Surfing Red Bull Cape Fear contest is set to go ahead on Sunday, with waves more than eight feet high expected to ravage the Botany Bay point.
National Parks and Wildlife Service has advised that the only area not open to the general public is Yena picnic area.
The Cape Fear contest is a closed event so spectators will have to watch it live at redbullcapefear.com or on Fuel TV.
See an earlier story video of some of the surf at Cape Fear: http://www.theleader.com.au/story/2193389/conquering-waves-at-cape-fear-off-botany-bay/#slide=2
Just when surfing fans thought they had had their fill of big wave excitement after the historic Tahiti Pro this week, the surfing gods have offered up a main course and dessert of epic proportions.
Never before has the world of surfing seen the revolutionary boxing card-style format employed by Red Bull Cape Fear, nor have they seen a contest at what many consider to be the most dangerous wave in the world.
Contest director and competitor Mark Mathews has surfed the biggest, heaviest waves the planet has to offer and by his expert opinion the Red Bull Cape Fear wave is, pound for pound, the heaviest on earth. With a forceful east-south-east swell and off-shore winds pushing into Sydney's Botany Bay, the Pacific Ocean hits a razor sharp ledge before pitching anywhere from eight feet to 10 feet and then breaking on an unforgiving cliff's edge just metres away.
Expert surf forecasters Coastalwatch have predicted ideal swell for the event and for the uninitiated, Mathews says Cape Fear is even more daunting than it sounds.
‘‘There's no wave in the world from six feet to 10 feet that is heavier or more dangerous," he says.
‘‘Deep water swell pitch on a super shallow ledge that is covered with razorblade barnacles and then it breaks only 10-15 metres from the cliff face.
‘‘If you fall off and don't hit the bottom, chances are you are going to get washed in to that cliff face.
‘‘There are plenty of dangers and only few willing to navigate them."
And as if the event wasn't already exciting enough as it is, the competitors will contest the brutal wave in two disciplines — tow-in with jet-ski assist and the most difficult task in surfing, paddling into monsters.
To see history in the making on Sunday August 31, head to www.redbullcapefear.com and FUEL TV where the entire event will be streamed live from 7:30am AEST.