Mark Cunningham to join the Whomp Off
He's been called 'the human pintail' by surfers and 'half man, half dolphin' by his peers, but it's not the epithets that count, it's the respect that Mark Cunningham is offered by the entire surfing community. He's long been admired for his proficiency amongst the North Shore waves while relying on nothing more than a set of rubber fins.
His status is such that, when Kelly Slater chose a partner for the recent 'Proximity' film shoot, and keep in mind Slater could've chosen any surfer in the world, he chose Cunningham to ride shotgun with him on a trip to an isolated Marshall Islands reef pass.
That's Mark, not Richie...
Now Cunningham is swapping the exotic North Pacific for the whomping shorebreak of Cronulla.
Next Saturday, that being the 15th of September, Whomp Off Australia is gonna run at North Cronulla. Whomp Off is a teams bodysurfing event and the organisers have secured the registration of the Da Fin Hawaiian team, with one M. Cunningham on the card.
There'll also be a team from Great Britain plus the usual otters from all around Australia.
Everyone is welcome - highly encouraged, in fact! - to come along and watch one of the world's best do the whomp at Cronulla.
Whomp Off Australia is presented by Vissla, Da Fin Hawaii, The Bodysurfing Shop, WAW Handplanes, and Swellnet.
Comments
Presented by Swellnet! Thats really cool guys Cheers!
I've heard about this teams challenge after recent Wommin Whomp.(2016 winners).
Easter Fingal comp was big with Sunny Coast crew! Possible they could send a team?
Gold Coast tribes first went to Byron then Fingal but not Noosa as such (Due to Cost)
I've not heard of a Gold Coast crew from these events going down...Love to know...Share!
My mates band is playing same day up on the Tweed. Already locked in!
Mark Cunningham is in his endless summer years. Good luck to the Globetrotting surf god!
2014/15/17/18 Swellnet Noosa Surfing Festival (2016?)
2018 Swellnet Cronulla Whomp Off!
Keith Malloy
2013 Byron Surfing Festival
Mike Stewart
1989 Gold/Sunny Coasts + Manly
1992 Waves from hell Tour (Location's) Anyone?
2017 (Pacific Palms)Coffs Harbour
2018(Aug) Woolongong (Kiama Pro )
Feel free to add other OZ touring US Bodywhompers if you like!
Have a Whompin' Good Time Cronulla from Gold Coast Basherz!
Swellnet are champions! They'll treat you like godz... Cheers!
I would like to see this guy have a crack at Slaters wave pool.
You can! Its on instagram
Thankyou for the link.
Love your work dimdim ...good to have you back Nick...thanx for sharing.
Burley Bodybasher Battery of 5 @ North Burley on Sunday.
Dad's target range for a while it was...We nearly lost one.
Lifeguard piped up his tune!
Looping some long lefts...lasted till lunch time.
I gave the Swellnet Comp a Shout out!
Tip: North Burleigh is a Gold Coast Body Basherz stronghold due to cross swell A frames.
The sloped shore gathers powdered Sand lending to shifting banks.
Resident Basher is iconic Oz Waterman 'The Mad Professor Neville De Mestri' (80/next year)
Author of Bodysurfing Book + Mathematics of Bodysurfing
He often starts the day paddling out to free critters from the shark nets...
After that he'd be measuring the speed of some mental flotsam in the shorebreak
NB SLSC 80 y'old usually competes in over half a dozen events/day...notably Ironman.
* World Titles -10+
*Oz Titles -40
*Qld titles- 60
To make you feel even more depleted I'm feeding you- all stale stats!
Another Bodybasherz 'Hoy to Swellnet Comp crew & Legends Nev'/Nick/Mark!