Tuesday 8th july 2003
Extreme Test At Big Wave Challenge | |
|  | | In deep at Jaws. Garrett McNamara getting tubed on a 50ft monster |
| | Big wave world champion Garrett McNamara and a select band of extreme surfers are setting out on global journey to ride the biggest surf on the planet.
Our surfing correspondent Simon Alexander has the details..... |
|   | | The "If It Can't Kill You, It Aint Extreme" challenge, gets underway in Tahiti later this month in a bid to reclaim the soul of surfing giant waves.
Offshore reefs in Australia, France, California and Hawaii will also be tackled before the end of the Hawaiian winter season next year.
Thirty-five-year-old McNamara's skill in big waves is legendary. Having won the Tow-In World Cup in January, 2002, he stands as the Tow-In World Champion, a title he will defend this winter.
A few months ago at Jaws in Maui, McNamara successfully rode what has become known as the most incredible tube ride ever surfed. Heralded as the best day in big-wave surfing history, Garrett's wave peaked at 50-feet before throwing over into a life-threatening cavernous barrel.
Joining McNamara on the tour will be Ikaika Kalama, Bruce Irons, Darrel "Flea" Virostko, Josh Loya, Kenny "Skindog" Collins, Shawn "Barney" Barron, Shane Dorian, Noah Johnson, Jamie Sterling, Donny Darnell, Bruce Irons, Manoa Drollet, and Raimana Van-Bastolaer.
Other invited surfers include Vetea David, Arsene Horhoe, Didier Pinhin, Peter Mel, Adam Replogle, Makua Rothman, Ryan Rawson, and Troy Alotis.
McNamara says the challenge will attempt to keep the surfing as pure as possible "We're not going out there looking for sponsorship, prize money and media mayhem.
"We're putting the money up ourselves to get out there, find the biggest waves we can, and push each other to take the level up a notch.
"There's a handful of us who surf extreme waves simply because we love to. So we want to get together in a variety of locations and challenge each other to find the ultimate ride. We want to get out from under any rigid contest rules and restrictions and open it up to extreme surfing - pure and simple."
The format will be similar to a "skins" event.
There will be a maximum of five teams at each venue. Competitors will take to the waves on the biggest day on offer at each location and every ride will be video-taped.
At the conclusion of each one-day contest, competitors will meet to review the tape and then vote on the biggest and best rides
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