Monster swell on Christmas wish list for Shipstern Bluff Cape Fear organisers

The organisers of the inaugural Shipstern Bluff Cape Fear big wave surfing contest say there is still a chance the event could run this year.

A MIRACLE monster swell is what organisers of the inaugural Shipstern Bluff Red Bull Cape Fear big wave surfing contest are wishing for this Christmas.

In August this year Red Bull announced the annual Cape Fear event would run in southern Tasmania for the first time with a contest waiting period from August until December 31 for the right swell to arrive.

SHIPPIES TO HOST RED BULL CAPE FEAR CONTEST

MATHEWS WANTS A RUN AT SHIPSTERN

The event would see at least 10 of Tasmania’s hardiest big wave surfers mixing it with some of the sport’s biggest names from across the globe, including three-time world champion Mick Fanning and Hawaiian chargers Jamie O’Brien and Nathan Florence.

Event founder and organiser Mark Mathews said although the right swell had not come yet and it was doubtful it would turn up at this time of year, there was still hope.

“We need a big, long-period swell over several days,” he said.

“We couldn’t see anything coming in the next week, but after that, who knows?

“You never know what Mother Nature might provide.”

A team of organisers, meteorologists and surfers have been keeping a close watch on the weather maps of the Southern Ocean.

Mathews said if the required swell does not turn up before December 31, the event would likely go ahead next year, with an extended waiting period from March to December.

“We’ve wanted to hold an event at Shipstern for a long time.”

Mathews said there would be a silver lining for him if the event had to be postponed until next year.

“I might be able to surf it.”

A respected big wave surfer himself, Mathews has been recovering from a career-threatening leg injury he sustained in 2016 while surfing a “shallow right-hand slab” outside of Sydney.

Six million spectators were expected to tune in to the live stream of the event on Red Bull TV.

The annual event has been running at Cape Solander in Sydney since 2014 but did not run in 2015 or 2017 due to weather conditions.