AR World Championship 2005
Surfs Up!
Rob Howard / 13.11.2005
The children waved flags on behalf of the visiting teams and the Japanese team were doing high-fives with children waving their flag, while the Brazilians were jumping up and down as another group sang ‘Go Brazil, Go Brazil’.
Geoff Hunt counted down the start which was set off by the Minister of Tourism, and the teams set off down the road en masse. Due to the sea conditions the initial cycle was cancelled and they were running a few kilometres to a nearby beach instead. When they arrived they realised why the start was changed.
The surf was high and big waves were sweeping in alongside the breakwater at the river mouth. As the teams raced onto the beach it quickly became a chaotic scene with support crew shouting and waving paddles to attract teams to their kayaks and set them off.
Some teams lost paddles, others couldn’t find each other, but defending champions Nike Balance Bar showed their experience. They were on the end of the line, so easy to find, and John Howard led them back along the beach to the breakwater, where the surf was easier to get through.
This was a start where a cool head and experience were essential, and a safety first approach paid off. Soon teams were rising and falling on the big breakers, crashing through the waves and trying to get out beyond the surf ... and not all of them made it first time.
Among those who capsized and had to come back to shore were Suunto, Try on Landscape, Subaru Canada, Cross Sportwear, Hardtale and Salomon GB. For them it was the worst of starts, and could be a hard paddle. Radio reports say it’s a “nice glassy sea of two to three foot!� But for the many spectators it was a spectacular start to this World Championship.
SleepMonsters
