Red Bull Cape Fear Is Back and Moving To Shipstern Bluff!
COASTALWATCH | NEWS
Outside of Bells, Pipeline and World Titles, you could argue that Red Bull's Cape Fear event is the best spectacle in surfing. The 2016 event at Cape Solander – the second time the event ran in its young history – was one of the most jaw dropping presentations of surfng ever! And today we've learnt that the event is back for 2018, and has ramped it up a notch by moving the location to perhaps Australia's most notorious big wave slab, Shipstern Bluff on Tasmania's rugged, cold coast.
And that's not the only newsworthy piece of info dropping out of the sky like a bomb Shippies set today, amongst the roster of hellmen lined up to take part in the event is one recently retired three time World Champion: Mick Fanning.
Here's Mick's appearance down at the wave back in 2015:
Mick was quoted in the Red Bul Cape Fear press release as saying:
“Surfing a wave like Shipstern Bluff gives a sense of satisfaction and relief, but it’s a whole different ball game in an event like Red Bull Cape Fear. Last time the event ran I watched every second. I was in awe of the athletes and their performances. To test myself against the ocean but also against my favourite big wave surfers will be a real honour and I’m going to relish the challenge.”
Also competing in the unique tow/paddle crossover event will be 2016 Cape Fear champion Russel Bierke, Eddie winner and big wave icon Ross Clarke Jones, Pipe Master Jamie O'Brien, current Surfing World cover star Laurie Towner, and millenial superfreak Kai Lenny, as well as a host of local Tasmanian chargers, underground Australian slab-hunting legends, and international big wave hell men.
The window for the event opens today (August 1) and runs for five months, with Coastalwatch's own Chief Swell Forecaster Ben Macartney tracking any and every swell that might switch the light to green, and turn on what will be a wild showcase of Australian slab charing.
Here's what event director Mark Mathews had to say about the move to Shippies:
“The mountainous size, power and majestic intensity of Shipstern Bluff matched with 20 fearless big wave surfers has all the ingredients to be a highly viewed surfing event. It takes a special breed of surfer to surf such a wave.”
This will be the first time any type of competition has been run at the famously isolated surf spot.
And here is a list of the 20 invited surfers for Red Bull Cape Fear 2018:
Russell Bierke (AUS)
Pedro Scooby (BRA)
Daniel Griffiths (AUS)
Michael Brennan (AUS)
Mick Fanning (AUS)
Laurie Towner (AUS)
Shaun Wallbank (AUS)
Zebulon Critchlow (AUS)
Ross Clarke-Jones (AUS)
Ryan Hipwood (AUS)
James McKean (AUS)
Brook Phillips (AUS)
Jamie O-Brien (USA)
Nathan Florence (USA)
James Hollmer-Cross (AUS)
Marti Paradisis (AUS)
Kai Lenny (USA)
Billy Kemper (USA)
Tyler Hollmer-Cross (AUS)
Alex Zawadzki (AUS)
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