Locals shine in Shark Island Challenge

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Words and images: John Veage

The 2024 Bodyboard King Shark Island Challenge has been run and won after a six year hiatus in the wide world of the surfing wilderness.

In challenging 6-10ft waves, with a growing SSE swell and a high tide peaking at 4.30pm the four finalist, Marli Dunn, Benny Sawyer, Andrew Lester and Michael Ostler went to war at one of the world’s greatest slabs.

With heavy water moving, Phantom Reef was breaking on the big south east sets and rolling through into Cronulla Point. Sutherland Council Lifeguards and Marine Rescue on their jet skis had their work cut out for them throughout the day as injuries were sustained and floggings were dished out by a pulsing Tasman low pressure system.

Locals shone brightly through out the entire competition, and due to the tricky nature of the contest conditions they performed extremely well with three out of the four finalist holding local rank in the lineup.

At the end of a long day it was local legend, Benny Sawyer, taking out his maiden Shark Island Challenge over former winner Andrew Lester with Michael Ostler and Marli Dunn taking the minor placings.

At the Kurnell Recca’s presentation night Ben said he was still pumped.

“Big thanks to everyone involved”.

“It was the greatest event I’ve ever been a part of I’m so blessed to win and I love you all,” he said

The inception of the Shark Island Challenge took place back in 1997 and it immediately had an impact on the world’s competitive bodyboarding stage. 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 viewership for this prestigious competition, indicating the format works.

It is Cronulla’s only truly international surfing event and thousands of spectators lined the Cronulla Esplanade all day watching the dramatic action and there wasn’t a parking spot to be found. Last held in 2017 the Shark Island Committee put in a massive amount of work and the Sporting News live stream kept the world up to date as the day progressed-making Benny Sawyer an International star for taking out his maiden SIC-It surely won’t be his last.

Jarvis leads the Men’s Oceania QS rankings

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Jarvis Earle has put the disappointment of a first round loss at Narabeen last month behind him by winning the 2024 Krui Pro World Surf League Qualifying Series 5000 event in South Sumatra.

He now leads the Australia/Oceania – 2024/2025 Men’s Qualifying Series Rankings to compete in the 2025 Challenger Series. Jarvis said it was a fun contest but his qualification battle is ongoing.

“I’m now going to Nias and doing the QS there before going home swapping bags and going to South Africa for the Ballito Pro.

“It’s a pretty busy year but I’ve been loving all the travelling and competition so its all good.”

Photo: Oceania/Australia WQS leader Jarvis Earle takes to the air in the final of the 2024 Krui Pro Qualifying Series 5000 event in Sumatra. Picture WSL

Earle overcame a huge field of Asia Pacific’s best up-and-coming surfers as well as huge surf throughout the week to claim victory. On finals day, competitors were treated to super fun, clean three-to-four-foot surf at the backup location of Krui Left as Ujung Bocur was smashed with massive swell once again.

The men’s final saw two of the event standouts, Earle and Taj Stokes, go head-to-head in a classic goofy verse natural battle. Both surfers got their accounts opened early, each performing a series of fast, critical turns to earn solid scores, with Earle getting the upper hand on the first exchange.

Stokes then backed up his score with a 9.00 point ride to take the lead. Earle was chasing an excellent score but was unable to complete a wave until, with only 10 seconds left, the former World Junior Champion found a set and dropped in.

Earle smashed a huge layback snap on his first maneuver before a re-entry, carve and floater to finish earning a 9.03 and this third QS event win of the year.
Jarvis said he was so stoked to have won the event.

“It’s such a great place with great waves and having my friends here it was awesome,” he said.

“I’m just stoked I got the opportunity on a bigger wave at the end of the heat and that I got it done.”

2024 Cronulla Surfing Titles

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by: John Veage

The first Cronulla Surfing Titles were held in the early 1960s by the original Cronulla Boardriders Club – they were the only club on the beach at the time and surfing was a new competitive sport in this country before Manly hosted the inaugural 1964 World Surfing Titles.

The Sutherland Shire was first represented as a region by the Cronulla Boardriders Association which formed around 1970 with surfboard shaper and NSW champion Denny Childs winning the Cronulla title.

In the late 70s the name was changed to the Sutherland Shire Surfing Association and later still Surfing Sutherland Shire who now annually runs the Ocean and Earth juniors surfing titles and the Cronulla Open Surfing Titles.

Last year unassuming goofy foot Harrison Martin from Sandshoes won the battle of the Sutherland Shire boardriding clubs but this year the contest was won by Elouera’s Ben Dewhurst over Cronulla Sharks 16 yr old ripper Kash Brown.
This year the event was held at Elouera Beach in fun 2-3ft left and right handers which gave everyone an equal chance.

Brown’s Cronulla clubmate Grace Gosby made it back to back titles in the Open Women’s and Soren Smith also caused Kash some pain in the u18 final with a hard fought win.
Matt Mulder took the men’s Malibu title and Phoebe Hick kept her women’s Malibu crown.
NSW state title seeding saw Sonny Leong win the u12 boys and Zara Hyland and Phoenix Black the U14s.

Halon Tanko and Mia Martin took the u16s and Smith and Gosby the U18s.

Photo: Cronulla Open Men’s Champion Ben Dewhurst (yellow) holds the 110 year old Paddy McCue Cronulla Titles trophy. Picture John Veage

Greater Good Award

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Some of the biggest names in surfing have been honoured at the 2023 Australian Surfing Awards, held last week at the Bondi Pavilion. The event, recognised the outstanding achievements of athletes and contributors across 19 award categories with Ethan Ewing and Molly Picklum awarded male and female surfer of the year.

Celebrating the heart of the surfing community with the Community Award, Cronulla’s Blake Johnston who broke the world record for the longest-recorded surfing session was recognised with the Greater Good Award.

Cronulla surfboard manufacturer Dylan Longbottom presented the Surfing Australia Heavy Water Award to the winner Laurer Enever who broke the World Record on one of his surfboards which he said was pretty special. Dylan’s big wave charging daughter Summa was a finalist in the Best Surf Picture award.

Blake hasn’t stopped after his big achievement and its only two weeks away from the Inaugural Cronulla Surf Festival, presented by The Chumpy Pullin Foundation,
It’s a big day with a massive board demo day by Triple Bull surf shop, live music, Junior King of the Beach battle between local clubs, a mechanical surfboard and an inclusive surf session for kids on the spectrum. Bookings essential.

The event concludes with a special ticketed event 707 at Sealevel Restaurant celebrating Blakey’s achievements and the shire community.

At that event Blakey the Sutherland Shire Citizen of the Year will be launching his youth empowerment program SWELLBEING with The Chumpy Pullin Foundation and announcing a new world record attempt for 2025.

Photo: Blakey Johnston’s Cronulla Surf Festival will be held at The Alley on March 16 and is a free community event. For more information visit www.cronullasurffestival.com

Cronulla Girls Surf Celebration

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Cronulla Girls Boardriders Club celebrate their quarter century of riding the waves. Picture and words by: John Veage

The Cronulla Girls Boardriders Cub has celebrated its 25th year at its annual presentation night at the Cronulla RSL Club. Formed by Sari Lokollo and a handful of like minded women in 1998 it was started some when partners of the established Cronulla Sharks Boardriders Club members thought it fitting that they had their own girls club.

They held their first registration day at the North Cronulla Alley and got 18 starting surfers with Alana Smith, Misty, Kim Lester, Lynsey Knowlands, Tiarne Smith, Crystal Smith, Lorissa Smith, Broni Smith, Alex, Jordan, Rebecca Verseylus and quite a few female groms at the original sign up. Sari said it was exciting, and the girls were pumped planning their first contest that would be held the following month at the Alley.

Fittingly the last contest of 2023 was also held at North Cronulla Beach and it certainly served up some challenging conditions. The surf was a sloppy, heaving mess but there was no other option on the beaches so it was an apt, full-circle moment that the girls didn’t appreciate whilst being swept continually north in the raging rip. Despite the tough conditions, they managed to finish up the year with a fun comp with good vibes and lots of laughs as usual. The last comp also changed placings on the leaderboard, making for an exciting end to the season. In the Open A division NSW junior champion and Cronulla Sharks women champ Grace Gosby just got over the top of multiple club champion Jazmyn Schafer with Pippi Simpson and Jasmine Gosby the top four.

In the all important Micro’s Lily Hurst overcame Billi Trouville with Mia Martin taking the Juniors crown over Matilda Thearle. Phoebe Hick claimed the Malibu top prize over Cassidy Maloney and Tayla Degan won the Open B Grade. For the past nine years sisters Kathryn and Jennifer Ward have been running the club as co-presidents. Jennifer said they are a good team.
“We are helped by some amazing ladies – Rach Whyte, Ash Timbrell, Kass Bertram and others.

“I love that we are part of a movement for advancing women’s sport and providing a place for women to feel supported and comfortable”

“Our comp days are really fun, the vibes are high, everyone has a smile and most importantly we’ve all become friends,” she said

“Kathryn and I are competitive by nature, so it has been important for us to run a serious club with competitive surfing, however we’re also cognizant that surfing should be fun and social”

“We hope we’ve achieved that balance.”