Surfing the Cape's colossal waves
9 May 2006
The eighth edition of Red Bull Big Wave Africa - the second longest running big wave event in the world, behind the Quiksilver Eddie Aikau event at Waimea Bay in Hawaii - introduces a radical new format to give the event the best chance of running.
The waiting period for the event has been extended from 21 days - a relatively small window for any big-wave spot to stand to attention - to nearly four months, starting on 8 May and closing on 13 August.
That gives the 18 invited surfers and 20 "alternates" 97 days of possible contestable waves. The field is now wide open.
Giant right-hand breaking waves
Red Bull Big Wave Africa takes place at Dungeons, the monster that sleeps beneath the cliffs of the Sentinel at the mouth of Hout Bay on the Cape Peninsula.
The Dungeons reef, the first sea bottom that the ocean swells hit on their path shore-wards, has the ability to produce the biggest waves in Africa. The
swells, generated across the South Atlantic Ocean, hit the Dungeon Reefs and rear up into giant right-hand breaking waves for brave souls to attempt to ride.
Apart from the enormous waves, a few other elements to add to the mix of bravery needed to tackle Dungeons: ice-cold water, thick undulating kelp beds that cover the inside waters, and abundant sea life - including a few sharks that prey on the local seal colony.
Only two champions
Red Bull Big Wave Africa has only had two champians: South Africa's humble Sean Holmes in 2000, and the tenacious Greg Long from California in 2003.
2006 will almost definitely produce another winner and he will walk away with a first prize of R100 000 for a good day's surfing!
The 2006 line-up is overflowing with red-hot big-wave talent from South Africa and abroad. The local contingent is headed by former event winner Sean Holmes and Durban's Grant Baker. He is joined by perennial charger
Jason Ribbink and John Whittle, both from Durban. The Cape crew is made up of Mickey Duffus and Andrew Marr.
International field
The international field includes Long, Australian hell-man Ross Clarke-Jones, Grant Washburn, Australian Paul Patterson, and Hawaiian Jamie Sterling.
Cape Town big-wave legend and Hawaiian charger Johnny Paarman takes on the role of contest director, bringing his wealth of big wave knowledge to the party. A former IPS competitor, Paarman rode Dungeons and numerous other big wave surf spots in and around Cape Town during his illustrious career, and has competed successfully at spots like Sunset and Pipe in Hawaii.
He will be making the call, along with wave forecasting experts and local weather guru Steve Pike, on The Perfect Day.
To ensure the safety of competitors and spectators alike, a well-knit local water-safety team will be in attendance on the day.
The safety crew and medical personnel are
all highly skilled and trained under Californian rescue queen Shawn Alladio to ensure that all contestants have top-end assistance available no matter the situation.
The entire event, contestants, happenings and swell predictions can be tracked on Red Bull Big Wave Africa, where current event updates and athlete profiles, along with other relevant information, will be featured.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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