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.

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