Hawaii and the USA have The Eddie Aikau and now thanks to Mark Mathews Australia has the Red Bull Cape Fear event. If Waimea is like a clichéd version of Americans – big, blustering and let’s be honest a little fat then there is something uniquely Australian about Cape Solander – the wave is a little rough around the edges, full of character and funnily enough, located right where Captain Cook sailed into Botany Bay to discover what was then referred to as Terra Australis.
Cook the explorer would have been proud of the pioneering spirit Mark Mathews employed to make his unique event a reality. Admittedly it didn’t deliver the shock and awe that everyone had hoped for, but to focus too much on the conditions for the inaugural event is to miss the point about the concept’s potential. Before yesterday the Cape Fear contest was still just a possibility, a series of extended waiting periods, big names on a heat sheet and what ifs. If the whole season had elapsed without it happening we might have begun to question whether or not it actually ever would.
“It’s the weight of the world off my shoulders right now,” Mathews stated after winning his heat against Shan Dorian. Mark was well aware that conditions hadn’t quite matched expectations but he was obviously relieved to see his innovative concept become a reality. “I’m calling 10 to 12 foot next year for sure,” Mark told the media, determined to send the message that he was aiming to make Red Bull Cape Fear an annual fixture on the Australian surfing calendar .
Ryan Hipwood scoring one of the best barrels of the event.
Mathews claimed he was in a lot of pain after injuring his back the afternoon before when the swell was peaking. There were also reports he’d had a close encounter with a submarine-sized shark in the lineup on the same afternoon. Of the international invitees Jamie O’Brien had probably the best description of the wave after he surfed it for the first time on the Saturday. “It was totally intimidating. There’s no styling or relaxing, it’s like shits hitting the fan fast.”
If the event didn’t quite deliver it wasn’t without its highlights. Koby Abberton’s skittle across the rocks was perhaps the most perfect piece of schadenfreude (the German word for pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others – see 1hr, 59 minutes, 30 seconds into the coverage) in surfing history, Dean Morrison’s double barrel was delicately executed and goofy footer Kirk Flintoff deservedly got the biggest cheer of the day for from the V.I.P crowd for his gritty, rail grab barrel. Jessie Pollock’s pit made the mainstream newsreel and of course there must be questions asked about how many ‘Red Bulls’ Bruce and Koby actually had before their heat, given the hilariously erratic post-heat interview they conducted. (2hrs, 4mins, 30secs in the coverage on Redbullcapfear.com)
Kirk Flintoff making it look easy on his backside.
According to one insider Red Bull spent close to half a million on the event all up. Out at the contest site, choppers flew over-head, cameras were pointed from every angle and the V.I.P. crowd sipped caffeinated beverages while watching the surfing from the temporary deck of an elaborate tent. The energy drink company clearly demonstrated that they have the resources and logistical experience to really throw their weight behind an event. We can only hope that they continue to support the Cape Fear project in the future. To use a popular Australian phrase Mark Mathews had a big go, it wasn’t quite as spectacularly as he might have hoped but at least we now know that this thing isn’t going to be done by half. Australia needs an answer to the Eddie Aikau. Bring on Red Bull Cape Fear, 2015.
