Eight surfers were crowned winners of the inaugural Red Bull Cape Fear, at Botany Bay, Sydney, Australia.
It was hailed as one of the most exciting surfing events of recent times. The Red Bull Cape Fear, brought to you by big wave surfer Mark Mathews, didn't deliver monsters but there was no shortage of barrels or wipeouts.
Eight one-on-one clashes were run in four-to-six foot sets over one of the world's deadliest reefs. At Ours, Ryan Hipwood and Jamie O'Brien opened the hostilities with what was considered the best battle of the event.
"This event has been a massive roller coaster ride. I've been planning on doing something like this for six or seven years and for it now to be finish is a massive weight off my shoulders," reveals Hipwood.
In the second battle of the Red Bull Cape Fear, Mark Mathews defeated Shane Dorian (HAW). The local warrior surfed with a back injury, and he was able to overcome the Hawaiian by fractions of a point.
"This has been a day I'll never forget, I got to surf at one of my favourite spots, against who I believe is the greatest big wave surfer of all time - Shane Dorian. The surf is not big enough to tow, but still one of the best days of the year out there, and everyone has been going for it," added Mathews.
In the end, the Red Bull Cape Fear had eight Australian winners: Ryan Hipwood, Mark Mathews, Laurie Towner, Koby Abberton, Dean Morrison, Richie Vaculik, Kirk Flintoff, and Jesse Polock.
Red Bull Cape Fear Results
Battle 1 - Ryan Hipwood (AUS) def. Jamie O'Brien (HAW)
Battle 2 - Mark Mathews (AUS) def. Shane Dorian (HAW)
Battle 3 - Laurie Towner (AUS) def. David Rastovich (NZL)
Battle 4 - Koby Abberton (AUS) def. Bruce Irons (HAW)
Battle 5 - Dean Morrison (AUS) def. Ian Walsh (HAW)
Battle 6 - Richie Vaculik (AUS) def. Evan Faulks (AUS)
Battle 7 - Kirk Flintoff (AUS) def. Jai Abberton (AUS)
Battle 8 - Jesse Polock (AUS) def. Sam Macintosh (AUS)