ, 4 times finalist at Pipeline in Hawaii, 4th in the world in 1998, 1st in sixty40 peer poll in Best Big Wave Rider category
2. Karla Taylor- 2 times women's world champ and current SA women's champ, and the only girl in the event
3. Eddie Solomon - big wave maniac from California, USA
4. Spencer Skipper- one of the best bodyboarders in the world and excellent performer in large, heavy surf, thanks to his upbringing in Hawaii, USA
5. Ross McBride- top international bodyboarder from California
6. Wayne du Preez - one of the top rated SABA men's division competitors and regular at the Bluff
7. Vaughn Harris - multiple SABA and current Pro Champion from Southern Cape
8. Rylin Richardson - underground big wave charger from the north coast of KZN
9. Adam Morley - freak talent from Mossel Bay, a big wave area in its own right
10. Ian Kruger- Cape Town, loves big heavy waves, has done well at pipe in Hawaii
11. Heavy Dave – Cape Town, underground big surf fanatic
12. Wesley Fischer – from Durban, one of the best bodyboarders in SA, recently selected for SA Bodyboarding Team to compete at ISA World Games and winner of the last SABA event in Cape Town
13. Mark Watts - newcomer to the pro ranks from KZN, has been one of the best junior riders in the country the last few years
14. Philip Rodrigues – Durban based, multiple SA champion and also top competitor on the world tour in previous years, has won a couple of international events
15. Hankus Loubscher - world traveller and big wave aficionado from Cape Town
16. Ian Metcalf - currently living in California, USA originally from Cape Town and also a very competent big wave surfer
17. Darren Halse - currently living in the UK, one of SA's top bodyboarders in years past, from Amanzimtoti
18. Rob Gray - underground big wave rider from north beach and regular when cave rock is happening
19. Karl Liebenberg - old school North Beach local and one of the best men's competitors on SABA
20. Jared Houston - one of the best junior riders in SA and quite capable of taking out the established pros
21. Jonathan Oliff - big wave addict from north beach Durban
22. Inacio Serrao – Warner Beach bodyboarder who has made numerous finals and semi-finals over the past three years in the boys, junior and drop knee divisions
23. Sacha Specker - one of the best pro riders in SA, recently qualified for the SA Bodyboarding Team to compete in the ISA Games in the US later this year- hails from Camps Bay, CT
24. Sean Oberholzer - Doctor from Cape Town, underground big wave guy
25. Jason Devanaugh - emerging talent from the junior division from North Beach in Durban
26. Matthew Botha – 17 year old Mossel Bay bodyboarder
27. Derek Footit - top pro bodyboarder from the south coast of KZN, not afraid of big barrelling right hand waves like Cave Rock
28. and 29. Twins Wayne and Neil Smith - top pro bodyboarder from the south coast of KZN
30. Wayne Beekman – from Margate, SABA men's division champ and competent big wave rider
31. Stuart Bradford - one of the best drop knee riders and north beach local

For any more updates please check:

www.movementmag.co.za
www.sixty40.co.za
www.sabaonline.co.za

Movement Bodyboarding magazine is a new publication created by current world bodyboarding champion Ben Player from Sydney Australia; it is rapidly making waves in the bodyboarding world and is poised to hit South African Shored soon.

662Mob is bodyboarding/clothing line produced by Eddie Solomon, a big wave bodyboarder from California, who also runs possibly the biggest bodyboarding website in the world (www.bodyboarder.com)

Issued on behalf of:
Alistair Taylor
ATD South Africa
Mobile: + 27 (0) 82 863 6665

Issued by:
OJ
Olivia Jones Communications
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 537 8840
Email: [email protected]

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Comments

DarkhorseBruce Meissner
11th April 2006 17:40
heavvyyyyyyyy! dave!! sick heavy rip it bro! everyone watch out! heavy is in the house!haha seano good luck bro! charge it. remeber what would jesus do? CHARGE!!
jbsJared Schafer
11th April 2006 10:15
looks epic, but who's the 32'nd contestant or is there still a spot open?

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