Swell warning for Cave Rock
Alistair Taylor15th April 2006
OK guys well we're now 3 days away from the Movement Magazine Gladiator Pit waiting period. Firstly, those of you that have not sent me in your entry forms need to do so asap- entry closing date was on the 12th, so a lot of guys are technically still not entered, and I am actually beyond 32 guys, so there will be an alternate list. It's also imperative I have everyone's cell numbers so I can SMS out that the contest is on.
I am hoping all of you will be at the pre-comp function on the night of the 18th- I need to by then have confirmed for sure who all is in the event, as well as outline the event format, judging criteria etc.
At the moment, things look potentially good for the first day of the window, Wednesday the 19th- looks like we may have a solid 8ft SSW groundswell at 14 seconds, which would be good for the rock- only question mark is the wind, which may be a little strong. That's also why it's going to be important for all competitors to be at the beach on days of potential competition at the LATEST 6:30am. We are aiming for a 7:00am start, and factoring in that a paddle out at big cave rock might take you 20 minutes or so, first heat will want to be ready to start paddling by 6:40.
Regarding making the call, it will ONLY be made on the day, since a forecast is hardly ever 100% accurate. However, the way things look now, I would definitely be on the beach early on day 1.
Formats will be outlined on the pre-contest evening, but more than likely we'll use the Shark Island Challenge format, which means everyone will surf a 5 or 6 man heat of 40-45 minutes, and you'll surf 2 rounds minimum. There is no elimination in this format- your best 2 waves from each heat are added together, to give you a 4 wave total, which will determine the final results. If it turns out possible that we can run 2 competition days in the window, you'll surf 2 more rounds, but more on that later. Essentially, we need one good day of competition in sick, heavy waves- that is the focus of the event. There is also a chance that we're going to be covered by SuperSport, so be ready to go huge for the chance to show off in front of a few million TV viewers!
Lastly those that have not sent in your entry fees, please do so- I would rather not be receiving bundles of cash on the pre-contest evening- it's safer in the bank.
Good luck to everyone- see you in the PIT!!!
Alistair
I am hoping all of you will be at the pre-comp function on the night of the 18th- I need to by then have confirmed for sure who all is in the event, as well as outline the event format, judging criteria etc.
At the moment, things look potentially good for the first day of the window, Wednesday the 19th- looks like we may have a solid 8ft SSW groundswell at 14 seconds, which would be good for the rock- only question mark is the wind, which may be a little strong. That's also why it's going to be important for all competitors to be at the beach on days of potential competition at the LATEST 6:30am. We are aiming for a 7:00am start, and factoring in that a paddle out at big cave rock might take you 20 minutes or so, first heat will want to be ready to start paddling by 6:40.
Regarding making the call, it will ONLY be made on the day, since a forecast is hardly ever 100% accurate. However, the way things look now, I would definitely be on the beach early on day 1.
Formats will be outlined on the pre-contest evening, but more than likely we'll use the Shark Island Challenge format, which means everyone will surf a 5 or 6 man heat of 40-45 minutes, and you'll surf 2 rounds minimum. There is no elimination in this format- your best 2 waves from each heat are added together, to give you a 4 wave total, which will determine the final results. If it turns out possible that we can run 2 competition days in the window, you'll surf 2 more rounds, but more on that later. Essentially, we need one good day of competition in sick, heavy waves- that is the focus of the event. There is also a chance that we're going to be covered by SuperSport, so be ready to go huge for the chance to show off in front of a few million TV viewers!
Lastly those that have not sent in your entry fees, please do so- I would rather not be receiving bundles of cash on the pre-contest evening- it's safer in the bank.
Good luck to everyone- see you in the PIT!!!
Alistair