Cape Fear waiting period opens as Mark Mathews recuperates

IT’S one of the scariest waves in the world and the waiting period for the Red Bull Cape Fear event is open - even if its brainchild is still recuperating from a horrific wipe-out.

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IT’S one of the heaviest and scariest waves in the world and the waiting period for the Red Bull Cape Fear event in Sydney is now officially open – even if the brainchild behind the event is still recuperating from a horrific wipe-out which nearly cost him his leg.

Contest director Mark Mathews is currently in Hawaii recovering from the shocking wipe-out at a secret NSW reef south of Sydney late last year where he snapped his anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, severely damaged a nerve and tore an artery.

Mathews considers himself lucky to be alive and not wheelchair bound and is now rehabilitating in Hawaii at a surf specific facility.

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But he says he may never be able to surf big waves again.

Mark Mathews prepares to surf at Botany Bay in 2014.

Mark Mathews surfing Cape Fear.

“I stood up on the board for the first time two days ago but it was pretty weak,’’ said Mathews from Hawaii.

“I’m still walking with this horrible limp. It’s awful. We still don’t know if I will ever be back 100 per cent.

“In my head I will but I’ve still got at least one more operation to go.’’

Cape Fear is considered one of the heaviest waves in the world.

The big wave charger also broke his shoulder in a massive wipe-out just hours before he was due to compete in the Pe’ahi Challenge at Jaws, Hawaii, in 2014.

“It’s going to be a minimum of six months before I’m back surfing big waves. Maybe never,’’ Mathews said.

“There’s a fear around it. A fear or re-injury.’’

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However Mathews said he will continue to act as the Cape Fear contest director.

The infamous Red Bull Cape Fear event is invitation-only and for only the bravest and best who will compete at Botany’s Cape Solander - also known as Cape Fear and Ours.

In total 20 surfers will surf if conditions are forecast to be around eight to 12 foot – or in layman's terms the height of a three storey building.

Justen Allport surfing at Cape Fear. Pic: Rohan Kelly

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The heavy Cape Solander wave, equivalent to 27 Olympic pools of water breaking, pounds over a shallow reed just metres from rocks with surfers towed in at speeds of 50km/h.

The waiting period this year runs from May 1 until August 31.