Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge
Source: www.ibaworldtour.com
posted by Mark Fordham on 26th May 2006
The Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge presented by Rockstar Games
An International Bodyboarding Association (IBA) Men’s World Tour event (MWT)
Shark Island, Cronulla – N.S.W – Australia
Trials – In memory of Brett Young: 16th – 18th of June
Main event: June 27th to July 31st, 2006 (A 35 day waiting period)
The Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge – 10 years in the making – the most prestigious bodyboarding event in the world today. $40,000 up for grabs.
The Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge presented by Rockstar Games is celebrating its 10th year anniversary, with $40,000 AUD up for grabs. The event will be opened by The Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge Trials – In memory of Brett Young which will enable a minimum of 6 lucky trials to automatically qualify for the main event.
The main event will see 32 of the worlds most radical bodyboarders, all trying to find the biggest barrel, vying to hit the biggest section to hopefully be the top 2 riders from their heat of four to progress straight to the quarter finals. First round will be eight heats of four, with 16 progressing to quarter finals on day two of competition. This will set day two of the event as one of the most exciting days ever with Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge winner for 2006 being announced on the headland with a hefty $20,000 AUD first prize cheque on offer, still the most lucrative first prize cheque in the sports history.
Event Organiser, Mark Fordham - “This years event marks a special page in the sport of Bodyboarding – an event that started as a local challenge between the underground Cronulla Bodyboard crew and some of Australia’s main stream bodyboarders back in the mid 90’s to being now considered as the most prestigious event on the IBA Men’s World Tour (MWT) calendar, attracting the world’s best riders and portraying the most radical side of bodyboarding to the world stage today.
Mike Stewart, 1999 Shark Island Challenge champion and an International wildcard for this years event - “In the spectrum of bodyboarding; on one side you have your first wave experience of maybe a thrilling white water run to the beach; on the exact opposite end of this scale is the island event. To survive it is succeeding, to actually perform on it, as the most technical in the world can, is a mind altering activity that has to be seen to be believed.”
The $40,000 AUD Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge will gather the world's best bodyboarders, including current IBA world Champion Ben Player (Australia), 2 x World Champion Damian King (Australia), defending event champion Guilherme Tamega and 6 x World Champion (Brazil), Hawaiian Jeff Hubbard, Australian’s Sean Virtue and Mitch Rawlins who, along with the rest of the International field will now be battling it out for the $20,000 AUD first prize cheque.
The 35 day waiting period enables the organizers to select the optimum wave and weather conditions at the Australia’s most famous bodyboarding wave – Shark Island, considered by many as one of the heaviest reef breaks in the world. Shark Island is renowned for its thick end section the infamous Surge, breaking on a shallow sandstone shelf, incrusted with cunje and sharp gouging barnacles that leaves any unlucky competitor that bounces of the reef with a good flogging to remember. Waves reach heights of up to 8 -10 ft, as the wave jacks up on the reef it seems to have a mind of its own. Often defying gravity, the pitching lip or curl of the wave can be up to 4ft thick.
Its victims are never in control, the island makes all the moves. As the wave wraps and bends down the reef, the face of the wave becomes littered with lumps and steps from the shallows contour of the reef, just inches below the waters surface. It’s only the determination and skill of the competitor that will define a true champion.
Many a local and competitor will stand by the old saying - Shark Island always has the final say. The question is who will step up for the challenge in 2006?
Prize Money breakdown
1st - $20,000
2nd - $3,000
3rd - $2,000
4th - $1,400
2 x 5th - $1,000
2 x 7th - $800
4 x 9th - $600
4 x 13th - $500
8 x 17th - $400
8 x 25th - $300
Additional prizes include;-
Best Barrel award – Return Airfare from Australia + a two week boat trip to the Mentawai Islands donated by Surf Travel Co
Best Move award – 71 percent water – Ocean Gallery
The Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge (July 27th - July 31st).
Competitors for The Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge are as follows
Top 16 Competitors
1 Ben PLAYER - Australia
2 Mitch RAWLINS - Australia
3 Damian KING - Australia
4 Dave WINCHESTER - Australia
5 Uri VALADAO - Brazil
6 Ryan HARDY - Australia
7 John SHOWELL - Australia
8 Guilherme TAMEGA - Brazil
9 Cedric DEFUARE - France
10 Sean VIRTUE - Australia
11 Josh KIRKMAN - Australia
12 Toby PLAYER - Australia
13 Dave HUBBARD - Hawaii
14 David PEREZ - Spain
15 Jeff HUBBARD - Hawaii
16 Luis VILLAR - Brazil
Local Wildcards
17 Christian RIGUCCINI - Australia
18 Dave BALLARD - Australia
19 Alex LEON - Australia
20 Ryan Mc KINNON - Australia
Sponsor Wildcards
21 Doug SHOWELL - Australia
22 Chris JAMES - Australia
International Wildcards
23 Yeray MARTINEZ - Canary Islands
24 Mike STEWART - Hawaii
25 Sam WELLS - New Zealand
26 Pierre COSTES - France
Trialist will take places from 27 - 32
For all your official and up to date information and media releases – log onto;
http://www.cronullasharkislandchallenge.com
For event information please contact –
Mark Fordham
Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge
Phone: +61 (0) 4 1766 0323
Email:
[email protected]
www.cronullasharkislandchallenge.com
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