The six participating sailors of the Red Bull Storm Chase have made it to Tasmania in the hunt for a giant storm approaching from the Great Southern Ocean.
The spot: Marrawah, Tasmania
Tasmania lies right in the ‘Roaring Forties’ corridor and is in prime position to collide with the fiercest Southern Hemisphere weather systems. Boasting the highest wind statistics in Australia, the island state’s coast is wild and often receives surf in the 15-metre region, while around the Marrawah region of the North West coast, storm-force winds up to and exceeding 70 knots are commonplace. Two spots could suit the forecast for wind orientation, Temma and ‚Back of Lighthouse’, near West Point, both reef breaks being capable of holding huge swells and giving good options for the likely wind direction.
Spot Option 1: TEMMA
A series of reefs near Temma Harbour offer good side-shore (wind from right) options in North or North West wind directions. The access is good with plenty of grassy areas for the crew infrastructure and athletes to prepare their equipment. Having a harbour and slipways nearby aid the safety backup crew and provide further launching options for competitors in large surf conditions.
Spot Option 2: ‘BACK OF LIGHTHOUSE’ (BOL)
Located on the West Point peninsular, BOL is a likely choice in South West to West-South-West wind. Launching in a small cove allows access to a long, peeling point break (left-hander) that should see surf well over mast high in swells over five metres. Kelp, strong rips and savage rocks on the inside make for a challenging launch.
Average Temperatures: Air (Aug-Nov): 12°C, Water (Aug-Nov): 12°C
The Judging:
Waves and jumps are scored on a scale from 1 to 10. Focus is on radicalness and height. An extremely high jump without a clean landing can get higher scores than a clean landed one. In order to incentivise sailors for variety, points will be deducted for repeating in their top-5 scored moves.
Touchdown Tasmania – Pic: Sebastian Marko/Red Bull Contentpool
© Red Bull Storm Chase, Continentseven
[…] saw a full round of competition completed in challenging starboard tack, side-onshore conditions at Temma Beach in North West Tasmania. Wind up to 64 knots and 25-foot Great Southern Ocean surf challenged all […]