Huey Sleeps Through World's First Tow-In Contest

King Island, Australia,October 24/MediaNet International-AsiaNet/ -- Despite a relentless program of self-sacrifice designed to awaken the surfing god Huey, the Red Bull Reef Seekers tow-in surfing contest finished its waiting period today without a heat surfed.

"There was no shortage of waves in the ten-foot range, but we pledged we wouldn't run this event unless the surf was a consistent fifteen-foot plus," event manager Chris Mater said.

Six two-man teams from Australia, Brazil, Tahiti, Hawaii and the USA plus a World Team had spent three weeks waiting for the surf to top five metres. The waves scratched that size on a few days but, generally, hung around the three-metre mark.

The Red Bull Reef Seekers is the world's first tow-in contest, a celebration of a unique sport where surfers use high-powered aquatic motorbikes (WaveRunners, Jetskis) to get towed onto waves too big to be ridden by paddle-in surfers.

And what did the surfers think of hanging around for three weeks waiting for an event that never happened? "It was the best contest of my life," was the startling claim from Brazilian big-wave champion Carlos Burle. "A new WaveRunner to use, a mechanic on call, free petrol, the best-wave surfers in the world all around, beautiful food, waves every day and all on an island with incredible big-wave potential ... how could I not be happy?"

VIDEO NEWS RELEASE
Date available Tuesday, October 24, 2000
From: ATV Channel 10, Melbourne
Contact Jarrad Dooley
Phone: +61 3 9275 1238

PHOTO RELEASE
Images: Cheyne Horan, World
Tony Ray, Australia
Date available: Tuesday, October 24, 2000
From: http://aapimage.aap.com.au

User Name: MEDIANET
User Password: MEDIANET

For more information contact:
Janelle Duncan, Communications Manager
Red Bull Australia Pty Ltd - +61 2 9363 3688

© Scoop Media