The waiting period for the relaunched 2024 Bodyboard King Shark Island Challenge has started with a launch party at Cronulla's Croydon Lane setting the stage for the battle ahead.
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The event time period is to span from May 24 and concludes June 30 2024 - a possible extension can be granted if ideal conditions don't arise, allowing for the best swell, wind and tide for maximum surf quality.
The live heat draw was done at random with all competitors names pulled out on stage.
One killer heat has Jeff Hubbard, Toby Player, Marli Dunn, Andy Lester and Lilly Pollard competing.
Twice Pipeline masters champion and five times Australian champ Pollard is the first women to be invited to surf in the tight knit event.
Pollard said she was stoked, honoured and amped to be invited to the 2024 Shark Island Challenge.
"I've been training my whole life for this. I promise to send it for the girls."
Also confirmed is legendary bodyboarding's greatest ever competitor, nine times world champion Mike Stewart, along with Pierre Louis Costes and current Hawaiian world champion Tanner McDaniel.
McDaniel said he'd only been here once before "but I'm up for it".
Stewart who won the Challenge in 2000 said its an amazing event.
"I'm here now and hopefully the forecast will be kind.
"It's a special event in World Bodyboarding - it's probably the first slab event ever held and its a big thing to win," Stewart said
2017 was the last year the Shark Island Challenge ran.
One of the event organisers Luke O'Connor said it was a good time to relaunch.
"We are proud of the community getting behind the event - now we just have to hope Mother Nature gets it together," he said
The Shark Island Challenge first started in 1997, and was a very informal and local event and was won by Cronulla's Matt Percy.
Shark Island can only be surfed for two hours on either side of high tide and a miscalculated move can land you on dry reef so the event needs a particular set of conditions to be viable - hence its waiting period.
The Challenge competition runs uniquely as a specialty event with a total of 24 bodyboarders - 20 athletes are invited from all the corners of the globe, including four Cronulla locals.
Local surfers competing and representing the Surfing Sutherland Shire community include former winner Andrew Lester, Shaun Pyne and Jack Baker .
The Island wave is one of the most challenging and photographic spots in the world and the last event got over half a million views on U Tube, this year Sporting News are doing a live feed and video.
John Veage
Thirty five year photographer for Fairfax -former NSW Chief Photographer for FCN and now Photo Journalist for the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader in southern Sydney.Official photographer for Cycling Australia (20 years) Official photographer for Surf Life Saving Australia (30 years) Founding Life Member of Cronulla Boardriders Club and Life Member of Surfing Sutherland Shire among other things.
Thirty five year photographer for Fairfax -former NSW Chief Photographer for FCN and now Photo Journalist for the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader in southern Sydney.Official photographer for Cycling Australia (20 years) Official photographer for Surf Life Saving Australia (30 years) Founding Life Member of Cronulla Boardriders Club and Life Member of Surfing Sutherland Shire among other things.
