Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer, uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found on ocean shores, but can also be found in standing waves in the open ocean, in lakes, in rivers in the form of a tidal bore, or in wave pools.
Bodyboarding is a water sport in which the surfer rides a bodyboard on the crest, face, and curl of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore. Bodyboarding is also referred to as Boogieboarding due to the invention of the "Boogie Board" by Tom Morey in 1971. The average bodyboard consists of a short, rectangular piece of hydrodynamic foam. Bodyboarders typically use swim fins for additional propulsion and control while riding a breaking wave.
A rip current is a specific type of water current that can occur near beaches where waves break. A rip is a strong, localized, and narrow current of water that moves directly away from the shore by cutting through the lines of breaking waves, like a river flowing out to sea. The force of the current in a rip is strongest and fastest next to the surface of the water.
Bodysurfing is the art and sport of riding a wave without the assistance of any buoyant device such as a surfboard or bodyboard. Bodysurfers often equip themselves with a pair of swimfins that aid propulsion and help the bodysurfer catch, ride and kick out of waves. Some bodysurfers also use a wooden or foam handplane, which helps to get one's chest out of the water to reduce drag, this is known as handplaning and is an offshoot of bodysurfing.
Cronulla is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Boasting numerous surf beaches and swimming spots, the suburb attracts both tourists and Greater Sydney residents. Cronulla is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire.
Coogee is a beachside suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the City of Randwick. Coogee is located 8 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.
The Shark Island Challenge (SIC), held near Cronulla, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, is the most celebrated World Tour event in bodyboarding since the elimination of the Teahupoo Challenge (Teahupoo) from the world bodyboarding tour.
Itacoatiara is one of the 48 official neighborhoods into which the city of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is divided.
Maroubra is a beachside suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 10 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Randwick.
Tamarama is a beachside suburb, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Tamarama is 6 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council.
Cronulla Beach, is a patrolled beach on Bate Bay in the Sydney suburb of Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia. The Cronulla Pavilion and the Cronulla Lifesaving Club are two prominent buildings located close to the sand. Cronulla Park sits behind the beach. The Cronulla Rock Pools are between Cronulla Beach and North Cronulla beach. The Alley is the local name given to the area between Cronulla Beach and North Cronulla Beach. Shark Island is a dangerous reef break, located off Cronulla Beach.
The state parks of New South Wales are 18 protected areas in New South Wales, Australia reserved for camping, water sports and recreational uses. State parks are maintained by the New South Wales Department of Lands and managed by community trust boards.
The Cronulla Shark Island Swim Challenge is an annual event of 2.3 km (1.4 mi), held at Cronulla Beach in Sydney, Australia.
Zuma Beach is a county beach at 30000 Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Malibu, California. One of the largest and most popular beaches in Los Angeles County, California, it is known for its long, wide sands and excellent surf. It consistently ranks among the healthiest beaches for clean water conditions in Los Angeles County.
Bronte Beach is a small but popular recreational beach in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia. It is a division of the LGA of Waverley Council. Bronte Beach is 2 kilometres south of Bondi Beach and north of the much larger Coogee Beach.
Teahupoʻo is a village on the southwestern coast of the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, in the southern Pacific Ocean.
Duranbah Beach, officially known as Flagstaff Beach, is the northernmost beach in New South Wales. Located in the Tweed Shire, Duranbah Beach is situated between the mouth of the Tweed River and the rocky headland Point Danger which also marks the Queensland-New South Wales border. The beach is 350 meters in length with vegetated dunes running along 200 metres. The southern end of the beach features BBQs, sheltered picnic areas including a block of toilets and shower just behind it.
Greenhills Beach is an unpatrolled beach on Bate Bay, located in Greenhills Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The beach is located roughly 18 kilometres from the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire. Recognised as one of Sydney's longest beaches, Greenhills beach is roughly 3 kilometres in length and forms part of a chain of beaches residing on Bate Bay. It is the northernmost section of the Greenhills-North Cronulla beach complex and is the only section of the beach not to be patrolled by a Surf Club or by volunteer lifesavers.
Australian Boardriders Battle is an annual event held by Surfing Australia. Since 2017 the national competition finals have been hosted at Newcastle, New South Wales, generally in February each year. Fox Sports also airs the Australian Boardriders Battle live. The national finals of the first three series were held at Cronulla Beach in Sydney on the Australia Day weekend in late January.
Mathieu Schiller was a French bodyboarder. Crowned French champion in 1993, he later won the team event of the European championships in 1995. He died in a shark attack off Saint-Gilles, Réunion. The attack was likely caused by multiple tiger shark or bull sharks. The presence of sharks and turbulent conditions forced rescuers to abandon an immediate attempt to retrieve his body; his remains were never recovered.
