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.

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.”

Cronulla and Elouera qualify for National Titles

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Story by: John Veage

In a fitting result the two strongest Surfing Sutherland Shire Boardriders Clubs have qualified for the 2024 Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle final to be held at Burleigh Heads in March.
Cronulla Sharks and rivals Elouera both made the final in the last qualification contest at Kiama on Saturday, Cronulla just getting bragging rights finishing on the podium in third (24.74) with the Dunnies a close fourth (22.96).

Cronulla’s Club Champion Hayden Blair said it is great to be part of a solid and positive team.

“There were a few intense moments, but as a team we backed ourselves and we knew what it would take to get through,” he said.

“Looking forward to continuing this momentum all the way to the nationals finals.”

Scarborough Boardriders won the Kiama qualifier followed by Maroubra United, Cronulla Sharks and Elouera. Cronulla surfer Jordan Widenstrom said their first round victory set them up.

“We didn’t really put a complete heat together so we were lucky we didn’t have to surf the extra two rounds like Elouera.

“Anything can happen – our power surfer Jay Brown got us into the final.”

Elouera’s power surfer (they surf twice in a heat) Jarvis Earle was penalised for an interference in the first round which cost them a semi final berth and they had to do it the hard way but a world class surfer of his calibre can’t be discounted. An Elouera spokesman said it was a super fun day for the ABB Southern Qualifier.

“Team EBC and our support squad had a ball. We were stoked with our performance and to qualify for the National Finals in Burleigh Heads.”

The Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle is Australia’s biggest grassroots boardriders event and involves more than 70 of Australia’s best clubs.
Taking place across eight state qualifying rounds, clubs will come together at the national final to battle it out to become the series 11 Australian Champions with more than $115, 000 in total prize money up for grabs throughout the series.

Surfing Australia announced earlier that the Boardriders Battle Grand Final was moving from Newcastle to Burleigh Heads for the next three years, a world-famous point break on the Gold Coast.
Cronulla hosted the event for its first three years. Tourism Events Queensland and Major Events Gold Coast will host the Grand Final of the series on March 9-10, 2024.
The Elouera team consisted of Jarvis Earle, Joey Sear, Jared Hickel, April Davey, Jaya Wardana, Korbin Whyte and Mitch Warren.

The third placed Cronulla Sharks team of Jordan Widenstrom, Grace Gosby, Kash Brown, Hayden Blair and Jay Brown will be joined by Elouera at the Boardriders Battle final (inset) Elouera’s Jarvis Earle. Picture SNSW and McDonald.

Back to the future for Cronulla surfers

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Words and image by John Veage

Photo caption: Finalists Fletch Hayllar, Jordan Widenstrom, Charlie Chegwidden,- Matt Gall, Jay Brown and Zac McMartin with organiser Dan Larter.

Cronulla Sharks Boardriders club started 46 years ago when surfboards only had one or two fins and leg ropes were a new invention so it was back to the future last weekend when they ran their inaugural Cronulla Retro Competition.

There was only one rule, all surfers had to ride a pre-1985 surfboard.

In 1978 when they first put on a club singlet Australia’s Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew was the men’s world champion and Hawaii’s Lynn Boyer the women’s and the great Mark Richards was just about to go on his three world championship run riding his twin fin.

Unsurprisingly the twin fin featured heavily on the weekend with five of the six finalists choosing to ride one. Fletch Hayllar was the lone single fin surfer riding a M’Coy classic single.

With the help of sponsor RB99 who ran the BBQ and Hairyman Brewery Dan Larter event organiser said $1500 dollars was raised to put surfers through a Mental Health First Aid course.

Event Winner: Jay Brown – Photo: J Veage.

It was an open event but it was two Cronulla club champions who fought it out in the one meter waves at the North Cronulla Alley, with Jay Brown just edging out Jordan Widenstrom for the cash and getting first plaque on the perpetual trophy.