Dungeons: BIG waves and photos
3 December 2004
There were two contestants for the 2004 Oakley Big Wave Challenge, powered by Zigzag surfing magazine - and both caught waves at the famous Dungeons, off of Hout Bay in Cape Town.
Durbanites Jason Ribbink and Grant "Twiggy" Baker caught their big rides months apart - and it proved quite difficult to determine the winner.
Zigzag, together with a group of independent experts, set about determining which wave was the bigger of the two. The task was to calculate the size of the wave face from each of the photos.
Using a combination of mathematical equations and some callipers for accuracy, a legitimate method of calculating the height of the wave was finally reached.
Baker's wave was calculated at 9.43 metres (approximately 31 feet) high at the instant the photo was taken, while Ribbink's
ride was calculated at 10.92 metres (approximately 36 feet).
The difference in the wave heights - a mere 1.49 metres - was worth R50 000 to Ribbink.
Further evidence of Ribbink's big wave was found by Zigzag, which had a photo taken from a different angle, showing the wave before it had broken, at an approximate height of 45 feet! The video clip arrived after the closing date for the Challenge, and was therefore not in contention for the big prize.
The winning photographer was 17-year-old Jared Hartman. His snap earned him a cool R20 000.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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