Shark Island Contest to make a comeback

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By John Veage

Cronulla’s only truly International surfing event, the Bodyboard King Shark Island Challenge is making a welcome comeback to the shallow reef slab for 2024. For over 20 years, Cronulla’s Shark Island has been a proving ground for high-performance bodyboarding in Australia. This competition runs uniquely as a world tour specialty bodyboarding event where twenty athletes are invited including six local surfers who call the break their own.

Cronulla bodyboarder Mark Sadler pulls into a solid Shark Island pit last month during a good nor-east swell. Picture John Veage

The Shark Island Challenge first started in 1997, and was a very informal and local event. The championship got increasing attention in the following years when it was held in some perfect big waves of consequence and was promoted to an international World Tour event sanctioned by the International Bodyboarding Association in 2002, eventually turning out to be the premiere event of the world tour.

Shark Island can only be surfed for two hours on either side of high tide and a miscalculated move can land you on dry reef so the event needs a particular set of conditions to be viable – hence its two months waiting period.

The event waiting period is proposed to span between the months of June and July of 2024 to capture the most ideal conditions, combining the best swell, wind and importantly tide.

Kurnell Reccas club will host the presentation with May 23 the opening day of the waiting period. It has been won by bodyboarding’s greatest ever competitor, nine times world champion Mike Stewart, along with Cronulla’s ISA World Champion Andrew Lester. Six time world champion Brazilian Guilherme Tamega is the bodyboarder with the most number of victories sitting at three straight from 2002-2004.

Internationals riders will be bolstered by Mike Stewart, Pierre Louis Costes, Hawaiian world champion Tanner McDaniel and locals Andrew Lester, Shaun Pyne and Jack Baker will be representing Cronulla.

Last held in 2017 the rebirthed event is in the hands of three local surfers Luke ,Sam Venn and Mark who said the event shouldn’t be allowed to just die.

“Drawing in a range of international riders to come up against the best local talent has been the cornerstone of success in relation to engagement and viewers for this prestigious competition, so that’s the format we are going with again,” they said

“The SIC is recognised globally by the greater surfing community to be one of the most dangerous and honourable contests to be a part of, holding stead as one of the most challenging waves in the world to surf.”

The trio have secured a naming rights sponsor ‘Bodyboard King’ and have Sporting News lined up to produce the epic surfing footage that is watched around the whole surfing world- when the Island is on its as good as it gets. Due to world-wide spectator support, it is regarded as the best specialty bodyboarding championship, with riders not only competing against each other but facing the challenges of riding the unforgiving wave.

Surfers set for emergencies

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Photo and Words by: John Veage

Cronulla surfers were some of the first to participate in a Trauma Surfers Rescue/Bleeding Control course that was held at Cronulla Beach last week thanks to Cronulla RSL funding.

Surfing NSW have started running this course for various coastal communities up and down the NSW Coastline and were stoked to be able to get the chance to run this course for the Cronulla surfing community.

This is the first time Surfing NSW has been directly involved in the NSW State Government’s Shark Mitigation Program and it gives them an opportunity to run these courses and programs for boardriding clubs, surf schools and the surfing community as a whole – all funding received from NSW Government and D.P.I has gone directly into volunteer clubs.

Fifteen local Surfing Sutherland Shire Boardrider’s clubs members took part in the training and there was plenty of fake blood and limbs lost in the exercise. The board rescue component started first before the Trauma training course – Bleed control in an Aquatic Environment – was presented by TacMed Australia Military Medics who are leveraging training based on their experience from special operations in military and civilian settings around the world. Participants suited up to keep warm on the beach for the duration of the course – there was no sitting in a classroom watching videos.

Surfing Sutherland Shire President Andy Britton said it was a real eye opener and more in depth then the basic first aid courses that club members have to do.

“It was a first class hands-on learning experience, delivering a skill set that all surfers should have. It is highly recommended to all club members,” he said.

Surfers learnt surfboard rescue techniques that incorporate the best methods for both conscious and unconscious patients and then the bleeding control trauma course, which is designed to arm surfers and ocean users with lifesaving skills that can save a surfer from trauma related injuries including shark attack, fin chop, propeller injury, severe lacerations and other surfboard related injuries.

Surfing NSW provided the first-of-its-kind Trauma Training course to assist surfers, boardrider clubs, surf schools and coaches use their trauma and bleeding control kits. The custom kits, which are designed for use in the event of an immediate, life-threatening trauma incident were designed in collaboration with Surfing NSW staff, and include equipment to deal with immediate trauma, bleeding control, hypothermia, fracture management and minor wounds.

“Surfers are often the first to respond to surf-zone incidents at unpatrolled or regional beaches and in many of these cases, every second counts,” said Matt Lawson, Head of Programs, clubs and surf schools for Surfing NSW.

Photo: John Veage

Old surfers stand up

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Caption: Surfing Sutherland Shire Director Ian Spencer was dominant in the first O45 heat of the day in good waves at the Alley. Picture John Veage

The Volkswagen Cronulla Surf Masters Event was back in a big way this year, surfing at North Cronulla Beach for a day of action and activities.

Although the weather held its part of the bargain the competitors faced challenging conditions as the wind progressively picked up heat after heat until the final buzzer went off.

Conditions sat around the 3 ft mark early with the occasional good peak rolling through for competitors patiently sitting in the right spot at the right time.

The annual Volkswagen Surf Masters event continues to provide men and women aged 28 years and above with a competitive event against mates, and this year, the event held six divisions from O28 men and women, through to over 65 year old’s, reminding spectators that age is just a number.

In the 28’s Cronulla Boardriders champion Jordan Widenstrom kept the locals flag flying taking first in heat one with a total combination score of 11.00, and beating his own score in the final with a 14.00.

Widenstrom the defending champion said as the wind picked up it was hard to catch a decent wave and his local knowledge kept him going right and not catching the harder to score lefts.

In the O65’s Colum O’Leary might have finished third but he guessed how many chocolates Matt Callaghan Property had in a jar and took home a Mick Fanning soft board.

In the over 55 men, David Hammond dominated heats’ one and two before being dubbed champion whilst stand out over 28 women’s champion Talina Wilson took out her final against competitor Anna Martin.

Older surfers get on board

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Words and Image: John Veage:

The Volkswagen Surfmasters Cronulla is back on the Bate Bay beaches this October 21, supported by Cronulla RSL for an epic day of competition.

The one-day event will see over 70 of NSW’s best shortboarders aged over 28 compete.

The annual event showcases the states talent-pool of masters surfers and is highly regarded by former professionals to local grassroots legends who are drawn to the Sutherland Shire to compete each year. Although, the surfing is just the beginning! With on-site activations and giveaways occurring throughout the day, the Volkswagen Cronulla Surf Masters is an event for everyone.

First held in 2010 to foster the passion and healthy lifestyle associated with surfing for over 28-year-olds, the partnership between Volkswagon and Surfing NSW has remained strong.
The event will see five age divisions being contested with the O-28 Men and Women, O-35 Men, O-45 Men and Women and O-55 and 65 Men competing.

Kash is King

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Cronulla Boardriders Club junior champion Kash Brown has been crowned the U16 winner at finals day of the 2023 Rip Curl Search at Merewether Beach, Newcastle on Sunday.

Brown was the only Surfing Sutherland Shire finalist but his clubmates Grace Gosby and Sonny Leong both made the semi finals of the prestigious junior event in their age divisions.

In the U16 girls NSW champion Gosby had the top score of a 7 but fell short by .03 and only needed a 3.43 to actually win.

A busy Brown dominated his final scoring two 8 plus rides and comboing the entire finals field.

The Rip Curl GromSearch series began as a single day event in 1999 and has developed into a world-wide series providing groms with the opportunity to surf and test their skills against the best junior talent in their country.

National Final competitors will be selected from the 2023 GromSearch events, with the top three competitors from each location guaranteed automatic entry.