With an active waiting period but conditions not synching with the tides, the organisers of the Shark Island Challenge reluctantly pulled the trigger last Sunday.

Cons:

• It wasn't high tide till 4:30pm.
• The swell was too south.
• The wind forecast looked iffy.

Pros:

• There was swell and it was due to build.

Kicking the heats off at 11am, just an hour-and-a-half after low tide, the early competitors skirted near-dry rock at Surge, sifting the mid-size barrels from the larger washthroughs.

By the Semis, the tide had risen well passed mid, yet the rising swell meant the bigger sets were still washing through. Local Andy Lester got through but fractured his scapula in the process - he still put on the vest for the Final.

The Final saw the tide at its peak, though with ten foot sets it still wasn't enough water to slow the odd washthrough. Ben Sawyer sat tight to the ledge, and swung on the smaller hollower runners, ultimately being crowned 2024 champ.

First run in 1997, the SIC has been on hiatus since 2016, however the new organisers, Luke O'Connor, Mark Sadler, and Sam Venn, have resolved to continue it in 2025 and beyond.

Here's hoping the swell and tides combine.