Russell Bierke: managing fear at Cape Solander | Photo: Hemmings/Red Bull

The Red Bull Cape Fear will return to the shores of Ours in New South Wales, Australia. The contest window runs from May 1st to August 31st, 2017.

The spot is located just 30 kilometers south of Sydney's CBD. There lies one of the most treacherous surf breaks in the world.

The competition gets underway when the waves reach around 8-to-12 feet and break just two feet above a shallow reef, ten meters away from the cliffs of Cape Solander.

This wave is so heavy that it produces a giant volume of water - the equivalent of 27 Olympic pools.

Last year, competitors were greeted by one of the largest swells ever to hit the spot. Russell Bierke came out victorious after two unbelievable days of life-threatening slab rides.

The 2017 Red Bull Cape Fear will feature the 16 surfers from the 2016 event, plus four international riders.

As always, there will be five 40-minute Round 1 heats with four surfers. The single highest paddle and single highest tow wave will count for each surfer's total heat score.

The winner of each heat will advance through to the final, while the second place surfer in each heat will move to a repechage round.

2017 Red Bull Cape Fear | The Invitees

Andrew Mooney
Blake Thornton
Billy Kemper
Dean Morrison
Evan Faulks
Jai Abberton
James Adams
Jesse Pollock
Justen Allport
Kirk Flintoff
Koby Abberton
Laurie Towner
Makua Rothman
Nathan Florence
Perth Standlick
Richie Vaculik
Riley Laing
Russell Bierke
Ryan Hipwood
Taj Burrow

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