Fluidzone Shark Island Challenge 2001 Shark Island Challenge

In: Fluidzone Shark Island Challenge by philgallagher 2 Comments Tue 1st Jun '10

Tags: Damian King , Shark Island Challenge 2001

2001 to this date is the heaviest contest swell in the event history. The waves were 8-12ft and some of the biggest ever ridden at the island. The field was full of international riders, fifteen year veterans locals were scared and the East Coast of NSW was seeing the biggest swell in 30 years. All this and coinciding with the school holidays made it the most publicized event bodyboarding had ever seen.

Rather than bore you with heat by heat recaps, here are the best quotes from 2001.

"I reckon it was the best contest in bodyboarding history so far. Tahiti was more gnarly, but this had the whole crowd factor. If you looked in on the point there was like over 1000 people all roaring and cheering, and then another 50-100 guys in the water watching. It was like a full arena. Like a gladiator sport." Ben Player

"Mate you can't hold it in this, it's too north, people are going to get hurt" Dave Ballard to Contest director Mark Fordham

" You don't have to compete Ball" Fordham's reply to Ballard

"Tahiti's heavy, but after surfing the Island like this I am sure it's heavier for its size. This place is fuckin mean" Spencer Skipper

"I was watching the early heats and saw a few bigger ones breaking out wide on second reef. No one was catching them so I tried my luck. Just as I was about to pull back I thought about my dad because the contest was actually dedicated to him. I put the last stroke in and just went." Adam Wingnut Smith.

" I felt physically sick, I knew I had an edge from the first day, but that kind of made things worse. I was watching Hardy and Lester surfing in their second round heats and everytime they would pull of a wave people would look at me for a reaction. All that pressure actually made me feel sick in the stomach. I don't think I have ever felt that nervous". Damian King

"Watching Ballard out there makes you realise just how good his local knowledge of the place is. Where 80 percent of the other guys in his heat we're getting chewed, he was coming out just riding the tube perfect. He was turning his board pretty much straight so that he wouldn't get sucked over". Ryan Hardy

" I didn't think it was that wide until i saw it on the news. It was kinda like one of those barrels that's so big you don't even know you're in there until the end when it spits". Toby Player

"I was not really looking for sections to hit. You basically want to make it out alive. I went to hit one section at surge, but I landed back on the roof and I got pretty stuffed. It was so dry, like no water dry. I was just stuck up there praying that i'd come out okay. It was pretty scary being out there in general really". Jeff Hubbard

" I'd rather win Pipe or the Shark Island comp any day than win the World Title" Damian King 1998

" For me money is just a bonus, winning this contest in waves like this and seeing what it has done for bodyboarding is the real prize" Damian King 2001

1st Damian King
2nd Ryan Hardy
3rd Sean Virtue
4th Dave Ballard

Best move : Ryan Hardy
Best Tube : Simon Thornton
Best Wipeout : Ryan McKinnon