By Leila Samodien
While most of Cape Town is bracing itself for the chilly cold front this week, excited big wave surfers are looking forward to a good opportunity to drop into some huge waves.
The Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay - where young Durban surfer Jordy Smith clinched second place behind overseas ace Taj Burrow - is barely over, but there could be more spectacular surfing on the way.
An elite group of international and local big wave surfers are hoping this year's Red Bull Big Wave Africa surfing competition will kick off at Dungeons near Hout Bay on Wednesday or Thursday.
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| 'Organisers and surfers are expecting nothing less than five-metre waves' |
The competition starts once all the right "weather factors" are in place for large waves.
"We haven't seen many storms this year, so the waves weren't big enough, but this is definitely one of the nicest storms we have seen in a while," said competition organiser Jonathan Paarman yesterday.
Paarman said that with the window period ending on August 13, there was a "strong possibility" the competition would start this week.
This is the first year organisers have had a four-month window period in which to kickstart the competition. It had been extended from a 21-day period. Paarman said the extension had been to "find the right day".
Organisers and surfers are expecting nothing less than five-metre waves.
Eighteen of the best local and international surfers will be competing for the R150 000 first prize and the prestigious champion title.
Paarman said 20 alternate surfers had also been invited in case some of the invitees do not make it.
Surfers are told the competition is on only 48 hours before the actual start.
leilas@incape.co.za
- This article was originally published on page 4 of Cape Argus on July 24, 2006
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