The Occumentary 25th anniversary

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Almost every surfer in the world knows the name Mark Occhilupo – or just plain Occy, the Cronulla 1999 World Surfing Champion that rose from the ashes of a celebrated junior career to finally reach his potential. Short and stocky, a ball of energy that took to the water and turned into an aggressive power surfer -nicknamed ‘the Raging Bull’. Kurnell born Occy won World Tour contests on every continent – Pipe Masters, Teahupoo, Bells, US Open, Fiji and Mundaka to name a few. A founding member of Cronulla Boardriders Club he won his first schoolboys’ contest at 13 and followed up with a NSW Junior State Title. After year ten at Cronulla High School, he left home for the ASP Tour and made the Top 16 securing a seed for the following year.

After a much publicised touring life of substance use and exhaustion from his lifestyle, he quit the tour and headed home to Cronulla, re-entering professional surfing in 1995, and after some major wins he won the world title in 1999 at age 33. It’s one of the great stories in modern surfing the rise fall and rise again of 1999 World Champion Mark Ochillupo all captured in Jack McCoy’s brilliant film, The Occumentary.

To celebrate the 25th anniversaries of Mark Occhilupo’s 1999 ASP World Title and multi award winning film The Occumentary, legendary surf film maker Jack McCoy and Occhilupo will be hitting the east coast of Australia. Jack has digitally remastered the film and it is now ready to be seen on the big screen and along with the film Jack and Occy will share stories and engage with the audience as they unpack this amazing surfing journey.

Tickets available via jackmccoy.com with Sydney events at the Randwick Ritz on Saturday, August 24 and Warriewood on Thursday August 22.

Words and images by: John Veage

Surfers learn first aid

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Picture/Words: John Veage

Surfing Sutherland Shire has successfully run a free surfers first aid course at Cronulla RSL for the local Bate Bay Boardriders Clubs. The course provides participants with the knowledge and skills needed to manage emergency first aid situations and deliver competent emergency care until the arrival of professional medical support.

Surfers are often in places that are remote and hard to access and use equipment that can cause injury so learning basic first aid and CPR is a valuable skill that may not only be used at the beach, but also in the home, work and in the general community. It was funded by a NSW State Government ‘Local Members’ grant of $3600.00 facilitated by the Cronulla MP and NSW Opposition leader Mark Speakmans office.

Mark Speakman said you never know when you might be called on to save someone’s life or to curtail a serious injury.

“Basic first aid skills are easy to learn. It’s great to see the surfing fraternity preparing for the unexpected.” he said

Surfing Sutherland Shire engaged Surfing New South Wales to arrange the training and they used accredited trainer Bobby Yaldwyn to deliver the content. The six hour course involved CPR training, operation of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), wound and trauma response as well as the use of Epipens for the treatment of anaphylaxis shock. The outcome of this training resulted in eleven participants successfully completing the accredited First Aid Certificate course.

Grace Gosby and other members of Cronulla's boardriding clubs learn CPR in the Surfing NSW first aid course at Cronulla RSL. Picture John Veage
Photo: Grace Gosby and other members of Cronulla’s boardriding clubs learn CPR in the Surfing NSW first aid course at Cronulla RSL. Picture John Veage

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