Bronte Surfboat News

Ocean Thunder.

The world sends shivers of excitement and a tiny bit of fear down the spine of all OT competitors. It's coming around again this year, being held once a month from November until February.

To give you an idea of why this competition is such a big deal, I'll compare it against any other normal carnival:

Normal Carnival:

• 3-4 races per day
• Start the race standing next to your boat, jump in when the gun goes bang
• The starter waits for a lull in the surf before making said gun go bang
• Crews race out, through the gate cans (that essentially designate lanes from the beach to the turning buoy and back - go outside your gate & disqualification results)
• Crews turn, return through the gate can, and whomever crosses the line first wins.
• The finishing line is made by two flags standing in the water at either end of the competition area, about 5m out from the sand

Ocean Thunder:

• at least 6 races, with a possibility of 14 for the crews who make the final.
• Some races start with a 30m sprint to the boat
• The started pulls the trigger when the biggest, gnarliest wave rears it's ugly head
• Crews race out, with no gate cans to designate lanes
• Crews turn, return without designated lanes, and the race does not stop once the boat hits sand - the bow rower must jump out and sprint up the beach - you've seen previous footage of Bronte coming unstuck due to this very rule - thereby possibly rendering a great row absolutely wasted.
• The sprint ends once the rower runs through the correct gate - also a sore spot for a previous wasted Bronte effort
• But wait, there's more - sometimes the race doesn't end there. The final is a double race - after the first race out and back, the bow rower jumps out, sprints up the beach, around the gate, and back to their seat (while the other crew members spin the boat around) - at which point, the whole thing starts again - needless to say, this happens after 13 previous races
• Oh, did I mention the whole thing is professionally filmed, and broadcast on Fox Sports? This might explain why the starter waits for Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, to kick up a bit of a stink before making his gun go bang.

So now you know why Ocean Thunder is named exactly that. And now, the evidence:

November 12th - Round 1. Dee Why Thunderdome. All welcome - if you dare.