Big Wave News

Purists Are Mourning Sea Change at Tazzies Shipstern Bluff

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 13 July, 2006 : - - For diehard surfers, Shipstern Bluff is nirvana. A gnarly, ferocious wave off Tasmania's south-east coast, it is accessible only by boat or after a two-hour bushwalk. It is lionised — and dreamed of — by surfers the world over.

But for David Guiney, one of the men credited with its discovery 20 years ago, the legendary and dangerous spot is under threat — from power-ski users or, as he describes them, "new macho petrol heads".

The waves that grind in from the Southern Ocean were once known only to a small band who would paddle onto its swells of up to six metres. Now, says Guiney, 50, the site is dominated by surfers towed onto the wave by a partner on a power-ski. It has also become a venue for surfers and their sponsors.

Jonathan Jenkins, former editor of Australia's Surfing Life magazine, understands the concerns. "He does have a point," he said. "For surfers who are paddling onto waves while others are being towed on it is a bit like being the lonely kid in the playground."

Read the full article by Peter Wilmoth at TheAge.com

More Australasian Surfing News available here
Check the latest Australasian Surf Reports and Forecasts

New! Get the latest news with Surfersvillage News-Alerts

Source: The Age.com

Big Wave News - Surfersvillage